Malik Willis started three games in 2022 for the Tennessee Titans and severely underwhelmed. However, a career that once seemed lost has been revitalized in Green Bay in two short weeks.
But Willis isn't the outlier in the NFL; this case study on quarterbacks performing miserably until a change of scenery comes about is becoming common. In Green Bay, it's in large part thanks to the coaching.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur put on a clinic the past two weeks, dialing up the play-calling to put Willis and the rest of the offense in positions to succeed. Let's not forget Willis only arrived in Green Bay a month ago, and they threw him into the gauntlet when quarterback Jordan Love went down at the end of Week 1.
Doomsday scenarios loomed in the minds of many Packers fans. Instead of the worst possible outcomes, the Packers have responded by going 2-0 with Willis under center.
They had a clear plan against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 2: feed running back Josh Jacobs and lean on the run until they couldn't. The Packers never reached a point where they couldn't stuff it down the heart of the Indianapolis defense, and they claimed the win.
Sounds simple, right?
It wasn't.
LaFleur mixed in tons of pre-snap motion to keep the Colts’ defense on their toes. Green Bay ran jet sweeps, counters, draws -- you name it. That same blueprint wouldn't work against Tennessee's more stingy run defense, especially after they expected Green Bay to go back to that well.
The Packers adjusted, and Willis showed off his arm in Sunday's win.
Again, sounds simple. Right?
Green Bay emptied the chest this time, with wide receiver Christian Watson having two receptions for 67 yards in the first half. Wide receiver Jayden Reed and running back Emanuel Wilson also chipped in 30-yard receptions.
Had you told the Packers they could be 2-1 through three weeks, they would likely have signed up for that at the beginning of the year. Had you told them the two wins would come with Willis under center, and the offense would thrive, it'd be hard to believe.
In Willis' two starts, Green Bay posted at least 260 yards of offense in the first half alone. It was the first time the Packers achieved that in back-to-back games since Weeks 13 and 14 of the 2014 season. A decade ago.
Prime MVP seasons from Aaron Rodgers have occurred during that stretch.
An incredible second half of the season from Jordan Love in 2023 happened during that stretch.
Yet it was the backup quarterback, written off by many, who helped accomplish that feat. It goes back to the original point, which is that LaFleur is putting on a masterclass in play calling. It also lends credence to a recent trend in the league.
Remember when quarterbacks were drafted to terrible franchises to save said franchise and help the entire thing rise from the ashes? Now look at what's happening. It's coaches carrying that torch.
Sam Darnold was drafted into a terrible spot with the New York Jets in 2017. After three miserable seasons in New York, Darnold went to Carolina, another quarterback hell destination. The overwhelming consensus was that Darnold wasn't given much to work with and was also a very poor quarterback.
Look at him in Minnesota now.
Is it a small sample size of three weeks? Sure. However, there's no debate that Darnold looks like a completely different quarterback.
Are we to believe that in Year 7 it finally clicked for the former USC product? Or is it that head coach Kevin O'Connell knows what he's doing and it was a perfect destination landing for Darnold to show that there is gas in that tank? I'll go with the latter.
How about Baker Mayfield?
Mayfield was okay in Cleveland, awful in Carolina, and is now thriving in Tampa Bay. Is it the quarterback or the destination and the culture they find themselves in?
You can reverse this trend too.
What the hell happened to Deshaun Watson? Glaring off the-field-issues aside, he was a tremendous quarterback in Houston. They want him gone in Cleveland already. It’s resembled what I imagine a quarterback attempting to play blindfolded would look like.
Consider the Chicago Bears.
Did Justin Fields all of a sudden become a competent quarterback who helped lead the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 3-0 start? Or was he already a competent, playmaking quarterback surrounded by disaster after disaster in the Windy City? Ask Caleb Williams what he thinks.
It's not true in all cases, there's no doubting that. Some quarterbacks just flat-out aren't good no matter where they end up. Some are destined to be really good even if circumstances surrounding them are less than stellar. We're speaking the obvious here.
But there is a growing trend in the NFL. It centers on quarterbacks who have been thrown aside as damaged goods finding the right spot and thriving because of coaching, culture, franchise stability.
Willis has found that in Green Bay. A ton of the credit goes to LaFleur and Co. for bringing it out of the former Liberty gunslinger. Let's not be foolish, though. It's always been in there for Willis. He just wasn't in the right spot to feature it.
LaFleur is helping the light shine.
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