{"id":192110,"date":"2024-09-30T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-30T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=192110"},"modified":"2024-09-30T10:37:39","modified_gmt":"2024-09-30T14:37:39","slug":"packers-head-coach-going-to-be-huge-reason-for-young-qbs-success-moving-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2024\/09\/30\/packers-head-coach-going-to-be-huge-reason-for-young-qbs-success-moving-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"Packers Head Coach Going To Be Huge Reason for Young QBs Success Moving Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"

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 <\/span>been tasked<\/span> with keeping the offense buoyant <\/span>awaiting <\/span>Love\u2019s return<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n

While many outside the organization felt that Malik Willis was all but the answer to Green Bay\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This<\/span> includes offensive mastermind and Packers head coach Matt LaFleur<\/a>, who constructed game plans that saw Willis showcasing his strengths as a pure athlete, further instilling confidence in his ability to throw the football.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Young Quarterback’s Success Moving Forward Reliant on Green Bay Packers Head Coach<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Why Packers Head Coach is Perfect for Willis\u2019 Development<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

With Love finally returning to action after a 21-day hiatus and Willis back on the bench after<\/span> 2 <\/span>weeks of fantastic football, LaFleur can hang his hat high <\/span>knowing<\/span> he was able to prepare the young QB to play high-level snaps for a team with high expectations on the year<\/a> and squeak out two wins on top of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

But that isn\u2019t anything new for LaFleur.<\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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. <\/span><\/p>\n

As any <\/span>smart<\/span> 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 <\/span>accolades<\/span> as he <\/span>was able to<\/span> record 3,200 passing yards and 20 TDs with just<\/span> 5 <\/span>interceptions under LaFleur\u2019s wing, leading Washington to the playoffs with a 10-6 record. <\/span><\/p>\n

Although injuries cut the young phenom\u2019s career short, LaFleur <\/span>had<\/span> provided the right pieces for Griffin III to thrive in the NFL as <\/span>both<\/span> an athlete and a thrower, as he has done so far with Willis.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Success of Malik Willis Thus Far<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

This<\/span> 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. <\/span>With this opportunity,<\/span> Willis made the most of <\/span>it<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a passer in his two starts as a Green Bay Packer, Willis was:<\/span><\/p>\n