Anthony Richardson heaved a Hail Mary and Evan Williams snagged the game-ending interception as Malik Willis got his first win as a starter in a Green Bay Packers uniform in Week 2.
This win also comes as the 800th win of all time for the green and gold.
One of the hottest games in Lambeau Field history featured the Packers having 261 rushing yards for nearly five yards per carry, with Josh Jacobs touching the ball 32 times, accounting for 151, and a long of 34. The most important thing, however, is that Willis took care of the ball and threw his first NFL career touchdown pass with 122 yards and a QBR of 126.8.
Caleb Williams has yet to score a TD and has 2 INT by the way.
Starting QB Uncertain for Sunday
The Packers will visit Willis’ former team, the Tennessee Titans, on Sunday.
There are still conflicting reports regarding Jordan Love’s injury status. We’ve seen reports saying that Love was close to playing this past Sunday, and other reports stating that he is circling in on a Week 5 return.
https://twitter.com/cheeseheadtv/status/1835769173462679952
As the Pack tries to advance to 2-1, here are things to watch:
Malik against his former team
You may be itching for Love to start, but let’s be real. This is an AFC opponent and 1-2 is not the absolute end of the world.
Willis on Sunday was about as good as we could have ever expected him to be. He only passed the ball 14 times (would be 15, thanks Josh Myers), but completed 86% of his passes.
https://twitter.com/hoggnfl/status/1835417184698601680
It looks like Willis will need to surpass expectations, as the Titans have the top-ranked defense in the NFL.
The sample size stands at two games, but for a somewhat weakened Packers team, Willis will need a bigger showing than the game prior. Willis, after all, could treat it as a revenge game for the team that traded him.
The game plan is still in Matt LaFleur’s hands.
Defense needs to Overwhelm Levis
The Packers’ defense had a decent showing against the Colts, only allowing 10 points.
Saying that Will Levis single-handedly lost their first two games (Bears and Jets) is harsh…but it’s a pretty fair accusation. Levis has thrown three interceptions so far, but his very awkward-looking fumble from 3rd & goal amplifies his weakness in decision-making as a sophomore quarterback.
The Packers’ defense has already forced six (!!!) turnovers this season, if they pressure Levis enough we could potentially see Mason Rudolph. Hopefully, nobody starts swinging helmets.
Special Teams!
Luckily, this is not a shame piece about the Packers’ special teams because there’s an exclamation point at the end of the header!
We are, once again, only two games into this season, so any harsh judgment on the new (awful) dynamic kickoffs regarding returns or coverage is irrational.
The special teams unit does feature Daniel Whelan, who has been an incredible piece to this team and his game against the Colts shows. All three of Whelan’s punts landed inside the 20 yard-line and his long went for 59 yards.
Brayden Narveson also meets up with his former team and hopefully won’t miss any kicks this time. Narveson has seemed like a breath of fresh air (for some reason) when compared to Anders Carlson but has still missed a kick in each game. Hopefully this game, in his old preseason home, he’ll get things going.
The goal is the Super Bowl, but there is something about winning when expectations are set to zero— especially this early in the season. Matt LaFleur has a chance to look like a genius again this Sunday.
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