NASHVILLE – Titans Coach Mike Vrabel held a press conference on Monday, one day after the team's 28-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
The Titans return to action on Thursday night against the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
Here's a look at the biggest topics from the presser:
-The biggest top of the day, of course, centered on the team's quarterback situation.
Will Levis threw four touchdowns in his first career NFL game on Sunday, in place of an injured Ryan Tannehill.
I did a separate story on Vrabel's plan for Thursday's game: CLICK HERE.
-Vrabel was asked at the end of the 20-minute press conference if the Titans were expecting to receive calls about Tannehill leading up to the NFL's trade deadline on Tuesday.
"I don't know," Vrabel said. "We haven't as of yet. But I have no idea. I'll go downstairs and when Ran (Carthon) tells me somebody called then we'll talk about whoever player they called about and what they would offer and make a decision. … I think we owe it to the team to listen as diligently as possible on anybody that would call, regardless of player, person or position, just to make sure we're doing right by the football team."
-The Titans have already started preparing for the Steelers.
Vrabel said the mindset is "today is Thursday, and we play on Sunday night."
"That's how we have to approach it," Vrabel said. "Physically, we ask a lot of the players during the game. They play hard, and it's a violent sport. So, we have to get them back as best that we can."
-Vrabel said Andre Dillard went in and competed at left tackle when tackle Chris Hubbard left the game with concussion symptoms. During the game, the Titans moved Nicholas Petit-Frere from left tackle to right tackle, and inserted Dillard at left tackle. Dillard started the first six games of the season on the left side.
Vrabel didn't reveal the plan vs the Steelers in the event Dillard isn't able to go.
-Several Titans players spoke up for quarterback Malik Willis after a chorus of boos were heard at Nissan Stadium when he entered the contest on two different occasions on Sunday.
Vrabel said the team has great fans who support the team well, especially when the Titans play hard, and physical and with effort.
"If there's things that they don't like," Vrabel said, "they have a right (to boo)."
If the boos were directed at the decision to play Willis rather than at Willis, that's fine, too, Vrabel said.
"If it was directed at me, great, I'll take it, you know what I mean?" Vrabel said. "If that's what it was, you can put a poll out and let me know how it goes. I'm more than Ok with the plan that we had. I am disappointed that we snapped the ball high and outside to the quarterback, and that we didn't recover it. Still, I am going to be OK with that plan, because I know what was in there, and know what we can do. I am OK either way."
-Vrabel sounded optimistic about the team's chances of getting tight end Josh Whyle back for Thursday's game. Whyle missed Sunday's game vs the Falcons with a concussion.
"He was starting to do some good things," Vrabel said of Whyle. "He's a versatile piece on offense, and also special teams. … Hopefully we'll get Josh back."
-Outside linebacker Harold Landry tallied two sacks against the Falcons, and Landry said in the locker room after the contest he's been feeling better of late.
"He certainly factors yesterday," Vrabel said, "and affected the quarterback. … He was rushing hard."
-Vrabel said outside linebacker Trevis Gipson earned a gameday roster spot, and playing time, ahead of fellow outside linebackers Rashad Weaver and Caleb Murphy on Sunday.
Still, Vrabel said roster decisions could change from week to week.
"We only have so many guys that get active," Vrabel said. "Trevis had been factoring in the opportunities that he had, and we tried to give him another opportunity. That could change this week. (Weaver) plays hard, and tries to be involved in special teams as well, which he hadn't been. So I give Weav credit for that, for finding some role. And, every week is different. We can't have everybody active – Thursday night could be different. We'll see."
