Malik Willis shows his worth

In Malik Willis’ first start with the Packers, he was not asked to do much, as Matt LaFleur crafted a run-heavy, conservative offense around the backup quarterback who had been with the team for all of three weeks.

With the element of surprise now gone, and facing a much saltier defensive front in the Titans, LaFleur was going to have to incorporate more passing into the game plan. This meant trusting Willis to carry more of the load, which seemed a risky and somewhat unlikely proposition.

Stunningly, Willis thrived with the extra responsibility on his shoulders. He was absolutely terrific in Sunday’s win, continuing to take care of the football while expanding his repertoire beyond ‘easy button’ plays.

Written off after three starts as an undercooked rookie back in 2022, Willis returned to Tennessee more experienced, and armed with a force multiplying coach in LaFleur, exacted the revenge the even-keeled quarterback insisted he was not searching for.

The progress Willis made between his first and second starts with Green Bay was staggering to watch. His day was highlighted by two big boy throws on the same drive to convert third and 14 and later third and 18 into first downs.

LaFleur being comfortable letting his QB drop back and attempt to pick up the yardage required, rather than calling a give up play, speaks to the trust he has been able to develop in Willis in such a short space of time. That is a huge compliment to Willis.

There is a good chance Jordan Love returns to face the Vikings this weekend. If that is the case, Willis’ time as the starter will end with three scores, zero picks, a 73.5% completion rate, a 122.7 quarterback rating, and most importantly, leading the Packers to a 2-0 record.

It is impossible to praise Willis, LaFleur, and everyone involved in the Green Bay offense enough for what they have accomplished in the last two weeks.

Packers pass rush delivers

It was no surprise to see the Packers defensive front have a flashier performance on Sunday than versus the Eagles and Colts.

Facing two of the best offensive lines and most mobile signal callers in the NFL in weeks one and two, the pass rush plan was more geared towards keeping the quarterback in the pocket, and this strategy was mostly successful.

The matchup with Will Levis and a leaky Titans offensive line projected to be an opportunity for the Packers pass rushers to put up numbers, but still, few would have predicted Green Bay’s eight sacks, the team’s highest number in a game since 2005.

Devonte Wyatt boosted his season total to three after dropping Levis twice, while Preston Smith also had a pair of sacks.

Among his 1.5, Kingsley Enagbare ripped through the Titans quarterback with a devastating hit that forced a fumble, while Lukas Van Ness picked up his first sack of the season, and linebackers Edgerrin Cooper and Quay Walkers each had a half sack.

This was new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s first chance to really unleash the dogs, and he did exactly that. The Packers defense harassed Levis all afternoon, and for the second week in a row, was an integral part of a victory.

There is more to learn and potentially expose regarding Hafley’s defense, but one thing is for sure; Green Bay has the quality and depth of pass rushers to give quarterbacks fits all season long.

Emanuel Wilson is for real

Wilson has seized the opportunity to take an increased role in the Packers offense after injuries to A.J. Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd landed both running backs on injured reserve.

The former Fort Valley State back is averaging five yards per carry through three weeks, and on Sunday scampered 30 yards for his first NFL touchdown after catching a screen pass.

He passes the eye test and has plenty of strings to his bow as a runner. Wilson identifies open holes and has the juice to accelerate quickly when they appear. At 226 lbs, he also has power to grind out tough yards, and against the Titans, showed off a nice stiff arm.

Most importantly, Wilson has the innate ability to turn a little into a lot. This is perhaps the crucial skill for a running back. In his limited playing time, Wilson has shown he is able to get more out of a run than what is blocked.

The Packers have found something in Wilson, and they will feel very happy to have him backing up/spelling Josh Jacobs for the rest of the year.

Turnover-palooza continues

Green Bay racked up their sixth and seventh interceptions of the young season on Sunday, equalling their tally for the entire of the 2023 campaign. Joe Barry is well and truly gone.

Jaire Alexander secured his first NFL pick-six, jumping a Levis pass in the flat, while Xavier McKinney picked off his third pass in as many games to start his Packers career.

Hafley’s defense has its flaws, no doubt, and these will likely begin to surface the more tape is out there for opposing teams to examine, but this is what Packers fans wanted, and what those inside the building talked about all offseason.

This defense is attacking, aggressive, proactive, and unafraid to make mistakes. They will give up big plays, but they do not wait for the ball to come to them, they go out and take it. Long may it continue.

Penalty problems for Rasheed Walker

Not everything was sunshine and roses for the Packers on Sunday. They are still having problems with that pesky yellow flag. Rasheed Walker has been a repeat offender to start the season, and this continued against the Titans.

Green Bay has committed the fifth-most penalties in the league so far, and have lost the third-most net yards against their opponents via penalties at 104 yards.

Only Laremy Tunsil (nine) has been flagged more times than Walker’s six after three games, and Green Bay’s left tackle has the most holding penalties in the league at four. He also ranks as PFFs 53rd best offensive tackle out of 74 qualified players.

Walker had a strong first season in the starting lineup, and he will most likely bounce back from this slow start, but the Packers need that to happen sooner rather than later.