JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jordan Love bought 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 damage, 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 staff till the beginning of the common season, engineered a walk-off, game-winning drive, their beginning quarterback limped away with a groin damage that left his standing unsure for subsequent Sunday’s NFC North showdown towards the Lions (6-1).
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Love, who sustained a groin damage 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 collection after the primary signal of the groin damage, didn’t communicate with reporters after the sport.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur mentioned he had “no thought” concerning the severity of the damage to Love, who missed Weeks 2 and three after he sprained the MCL in his left knee on the ultimate collection of the season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Love is anticipated to bear exams 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 feel you guys, I feel all people may see him struggling to maneuver round. And it bought to some extent the place we did not really feel like, and he did not really feel like he may shield himself.
“So, went with Malik and you’ll’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 subject objective 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 cross to Tucker Kraft) 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 sort of countered it somewhat bit and we simply seen the opening,” Reed mentioned. “So, we ran it. I already knew I used to be going to be open earlier than the play was even known as. Simply nice playcalling 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 fitting 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 suppose he was staying in to dam once more, after which turned his crossing route up the sphere.
“Not solely was it a ‘can’ play, but it surely 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 may be one thing there, determined towards it, after which we ran the keeper earlier within the gamer and [passing game coordinator Jason] Vrable prompt 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 apply. I feel 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 finally Malik making the throw. So, that was a reasonably cool one. Most likely one I am going to always remember.”
Not solely was it a play the Packers by no means ran in apply final week, however Willis by no means took a single snap with the starters in apply, 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 may to make use of these psychological reps and do no matter you may to be prepared if known as upon.”
All three of Willis’ prolonged appearances have come towards groups from the AFC South. He received a begin towards the Titans, the staff that traded him to Inexperienced Bay on Aug. 26 for a seventh-round decide, a begin towards the Colts and now a aid look towards the Jaguars.
“It has been fairly rattling spectacular,” LaFleur mentioned. “Spectacular is the phrase.”
