After Green Bay Packers’ QB Jordan Love went down in the season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, many (including myself) wrote off the Packers. Malik Willis stepped into the starting role in a situation where Willis has never been successful. However, we all forgot to add in one important factor:
Packers’ head coach Matt LaFleur is a playcalling WIZARD.
Two weeks later, the Packers are 2-1 and giving Love enough time to come back 100 percent healthy. After another win against a tough, physical defense, LaFleur is proving that he’s one of the best offensive coaches in the league and one of its brightest playcallers, doing all of this without his franchise QB available.
The Packers have gone for over 150 rushing yards in each of the last two games against two physical defenses in Indianapolis and Tennessee, and they’ve done it in much different ways in each game. RB Josh Jacobs was the fulcrum of the rushing attack against the Colts, using misdirection to completely fool the Colts’ second level defenders. This week, it was all about Willis, who led the team in rushing with 73 yards to go along with 202 yards passing (sack yardage takes him down to 190). It was LaFleur empowering Willis to just take off and run if he didn’t see any opening, and giving him plenty of read option looks and actually using his mobility as a functioning part of the offense.
What stands out the most about Willis and the Packers is just how much this offensive system has helped empower him as a passer. The reads are incredibly simple, but they’re attacking downfield and playing to Willis’ arm strength. A 3rd and 18 is no problem for Willis, who puts this ball on the money for WR Christian Watson to move the chains. This might be one of the best passes I’ve ever seen Willis throw at the NFL level, and his play was littered with them.
come for the Malik Willis completion on third-and-long. stay for Christian Watson unleashing the most futile hurdle possible and getting dropped out of the sky pic.twitter.com/4V4RSJUoZz
— Christian D’Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 22, 2024
LaFleur doing this with Willis gives no playcaller in the league any excuse anymore. LaFleur has this team playing at an incredibly high level, despite having both a backup QB and the youngest roster in the NFL once again (according to Bookies). A injury to the franchise QB normally sets a team back, but what LaFleur is doing is keeping this team moving forward, while unlocking more possibilities with this offense.
All of the motion usage to get into run designs, using wideout Jayden Reed in the backfield and then subsequently building off of that in seemingly a week. These are the things that the top tier playcallers and coaches do, find ways to innovate and push the limits of what your offense can do without seemingly your top offensive player available. No playcaller in the NFL has any excuse to send out mediocre offense after what LaFleur has done with Willis and co. What we’re beginning to see with Willis and the Packers, Darnold with the Vikings, and even Purdy with the 49ers is that environment around the QB matters. Insulating a signal caller with play calling, playmakers, and protection is much more important than having a top guy and just throwing him out there with whatever and expecting him to win you a lot of games.
LaFleur and the Packers have given Malik Willis a system he can be successful in, and that helps Green Bay in the long run. They know they have a backup who can thrive if Love is out for longer than they imagined or gets hurt again, and have proven they can win with him. Not only that, but they’ve potentially unlocked new frontiers for their offense.
LaFleur and the Packers are putting on a coaching masterclass, and putting other playcallers in the NFL on notice.