A Titans insider explains why Malik Willis’s schedule with the Packers is ideal.
It’s hard to call anything about the Green Bay Packers’ current situation perfect. They lost their season opener to the Philadelphia Eagles and, even more importantly, lost their starting quarterback.
While Matt LaFleur refuses to rule out Jordan Love for this week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts, it’s expected he will miss at least two games, and potentially more. That opens the door for Malik Willis, who only three weeks ago was playing in the preseason for the Tennessee Titans. He may not have a deep understanding of the playbook, but LaFleur will build a gameplan to get the best out of him.
The Packers take on the Colts at Lambeau Field before visiting the Titans, Willis’ former team, in Week 3.
While they are two challenging opponents, it could work in the Packers’ favor to get these two teams with Willis under center.
Packers schedule could work out perfectly for Malik Willis
Having to rush Willis into a starting job while he’s still learning the playbook is a less-than-ideal scenario. However, his history with the next two opponents could benefit him. Tyler Rowland of Locked On Titans joined Peter Bukowski on a recent episode of the Locked On Packers podcast, and he made an excellent point.
The Packers’ next two opponents are against AFC South teams, including Tennessee, which is about the best-case scenario for Willis.
“If there’s any opponent where Malik Willis would have familiarity and maybe feel a little bit more comfortable with what he’s seeing, it would be a previous AFC South rival,” said Rowland. “If we could pick two games to play back-to-back where Malik might be a little more comfortable than normal, it’s the two AFC South teams and the team that he just came from.”
It’s a fantastic point. Sure, the Packers may prefer to have the Carolina Panthers or New York Giants on the schedule, but this is the next best thing. Willis knows the Colts and Titans well.
He spent the past two seasons in Tennessee, so not only does he know all of the Titans’ defensive secrets, but he also has a good understanding of Indianapolis’ scheme as a former division rival.
As Rowland notes, Willis just spent an entire summer playing against the Titans’ defense in practice. He knows their system, tendencies, and how to attack it. Willis can play a valuable role in building the Packers’ offensive gameplan, and he is more likely to make good decisions when facing familiar defenses.
Nothing is guaranteed. Willis needs to play well and get the ball to the Packers’ playmakers. However, the fact he will go against two familiar opponents in consecutive weeks might be a huge stroke of luck for Green Bay.
