NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans want rookie quarterback Will Levis to protect himself better and are emphasizing he should slide more, head coach Mike Vrabel said.
"We're still trying to work on that," Vrabel said Monday. "We showed him examples of quarterbacks sliding and using the rules to their advantage."
Levis failed to heed Vrabel's advice after a scramble late in Monday night's 28-27 win over the Miami Dolphins when he finished off a run by lowering his shoulder, creating a booming collision with Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
That came a week after Levis channeled his inner John Elway by diving at the end of a run and getting helicoptered when two Indianapolis Colts defenders hit him.
Levis often flashed this competitive style of play during his two seasons at Kentucky. He acknowledged it's a style that could get him hurt.
"I'm just playing ball," Levis said Monday. "Just instincts kicking in. Got to be smart using my body and maybe sliding here and there. I know I can use my legs, and I've got to use them when appropriate."
Levis was spotted in the Titans' locker room with an ice pack on his right shoulder after the Dolphins game. It was the same shoulder that Levis lowered when he collided with Ramsey, though it wasn't clear if that was the reason he was icing it afterward.
Levis finished with 327 passing yards, making him the first rookie quarterback to pass for 300 or more yards on "Monday Night Football." It was his first 300-yard passing game and the first time he led the Titans on a come-from-behind fourth-quarter drive.
The Titans hope it's the first of many. That's why they want to make sure he protects himself going forward.
"I guess we'll have to show him examples of quarterbacks not sliding and getting the s--- knocked out of them," Vrabel said. "So, we're going to try the other way this week."
