Since the fall of the Packers hopeful franchise quarterback Jordan Love from an MCL injury suffered against the Eagles to start their season, another young talent had been tasked with keeping the offense buoyant awaiting Love’s return.
While many outside the organization felt that Malik Willis was all but the answer to Green Bay’s temporary vacancy at quarterback or that signing a veteran QB for the time being was the recommended route, many inside the organization refused to hold that same doubt.
This includes offensive mastermind and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, who constructed game plans that saw Willis showcasing his strengths as a pure athlete, further instilling confidence in his ability to throw the football.
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With Love finally returning to action after a 21-day hiatus and Willis back on the bench after 2 weeks of fantastic football, LaFleur can hang his hat high knowing he was able to prepare the young QB to play high-level snaps for a team with high expectations on the year and squeak out two wins on top of it.
But that isn’t anything new for LaFleur.
Approaching 17 years of coaching experience at the professional level with five different NFL teams, LaFleur has specialized in the mentorship and coaching of many talented quarterbacks across the league, including Matt Schaub, Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins, Jared Goff, Marcus Mariota, and Matt Ryan during his MVP season in 2016.
Of these QBs, Griffin III stands out as a player who shares a similar play style to that of Willis and catches eyes as a dual threat.
As any smart coach would do, LaFleur took advantage of the athletic gifts Griffin III possessed when transitioning from college, leading him to win Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012 and earn a Pro Bowl appearance. However, it was not just his running capabilities that saw him winning these accolades as he was able to record 3,200 passing yards and 20 TDs with just 5 interceptions under LaFleur’s wing, leading Washington to the playoffs with a 10-6 record.
Although injuries cut the young phenom’s career short, LaFleur had provided the right pieces for Griffin III to thrive in the NFL as both an athlete and a thrower, as he has done so far with Willis.
The Success of Malik Willis Thus Far
In the two games that Willis was able to appear in, he thrived under a well-polished Matt LaFleur offensive play-calling scheme that focused on using his legs to put the Packers in a position to win football games. In 12 rushing attempts, Willis totaled 114 rushing yards, nearly averaging a first down per attempt as a runner (9.5), was 6th in the league in yards per scramble attempt (10.8), and saw the end zone.
This saw opposing defenses focus on stopping the run game that the Packers had so beautifully executed and gave Willis the additional opportunity to convey his passing ability on an offense that relies heavily on arm talent. With this opportunity, Willis made the most of it.
As a passer in his two starts as a Green Bay Packer, Willis was:
- 25/33 for 324 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 turnovers
- 2nd in the NFL in QBR (89.5)
- 2nd in the NFL in Passer Rating (123.8)
- 2nd in the NFL in Completion Percentage (75.8%)
- 1 of 7 QBs without a loss as a starter
Willis Moving Forward
It is safe to say that escaping a less-than-advantageous Titans offensive plan of action in August and becoming heavily incorporated with LaFleur’s Packers just mere weeks after his arrival, has worked wonders for what Willis’s future holds as an NFL player.
While the offensive line and the defense of Green Bay were tremendous factors in the success of former Liberty quarterback, the offensively wired mind of LaFleur and his experience with building talent from the ground up has been the spark that Willis might not have known he needed in truly jumpstarting his career as a plausible quarterback in the NFL.
Still, with just five starts under his belt in his young NFL career, the 2022 third-round draft pick will continue struggling to find a starting position outside of Green Bay if the Packers look to deal him while his recent progression stays fresh in the minds of possible landing spots around the league.
Lucky enough for Titletown, the team can confidently say they have a true backup QB who is capable of holding his own and winning football games if another Jordan Love injury arises, all thanks to Matt LaFleur.
Main Photo Credit: Syndication: The Post-Crescent
