Why Packers will likely start Malik Willis at QB against the Colts

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Matt LaFleur’s gamesmanship seems to have already started, as the Packers head coach left open the door for Jordan Love to play on Sunday against the Colts at Lambeau Field. Love suffered a sprained MCL on the third-to-last play of the season opener against the Eagles , league sources told The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, and LaFleur said Monday that Malik Willis will start “if Jordan’s not cleared.

” Advertisement Asked about the possibility of Love being cleared for Sunday’s game, LaFleur said: “I couldn’t give you a percentage, but if he gets cleared, we’ll give him every opportunity like we always will. I know he’s doing everything in his power. I know he’s spending a lot of time trying to get back as soon as possible.



But certainly, we’re not going to put him in a position where, if he can’t protect himself, that he’d go out there ...

We will never put him in a position to mortgage the short term for the future.” GO DEEPER Packers' season hinges on health of Jordan Love's left leg: Schneidman Love playing Sunday would be a monumental surprise. It would also be a surprise if the Colts spent a second of their time this week preparing for him, but LaFleur might think they’re not the brightest bulbs in Indianapolis.

LaFleur said Love won’t go on injured reserve, meaning the team envisions him potentially missing fewer than four games. The Colts will likely face Willis, the former Titans third-round pick who’s started only three games in two seasons. The Packers traded a 2025 seventh-round pick for Willis in late August and he learned enough of the playbook in his first week and a half in Green Bay to earn the No.

2 quarterback job for the season opener. The Packers could’ve elevated practice squad quarterback Sean Clifford for game day since he had already been in the system for a year-plus this offseason and preseason, but they kept Willis active and Clifford on the practice squad. Willis saw two plays, throwing an incompletion and getting sacked to end the game.

With another week and a half in the offense, Willis will have about three weeks under his belt in Green Bay before Sunday’s noon kickoff. “Why Malik over Sean? Because Malik’s on the roster and he’s our No. 2 quarterback and that’s the way we’re going to roll,” LaFleur said.

“I think (Willis) has put a lot of time and effort into this thing. He’s grinded. He’s learned the terminology and is able to spit out the play calls and we’ve got confidence in him.

I think if he’s given a full week of preparation, a full week of practice, I’ve got confidence he’ll go out there and perform at a high level.” 🎙️Brick and the Stick Week 2🎙️ • Full Packers-Eagles breakdown • Malik Willis or Sean Clifford? • Packers-Colts preview • What would be a successful record without Jordan Love? Tap in: https://t.co/LvjeZkR1RC — Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 9, 2024 Willis has completed 35-of-67 passes in his career for 350 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions while running 32 times for 144 yards and a touchdown.

There’s a reason Willis couldn’t beat out Mason Rudolph for the backup job in Tennessee this summer, but he doesn’t necessarily have to carry the Packers on his shoulders. That’s what running back Jacobs and the defense are for. If Willis can make a couple of throws to prevent the Colts, and perhaps the Titans and Vikings after that, from pinning their ears back, Jacobs will have more room on the ground.

As we saw on Friday, Jacobs can make things happen in the running game with enough space. Advertisement Can Willis make even a couple of such throws? Time will tell. But after trading for Willis, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst praised his improvement in playing from the pocket this summer with the Titans.

“He’s in his third year and he really has shown a lot of progression, particularly this preseason,” Gutekunst said. “It was just an opportunity for us to add a guy that I think can not only make plays with his arm but with his legs, as well. I’m excited to get him, get him in the building and see where that goes.

” LaFleur said the diagnosis of Love’s injury was “relatively good news” after the $220 million quarterback writhed in pain on the field in Brazil when his leg got caught awkwardly under defensive lineman Jalen Carter . Love needed help getting off the field, but he was seen in the locker room postgame walking under his own power without a significant limp while carrying his bag. Love may have avoided what some initially feared, but don’t expect him to return as soon as Sunday.

In his place, Willis doesn’t need to singlehandedly win games for the Packers. He just can’t lose them because of back-breaking mistakes. If Love misses three games, Willis figures to start against the Colts, Titans on the road and Vikings at home.

The Packers would probably take a 1-2 record over that stretch and hope Love helps dig them out of an early season hole as he did last year. Until then, there will be plenty of preparation and prayer inside Lambeau Field. “I think when you’ve played enough games, you can have something you hang your hat on,” Willis said after arriving in Green Bay.

“I don’t say I’m hanging my hat on anything as of right now. I think that only comes with reps and confidence-building being out there on the field and as far as working hard and doing what I can every day to get better, I’ll continue to do that until the opportunity arises.” GO DEEPER How Jordan Love became the Packers' next franchise QB: 'I'm living the dream' Notables 1.

LaFleur took the blame for Keisean Nixon ’s kick return mishap at the end of Friday’s game. With 27 seconds left and the Packers trailing by five, the back-to-back first-team All-Pro kick returner took the kickoff out from 8 yards deep in the end zone. He was met by a swarm of Eagles and tackled at the 16-yard line with 22 seconds left, costing Green Bay 14 yards and five seconds that he would’ve saved by taking a touchback.

Advertisement “Obviously, I didn’t get it clearly communicated what we wanted to get done in that situation, but at no point do we ever wanna, if a kick’s 7 yards deep or whatever it is and we have to jump to catch it ...

it’s, you get the ball at the 30-yard line,” LaFleur said. “We were just trying to get in Hail Mary range and those are valuable seconds, so obviously I wasn’t clear in what we wanted, so that will not happen again.” Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox.

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2. LaFleur said postgame Friday that “there was some uncharacteristic things that we did as a staff, quite frankly, and that trickled down to our players.” What did he mean by that? He was asked on Monday.

“It was evident on the first drive when we get called with 12 on the field when we tried to hurry up and catch them with 12 on the field, we can’t sub in that situation,” LaFleur said of the play that negated a 38-yard touchdown pass from Love to wide receiver Jayden Reed on a drive the Packers eventually punted. “We tried to do a good job of holding our subs, but certainly we’ve got to see the huddle. I think there was some communication on the headsets.

Everything’s important that we do, in my opinion. You never know ..

. the margin of error in our league is so small. Every mistake, whether it’s execution or communication, or whatever it may be, can cost you.

There was a couple of things that happened, more so on the headset and specifically at the end of the game. The kickoff is a great example where I was upset with the communication, so I’ll put that always on myself. How can I be better and make sure that we clearly articulate what we’re trying to get done, so we don’t put ourselves in those situations?” 3.

Russini reported that the Packers reached out to veteran free-agent quarterback Ryan Tannehill after Love’s injury, but LaFleur said the Packers are sticking with Willis and Clifford as their two quarterbacks for now. (Photo: Wagner Meier / Getty Images).