Paul Bretl | 9/22/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Packers quarterback Malik Willis was insistent earlier in the week that this game against the Tennessee Titans was not about revenge for him. However, I imagine the performance from him and the offense on Sunday had to feel pretty good.
“It’s a different opportunity,” said Malik Willis post-game about his play with the Packers compared to when he was with the Titans. “I only got three starts here as a rookie, and like I said before, I just wasn’t ready at that point in time.
“And I’ve had a lot of time to just work hard and just grind every day in order to make use of my next opportunity, which I’ve been just trying to do this last two weeks. I think more than anything you just try to continue to work hard and understand that you don’t know when the opportunity will come, but you have to be ready for it when you get it.”
This was always going to have to be a game where the Packers relied more on Willis and the passing game. Running the ball 53 times against a stout Titans’ front wasn’t going to be in the cards this week. But as Willis has showcased since arriving in Green Bay, he was calm, cool, and took it all in stride.
Willis finished the game completing 13-of-19 passes for 202 yards with a touchdown. He was able to move the chains on a few key third downs, extended plays with his legs, totaling 73 rush yards, and very importantly, Willis protected the football with no turnovers, and not even a throw that would be deemed turnover-worthy. Knowing that Willis won’t be reckless with the ball, gives Matt LaFleur confidence to open up the passing game a bit.
“I mean that’s, that is the number one job of the quarterback, take care of the football and he’s done a great job of not putting it in harm’s way,” said Matt LaFleur after the game. “And quite frankly that’s allowed us, and given us confidence to open some of the things up.”
It was another efficient performance, similar to last week for Willis, and on the surface, may not appear all that different from last week. However, going beyond the stat sheet, it was.
Willis was throwing to all parts of the field resulting in several explosive pass plays with the help of the Matt LaFleur play-designs on a few of those throws. Willis and the passing offense had four plays of at least 25 yards, as evidenced by his impressive 10.6 yards per pass attempt.
“I can’t say enough about him,” said LaFleur, “the job that he’s done to be able to lead our offense and be productive. And he made some big-time plays throughout the course of the game. I think, obviously, some plays with his legs were huge. And also plays in the passing game, some of those third down and longs to make some of those completions down the field.”
But in addition to making those throws, you saw a quarterback who would go off-schedule if his initial reads weren’t there, someone who could sense when the pressure was closing in, and he was incredibly comfortable with what was being asked of him. And if it wasn’t clear last week, the Packers are throwing a lot at opposing defenses, which, therefore, puts a lot on Willis’ plate.
Yet, throughout all of this, Willis has been calm and cool, which, perhaps to those on the outside, takes away from just how impressive he’s been, given the circumstances that he found himself in. But Matt LaFleur made it clear post-game that what Willis is doing and what we are seeing from him isn’t normal. These were two special performances under the circumstances he had been dealt.
Willis joining a new team less than a month ago, learning the playbook–a playbook that by LaFleur’s own admission isn’t easy–the long play-calls, and going out and executing it all at a high level, has left even LaFleur a bit speechless.
“I just cannot articulate the job that he’s done in this short period of time. People can’t fathom it. I promise you, you guys don’t get it. I know you think you got it, but you don’t get it. What he’s been able to do, I’ve never seen something like this. Hats off to him, hats off to everybody around him, guys rallying, having his back.”
Being thrust into this type of situation and seeing the results that Willis and the offense have had takes the right kind of person–and that goes beyond his ability as a football player. For most, having to run a complicated offense in such a short amount of time could have been overwhelming. Or the thirst for revenge against an old team could have impacted play or rearranged priorities. But not for Willis.
For Willis, he could give Jordan Love a run for his money in an even-keeled competition. The first impression of Willis as we were all gathered around his locker in late August was that he was a steady presence and seemingly unfazed by being traded just one day earlier. He’s since shown to be nearly unflappable.
He’s not worried about what happened in Tennessee and he’s also not worried about what might happen over the rest of the season in Green Bay, or even care that he’s starting a game that everyone outside of the building has dubbed an opportunity for revenge. Leading up to this game, throughout it and afterward, you wouldn’t have even known Willis played for the Titans at one point.
Instead, Willis is only focused on the present. What he can do in this exact moment or on the next play to give him and the offense the best chance at success. There are no high-highs and there are no low-lows. There isn’t any worrying about the past or what might happen in the future.
If you’re not worried about what was or what could be, it becomes a lot more difficult to get overwhelmed, even in pressure-packed situations. Willis is focused on the day-to-day. He understands that in the NFL, your tape is your resume, and it’s his intention to change those perceptions. However, accomplishing that isn’t done by worrying about what’s happened in the past or what could happen in the future, rather it’s about focusing on the process.
“I’m not sure I could say that,” said Willis when asked if he could have played like this elsewhere. “I just don’t have the external viewpoint of my life to say that. I just try to continue to just work. Like you say, three starts, that’s what I was judged off and that’s what it is.
“You don’t really have a say-so in that. It’s a results-based league. It’s a business, so I can’t really be mad about that. I got my opportunity, whether it was, you know, one of the better opportunities or not, it was an opportunity. I’m grateful for that. I learned from it. I’ll try to continue to work hard until my next one comes.”