Paul Bretl | 9/20/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — What’s the bigger challenge: accomplishing what Malik Willis and the Packers offense did last Sunday on short notice or duplicating that performance a second time?
If Jordan Love, who is listed as questionable, is unable to play this week against the Tennessee Titans, we may find out the answer to that above question with Willis under center again.
From the play designs and game-plan to the execution from Willis and the rest of the offense, it was a masterful display of football by the Packers offense against the Colts. It was a run-heavy performance, with Green Bay rushing the ball 53 times, but one filled with a variety of personnel, motion, and schematic mixtures to keep the defense guessing.
“The big concern for me going into that game plan was could Malik handle all the moving parts of the game plan,” said Adam Stenavich. “Not necessarily him actually throwing the ball just making sure the motions were good, were timed up and all that. It’s a testament to him, just like his focus and his work throughout that week, that was pretty impressive because there was a lot of things that could’ve–you know, you snap the ball early or you mess up an exchange, you go the wrong way or something like that.
“For a new guy to come in here and do that, that’s what I was most impressed with was just the operation of the game and how he just executed the game plan, so that was pretty cool.”
A new week, however, presents a new opponent and a new set of challenges. For one, an advantage that the Packers had last week was the complete element of surprise. Prior to that game, Willis had just 233 offensive snaps over his first two-plus NFL seasons–that’s not exactly a lot to go off of. In addition to that, none of those snaps came with Green Bay, so how exactly he would mesh with the Matt LaFleur offense was an unknown as well.
The Colts were left to look at the few snaps that they had of Willis in Tennessee, his college tape and the core principles of LaFleur’s system in an effort to mold an idea of how he could be utilized.
But this week, that same layer of unpredictability is gone. Although one game isn’t a large sample size by any means, the Titans do have last week’s game tape to go off of. Not to mention that, even with Willis’ success last week, he’s still quite inexperienced when it comes to operating this offense–it’s only been just over three weeks, after all–and because of that, there’s only so many options LaFleur and Co. have when it comes to play designs.
There is also the added wrinkle of the Titans’ defense knowing well what Willis does well and where he struggles after facing him all summer throughout training camp.
“Every game’s a little bit different,” LaFleur said early in the week. “Just in my initial glimpses of Tennessee’s defense, this is a pretty salty group. It’s got a lot of good veterans on it, and there’s some premier players over there, so it’s going to be a tough task regardless. But we’ll put together a game plan, one we feel like can give us an opportunity to win the game.”
Further complicating things for the Packers is that this is a much more stout Tennessee Titans defense overall, and one that is willing to blitz and plays extremely physical. The 206.5 yards per game allowed in two weeks is the fewest in football, and the defense has given up just 16.5 points per game.
In the middle of the Tennessee defensive front is Jeffrey Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat. Against what would likely be another run-centric game plan from the Packers with Willis, the Titans are surrendering only 4.0 yards per carry–the 10th-lowest rate in football.
“Simmons is really good,” said Stenavich. “I think it’s harder in the pass game to double. When you have a guy like Simmons or Aaron Donald, when they play an interior position, a three-technique, you can slide at him but there’s certain instances where they give you five across, they force you to go one-on-one pass protection, stuff like that, and that’s where those elite players, they make their money.
“He is definitely an elite player. He plays with a great motor. He’s got excellent talent, all the physical tools. Yeah, he’s going to be a problem that we have to understand where he’s at.”
Realistically, this won’t be another game where the Packers are able to rush the ball 53 times. For starters, doing so once is already a pretty rare feat nowadays. But given the opponent and 93 degree heat, chances are the Packers will have to rely more heavily on Willis’ arm in this one.
Just like in the run game, the Titans’ defense won’t make this easy. It’s a group under defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson that will blitz the quarterback, which can complicate things, and one that has been incredibly stingy. The 3.9 yards per pass attempt surrendered is the second-lowest mark in football, and the 114 passing yards per game give up is the fewest.
“He (Wilson) gets the guys to compete, first and foremost,” said passing game coordinator Jason Vrable. “They are a competitive group. They’re experienced on the back end. They went and signed some vets who know how to play. But he challenges.
“I think some teams will play off and soft or this and that, he–the last game versus the Jets, they got their hands on. They play with good technique, they play with good leverage, and they compete every single play. Every single play. So when you watch the tape, they didn’t give up a lot of easy ones against them. They made the Jets earn it.”
At this time, we don’t know if it will be Willis or Love at quarterback for the Packers. Even if it’s Love, everything that’s been said is still true and this Titans’ defense will pose a challenge for the Packers offense–they’ll just have more ways to combat it with Love.
LaFleur, the coaching staff, and the players were excellent last week. But if they have to, can Willis do it again?