Rob Demovsky, ESPN Workers Author
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jordan Love acquired harm once more, and Malik Willis did the unimaginable once more.
Thanks partly to Willis, who went 2-0 as a fill-in starter after Love’s Week 1 knee harm, the Inexperienced Bay Packers pulled off a last-second 30-27 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
Whereas the Packers left EverBank Stadium at 6-2 and impressed that their backup quarterback, who wasn’t even with the group till the beginning of the common season, engineered a walk-off, game-winning drive, their beginning quarterback limped away with a groin harm that left his standing unsure for subsequent Sunday’s NFC North showdown in opposition to the Lions (6-1).
Love, who sustained a groin harm on the sport’s opening drive, completed the primary half and after taking the primary snap of the third quarter, limped to the sideline and didn’t return.
The Packers by no means dominated him out, however he spent the remainder of the sport on the sideline. Love, who threw his ninth interception of the season two sequence after the primary signal of the groin harm, didn’t converse with reporters after the sport.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur mentioned he “no concept” in regards to the severity of the harm to Love, who missed Week 2 and three after he sprained the MCL in his left knee on the ultimate sequence of the season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Love is anticipated to endure assessments on Monday in Inexperienced Bay.
“Clearly excessive stage of concern any time a man’s [not] in there,” LaFleur mentioned. “And he did it early in that first drive and I believe you guys, I believe all people may see him struggling to maneuver round. And it acquired to some extent the place we did not really feel like, and he did not really feel like he may defend himself.
“So, went with Malik and you may’t say sufficient nice issues about Malik Willis, the job that he is capable of do to go in there.”
The spotlight play for Willis was a deep ball to Jayden Reed that went for a 51-yard completion to arrange a game-winning, 24-yard area purpose by Brandon McManus, who in two weeks with the Packers has kicked two last-second winners.
Whereas Willis threw simply 5 occasions with 4 completions for a complete of 56 yards (together with a 3-yard landing go to Tucker Kraft that put the Packers forward 27-17 with lower than a minute into the fourth quarter) and had a 20-yard scramble to arrange a Josh Jacobs landing within the third quarter, his mastery of the offense on the play to Reed was what everybody was raving about after the sport.
“We ran a play earlier that form of countered it a bit bit and we simply seen the opening,” Reed mentioned. “So, we ran it. I already knew I used to be gonna be open earlier than the play was even referred to as. Simply nice play-calling by coach and nice execution by us.”
The Packers used the identical offensive alignment on the primary two performs of the ultimate drive. On the primary, Reed stayed in to dam from the proper slot, and Willis handed off to Jacobs (25 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns) for a 6-yard achieve.
Simply earlier than the snap on the second play, Willis made a pre-snap adjustment — what the Packers name a “can” — and it labored like a appeal. This time, Reed delayed his launch, maybe to make the protection assume he was staying in to dam once more, after which turned his crossing route up the sphere.
“Not solely was it a ‘can’ play, however it was a play that we did not have up within the sport plan,” LaFleur mentioned. “We talked about it on Tuesday. We thought that there is perhaps one thing there, determined in opposition to it, after which we ran the keeper earlier within the gamer and [passing game coordinator Jason] Vrable steered it. He is like, ‘Hey, it seems just like the play is there.’
“And so we put it in on the sideline. So, no reps in observe. I believe that is a big-time credit score to our guys, to have the ability to go on the market and execute it. Jayden Reed, Tucker, the O-line, the backs, all people’s promoting it. After which in the end Malik making the throw. So, that was a reasonably cool one. In all probability one I am going to always remember.”
Not solely was it a play the Packers by no means ran in observe final week, however Willis by no means took a single snap with the starters in observe, both.
“The starter, he wants all of the reps,” Willis mentioned. “You get your reps on scout [team], you get your reps in [individual drills], and also you simply do as you’ll be able to to make use of these psychological reps and do no matter you’ll be able to to be prepared if referred to as upon.”
All three of Willis’s prolonged appearances have come in opposition to groups from the AFC South. He received a begin in opposition to the Titans, the group that traded him to Inexperienced Bay on Aug. 26 for a seventh-round decide, a begin in opposition to the Colts and now a reduction look in opposition to the Jaguars.
“It has been fairly rattling spectacular,” LaFleur mentioned. “Spectacular is the phrase.”
