Coach Mike Vrabel is still deciding whether Willis or Joshua Dobbs will start the regular season finale against the Jaguars, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Titans went with Dobbs against Dallas on Thursday, and the 27-year-old quarterback threw for a respectable 232 yards with one touchdown and two turnovers in the 27-13 loss. Willis is more capable of making plays with his legs, but the rookie third-round pick out of Liberty failed to break triple digits in passing yards in any of his first three NFL starts. Needing a Week 18 win to make the postseason, the Titans will prioritize winning now over any future development, which could give Dobbs the inside track given Willis' struggles as a passer to date.

The Titans are expected to start Josh Dobbs rather than Willis in Thursday's game against the Cowboys, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

EDGE Analysis

With Ryan Tannehill (ankle) already ruled out for the contest and likely done for the regular season, the Titans will get their first look at Dobbs, who was signed off the Lions' practice squad last week. Though the Titans are set to hold out a number of key players with an eye toward being as healthy as possible for a Week 18 matchup with the Jaguars that will decide the AFC South champion, Willis' expected absence may have more to do with his poor performance in place of Tannehill this season. Through the first eight appearances (three starts) of his rookie campaign, Willis has completed 31 of 61 attempts (50.8 percent) for 276 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions. He's also lost two fumbles, which has negated some of the value he's provided as a runner (123 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries). With that in mind, Dobbs could put himself in consideration to start the regular-season finale if he acquits himself well Thursday.

Willis will start Thursday's game against Dallas with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) ruled out again, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Tannehill won't return until the playoffs, if at all this season, and Willis' performance so far doesn't inspire confidence in the Titans making it beyond Week 18. Their game this Thursday is all but meaningless in terms of the AFC playoff picture, which probably explains why Derrick Henry (hip) and a slew of other key players are either listed as doubtful or out (to be fair, some of them have missed game recent games). With that in mind, the Titans could let Willis take more shots, even against a tough Dallas defense, as their playoff fortunes are almost certain to depend on the result Week 18 at Jacksonville and nothing else.

Willis completed 14 of 23 passes for 99 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in Saturday's 19-14 loss to the Texans. He added seven rushes for 43 yards and a touchdown.

EDGE Analysis

Willis drew his fourth start of the season with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) sidelined, but he struggled to get the Titans' offense moving. He averaged only 4.3 yards per attempt and his longest completion of the day went for just 14 yards. In addition, Willis threw a pair of interceptions, the first of which came on a potential game-winning drive inside Houston territory late in the fourth quarter. Positively, he did tally a 14-yard rushing score midway through the third quarter. While that hinted at his potential to excel, Willis' outlook for the final two games of the regular season is not positive.

Willis is expected to start Saturday's game against the Texans as well as the Titans' Week 17 matchup with the Cowboys next Thursday while Ryan Tannehill (ankle) is sidelined through at least Week 18 after undergoing a surgical procedure earlier this week, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Tannehill had a tightrope procedure on his right ankle after he suffered the injury during the Titans' first possession of last week's loss to the Chargers. Though Tannehill missed just one series before checking back in and finishing out the game, he didn't practice in any fashion this week after opting for surgery. Rapoport relays that a three-week recovery timeline typically represents a best-case scenario for these kind of procedures, but Schefter reports that Tannehill is still viewed as a "long shot" for a Week 18 matchup with the Jaguars, a game that could determine the AFC South champion. At least for the next two weeks, the Titans will have to turn to Willis, who previously started for an injured Tannehill in Weeks 8 and 9. Though the Titans beat the Texans and lost to the Chiefs in overtime during that two-game stretch, Willis wasn't asked to do much while Tennessee leaned heavily on running back Derrick Henry. Willis attempted just 26 total passes over those two starts, completing 11 of those throws for 135 yards and an interception while adding 52 yards and 13 carries.

Head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed Thursday that Willis will start Saturday's game against the Texans with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) ruled out for the contest, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

For the time being, Tennessee has ruled Tannehill out only for the Week 16 contest, but Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reported Wednesday that the Titans' top signal-caller is "very likely" done for the season due to a right ankle injury that is expected to require surgery. Tannehill's absence sets up Willis to make his third start of the season, including his second against the Texans, which came back in the two teams' previous matchup in Week 8. During Willis' prior two-game run as the starter, the Titans leaned heavily on running back Derrick Henry, with the rookie signal-caller attempting just 26 total passes and accounting for only 135 yards the air between a win over Houston and a Week 9 loss to Kansas City. The speedy Willis at least proved to be more of a threat on the ground, rushing 13 times for 52 yards in those games. While his rushing ability gives him some theoretical fantasy upside, Willis' lack of reliable passing volume makes it difficult to justify starting him in one-quarterback lineups.

Willis completed three of four passes for 20 yards and gained eight rushing yards on one carry in Sunday's 17-14 loss to the Chargers.

EDGE Analysis

The rookie was pressed into action in the first quarter when Ryan Tannehill was carted back to the locker room with an ankle injury, but the Titans' starting QB was able to return to the lineup before halftime, putting Willis back on the sideline. He's gotten snaps in seven games so far this season, but Willis is still looking for his first NFL touchdown, either through the air or on the ground.

Willis completed two of four passes for 16 yards in Sunday's 35-10 loss to the Eagles. He also ran the ball once for eight yards.

EDGE Analysis

Willis entered the game almost exactly halfway through the fourth quarter with the Titans down 25 points. He primarily handed the ball off to Julius Chestnut, though he did connect with Dontrell Hilliard for a gain of 10 yards and C.J. Board for a gain of six yards. Willis will remain the backup to close the 2022 season unless Ryan Tannehill becomes unavailable.

Willis will return to a backup role Sunday against the Broncos with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) active for the contest and cleared to start, Jim Wyatt of the Titans' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

While Tannehill was sidelined for the past two weeks, Willis started but handled little more than a caretaker role while the Titans leaned even more heavily into the Derrick Henry-led ground attack. Willis showed some rushing upside of his own by carrying 13 times for 52 yards in games against the Texans and Chiefs in Weeks 8 and 9, respectively, but he showed little polish as a passer, completing just 11 of 26 attempts for 135 yards and an interception. So long as Tannehill stays healthy the rest of the way, Willis' remaining opportunities this season will likely come in garbage-time situations late in games.

Willis completed just five of 16 pass attempts for 80 yards and rushed eight times for 40 yards in Sunday's 20-17 overtime loss to Kansas City.

EDGE Analysis

Willis was thrust into another start with Ryan Tannehill (ankle) still unavailable due to injury. The rookie performed better than his mediocre stat line would suggest, as he was able to protect the ball and provide enough of a threat with his legs to allow Derrick Henry (17/115/2) to eat. Willis' inexperience showed down the stretch when he suffered a couple of drive-killing sacks while trying to extend broken plays. Ryan Tannehill was questionable leading up to this primetime loss, so the the third-round pick may find himself back at No. 2 on the quarterback depth chart for next Sunday's tilt against the Broncos. If the former is unable to go, Willis should be treated as a low-end fantasy option based on his poor results over his two emergency starts.