The Indianapolis Colts are looking to rebound from their humiliating loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday with a win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 16 that will, they hope, keep their slim playoff hopes alive. And as the Colts prepare, the defense will evidently need to be studying a different quarterback.
Titans' starting quarterback Will Levis has officially been benched, after a disappointing performance throughout this season. In the 11 games he's started, he was thrown for 12 touchdowns and 12 picks, and 1,916 yards. His quarterback rating is lower even than Anthony Richardson's, another young quarterback new to the NFL who has struggled this year.
It's expected that Mason Rudolph will start in his place.
The Tennessee #Titans are planning to make a switch at quarterback this week, source told ESPN.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 17, 2024
Mason Rudolph is the logical candidate to step in for starter Will Levis, who likely heads to the bench barring surprise.
Levis struggled against the Titans' Week 15 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, and he threw 8-of-12 passes for 89 yards, along with three interceptions before being benched during the game. Rudolph took over, and completed 21-of-26 passes for 209 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.
This is a change from what the Colts had been expecting; Richardson and Levis, who came through the same draft class and are both among the youngest QBs in the league. Rudolph, at 29, is older and more experienced, but he's also not likely to be a long-term answer for Tennessee.
It's possible that Rudolph will be a bigger challenge for the Colts' defense than Levin would have; he was able to get those 209 yards and two touchdowns despite coming into the game in the middle of the third quarter. He had a season high passing rating of 109.5. Still, the Titans have one of the worst offenses in the NFL, ranking 27th in total offensive yards and scoring, and dead last with 29 turnovers lost. Given that the Colts' defense performed so well against the Broncos, whose offense is significantly better than the Titans' offense, fans can hope that even with Rudolph at the helm, the defense will be able to keep Tennessee contained.