The Tennessee Titans pulled off a thrilling upset over the Miami Dolphins on Monday night, 28-27, in what was nothing short of a miraculous win.
This was considered the biggest upset of the year as far as betting odds go, and it was the third-biggest in “Monday Night Football” history after the Titans were two-touchdown underdogs on a national stage.
And for good reason, to be perfectly honest. The Dolphins were the No. 1 seed in the AFC prior to Sunday, they had arguably the most explosive offense in the NFL and they were undefeated at home.
Then you had the Titans, who were 4-8, winless on the road, and one of the least explosive teams in the NFL with a defense that had been struggling mightily.
This had all the makings of a lopsided matchup that should’ve been over by halftime. Instead, Tennessee came into the game motivated to prove that it was still capable of shocking the world, and it did just that.
This was the type of performance that spoke volumes about the culture head coach Mike Vrabel has built in Tennessee.
Even when things are down and the team is lacking talent, the Titans still gave their best effort more often than not. Sometimes, that effort simply isn’t good enough, but these players genuinely care about playing for one another, and that was evident on Monday.
Now, let’s find out who either raised or lowered their stock going into Week 15.
Stock up: QB Will Levis
We’ve seen Levis shine before, but this game against the Dolphins was different.
In the face of incredible adversity, the rookie had ice water in his veins and led the Titans on two touchdown drives with 4:34 remaining to pull off a miraculous and historic victory over Miami.
Making it more impressive, he did it on a national stage and showed why Titans fans are so excited about the future.
If Levis turns out to be a franchise quarterback the way we all expect him to, this game will be pointed to for years to come as the one that catapulted him to that next level.
Stock down: Draft positioning
Coming into the game, many people (myself included) were bracing for the possibility of another bad loss, which would have put the Titans inside the top five of next year’s draft with only four weeks remaining.
Instead, the team rallied around its young quarterback to get him the first real signature win of his young career. This dropped the Titans down to the ninth pick and they’re now one of six teams who have a 5-8 record.
Even though many fans might be thinking about next year, it’s rather evident that Vrabel still has this team playing hard, and the Titans are trying to win games instead of packing it in for the season.
Levis’ long-term development matters more than anything right now. That can sometimes be forgotten with how miserable this year has been, but wins like these can go a long way for a young quarterback’s confidence heading into his first offseason.
The high draft pick would be awesome, but if the Titans can solidify the fact that they found their franchise quarterback for the next decade, that should be considered the biggest win of the year.
Stock up: Levis-DeAndre Hopkins connection
While this has largely been a lost season in terms of the Titans making the playoffs, the growing connection between the Titans’ rookie quarterback and future Hall of Fame wide receiver has been incredible to watch.
Last Monday alone, the two of them connected for seven catches, 124 yards and one touchdown.
Furthermore, ever since Levis took over as the full-time starter (seven games), Hopkins has recorded 30 catches, 522 yards (17.4 YPC, 77.57 YPG), and six touchdowns.
The #Titans are 102 yards away from having a 1K yard WR again. Losing AJ is a void that will hurt until we get another young stud. However, I’m so thankful for DHop and the ignorance 31 teams had toward him.
Now, let’s get him a real sidekick this offseason please and thank you. pic.twitter.com/f5GkfwOBDt
— Shaun Calderon (@ShaunMichaels98) December 12, 2023
If you average those totals over a 17-game season, Hopkins’ numbers would approximately come out to 71 catches, 1,268 yards and 14 touchdowns.
It also appears as if DHop is genuinely happy playing alongside Levis. He knows something special is budding with No. 8, and he wants to be a part of it.
.Understandable, I played with a lot and I can say we got a ball playa! https://t.co/PmoK6ZiKPY
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) December 12, 2023
DeAndre Hopkins on QB Will Levis: “I saw a dawg out here today. That kid is going to be great. I’m always in his ear, trying to help him. I know he’s still got a lot in his tank… Ima still be on him when we get back. But Will showed heart. I love competing and playing with him.” https://t.co/oDRnNIKkOY
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) December 12, 2023
The potential of what these two can accomplish next season when Levis has another year of experience, more help up front, and adequate sidekicks out wide is something that should have every Titans fan excited for the future.
Stock down: CB Eric Garror
Garror wasn’t great as the punt returner by any means, but at least he had been taking care of the football.
That ended in Week 14, though, when Garror made a boneheaded decision to try and field a punt he had no business going after. The end result was a muffed punt that set the Dolphins up for a touchdown.
Thankfully for Garror, the Titans were able to erase his mistake by pulling off a comeback for the ages. However, that doesn’t change the fact Garror will likely be out of the returner role in Week 15.
Stock up: OLB Harold Landry
Harold Landry was awesome in Week 14. Fans have been waiting for him to have that signature performance where he completely takes over, and we finally got that on Monday.
The former Boston College star totaled three sacks, three tackles for loss, and five quarterback hits, and had the game-sealing sack on fourth down with under a minute left on the clock.
TITANS SACK TUA FOR THE WIN. #TENvsMIA pic.twitter.com/tmURcUgeD0
— NFL (@NFL) December 12, 2023
More importantly, he routinely flashed his explosive skill set that made him such a dynamic pass rusher pre-ACL injury.
Harold Landry with the beautiful ghost rush. Gets pressure on the QB & forces an incompletion! #PassRush #MNF #Titans pic.twitter.com/vioHHzjP65
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) December 12, 2023
Landry has recorded 27 quarterback pressures, seven sacks and a respectable pass-rushing grade of 72.2, per Pro Football Focus, since the bye week.
Stock up: RB Tyjae Spears
With the Titans trailing by what seemed like an insurmountable two touchdowns, Spears stepped up big time and played a huge role in Tennessee’s comeback.
On the first touchdown drive of the fourth quarter, Spears had catches of 12, 21 and eight yards. He also had a six-yard run on the game-winning drive.
Spears ultimately finished with just 29 rushing yards on seven carries, but he was second on the team with six catches and 89 receiving yards.
The rookie has been sensational for the Titans this season, but considering his role in what was the biggest win of the season, Week 14 might’ve been his true coming out party.
