Entering this week’s winner-take-all game to decide the AFC South, it had been an open question concerning who the Titans would start at quarterback. Head coach Mike Vrabel put the issue to rest on Monday, naming Joshua Dobbs
the team’s Week 18 starter.
The move comes as little surprise given the fact that the veteran got the nod for Tennessee’s Thursday night loss to the Cowboys. That decision, in turn, came just over one week after the veteran was signed off the Lions’ practice squad to give the team another healthy option under center.
Dobbs completed 20-of-39 passes last week, totaling 232 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The loss against Dallas carried zero playoff implications for the Titans, so they rested several key players to protect against injury in advance of their crucial matchup with the Jaguars. One starter who was sidelined out of necessity, of course, was starting signal-caller Ryan Tannehill.
Tannehill suffered an ankle injury in Week 15, and his availability for the remainder of the season remains very much in doubt. While the Pro Bowler has not been shut down this season, he is not expected to see the field again until next year. That pointed to rookie backup Malik Willis taking over for last week’s game as a means of gaining much-needed experience, but Dobbs was Vrabel’s preferred choice.
Today’s announcement confirms that Vrabel trusts Dobbs more at this point in his career than the third-rounder for a must-win contest, despite the lack of familiarity the former has within the team’s offense. In three starts this year, including Week 16, Willis has attempted only 49 passes and totaled 234 yards. He has added 95 yards on the ground over that span, at times demonstrating the dual-threat ability which made him one of the top options in the 2021 QB draft class.
Willis will once again remain on the sidelines for on Saturday, however, with the Titans’ playoff hopes resting on their ability to halt a six-game losing streak. There is a scenario in which the Jaguars could make the playoffs as a Wild Card team, but for Tennessee, the only path to the playoffs is a division title which seemed all but certain until recently. Their ability to win the AFC South will be decided in no small part by Dobbs’ ability to further acclimate himself to his newest team in the coming days.
