Paul Bretl | 10/27/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — With Jordan Love exiting the game, the Packers had to call on Malik Willis to step in and as he had done in the previous two games, he delivered.
Early on in the game, following a scramble to his right and then a throw, Love appeared to come down awkwardly and came up limping. Love would finish out the first half but early in the third quarter, he would leave the game with what the team called a groin injury.
“No idea,” said Matt LaFleur on the severity of Love’s injury. “But obviously high level of concern any time a guy’s in there, and he did it early in that first drive and I think you guys, I think everybody could see him struggling to move around. And it got to a point where we didn’t feel like, and he didn’t feel like he could protect himself.”
As we saw in his first two appearances this season, the always calm and cool Willis was seemingly unfazed by the moment–even with the game tied with under two-minutes to go and the Packers with the football.
After a first down run by Josh Jacobs for four yards and the clock nearing the 1:00 mark, it looked like the Packers were willing to head to overtime. However, on the very next play, Willis would connect with Jayden Reed for a 51-yard catch-and-run that immediately put the Packers in the Jacksonville red zone.
That specific play was not one that was put in the gameplan during the week. The coaching staff discussed it, but it didn’t make the final cut and so it was not practiced at all. However, earlier in the game, following a quarterback keeper, passing game coordinator Jason Vrable made the suggestion to run with it anyways because of a look that the Jacksonville defense was giving them.
“We talked about it on Tuesday,” said LaFleur of the play-call on the throw from Willis to Reed. “We thought that there might be something there, decided against it, and then we ran the keeper earlier in the gamer and Vrabel suggested it. He’s like, ‘Hey, it looks like the play is there.” And so we put it in on the sideline. So, no reps in practice.”
In order to have the opportunity to connect with Reed on that throw, the Packers needed the Jaguars’ defense to be in a specific coverage. On two occasions prior to Willis’ 51-yard completion, the Packers came out in an alignment that they thought might get Jacksonville to bite, but it didn’t happen.
Then on the big pass to Reed, Willis went under center with two plays called and once the secondary rotated to that look the Packers were waiting for, Willis canned to the play, and as LaFleur said, the rest is history.
“I was just looking for the rotation,” LaFleur said. “The rotation came down, we ran the, it was the exact same play essentially two plays in a row where we didn’t get the look. They brought a nickel pressure on the first play, didn’t get the look for it. And then on the second play they showed strong rotation, got the look and the rest is history.”
Willis finished the game 4-of-5 passing for 56 yards and one passing touchdown at an impressive 11.2 yards per catch. He also had 23 rushing yards as well, including a scramble for 20 yards. Adding to this performance was that Willis didn’t take any snaps with the starting offense during the week in practices.
“It’s none,” said Willis. “The starter, he needs all the reps. You get your reps on scout, you get your reps in indy, and you just do as you can to use those mental reps and do whatever you can to be ready if called upon.”
While Willis was, of course, instrumental in the outcome of this game, he had help along the way. On his first full possession in the game, the Packers were trailing 13-17 following a Jaguars’ touchdown. On that possession, the Packers leaned heavily on Jacobs and the run game, with the scoring drive capped off by a 38-yard run from Jacobs.
When it was all said and done, Jacobs finished the game carrying the ball 25 times for 127 yards at 5.1 yards per attempt with two rushing touchdowns.
“My goal coming into this game was to inspire the playcaller, inspire the team,” said Jacobs after the game. “Whatever that looks like, I just wanted to come in and run hard. Have the guys trust in me. It just played out that way. Unfortunately, Jordan got hurt. I just wanted to come in and make a statement that we could still win games running the ball. We can still win games however we want if we lock into the details and things like that.”
On the ensuing defensive possession for the Packers, with Jacksonville backed up in their own territory, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper came through on a blitz and forced a fumble while bringing down Trevor Lawrence for a sack. Devonte Wyatt would then jump on the ball, setting up the Packers’ offense with first and goal from the five yard line.
“My main focus was just staying in that gap, keep pushing through,” said Cooper of the fumble. “I just kept pushing through and came out and clamped on the quarterback and it came out.”
In a game where the Packers were dealing with injuries and weren’t at their best on either side of the ball, it took a team effort to come away with the victory.
But with that said, in an eight-game season up to this point, the Packers have had to rely on Willis in 2.5 of those games, and he has helped usher Green Bay to victories in all three contests. In a game where finding a capable starting quarterback can be a tall task, off the bench Willis has provided a steady presence for the Packers.
“I mean we’ve been blessed with having a backup that can come in and really be the guy in there, really be able to create things like that,” said Jacobs of Willis. “It makes it a lot easier for us on offense because the moment it happened, we all said in the huddle – Tuck was like, ‘Man, we’ve been here before,’ and we all know what it felt like. We just had the confidence in him and he came out there and did what he always do. He balled.”