Evaluating Malik Willis' Performance
The Packers defeated the Colts today, 16-10, in a tight matchup. Key factors included Jordan Love, who was still injured, leading the way for Malik Willis to fill in for him. The Colts were coming off a very tough loss to the Houston Texans and were a couple of plays away from defeating their divisional rival. Despite questions on both sides of the ball, many expected this matchup to come down to the quarterbacks. Indeed, one quarterback outperformed the other today, but it was not what people expected
Malik Willis, traded for a seventh-round pick from the Titans, outperformed Colts star quarterback Anthony Richardson. Malik had fans very worried, especially after his performance in the last two plays against the Eagles. Willis had the pressure of having to help the Packers while their starting quarterback, Jordan Love, recovers from his MCL injury, which will keep him out of commission for a couple more weeks. Malik's final stat line was 12 for 14 passes completed for 122 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 41 yards on six attempts on the ground. Richardson finished with a putrid stat line of 17 of 34 passes completed for 204 yards and one touchdown. He threw two interceptions in the first half and then had a third pass picked off to end the game. Fans expected the Colts to march into Lambeau and stomp the Packers without Love. However, the exact opposite occurred. The Colts, who have the 32nd-ranked run defense, allowed the Packers to rush for 261 yards, with Josh Jacobs rushing for 151 yards on 32 attempts. Malik Willis threw a nice touchdown to Dontayvion Wicks, which was all the Packers needed to maintain their lead over the Colts.
Willis did not have to play hero ball, which he had to do for his college team. He settled in early, completing the passes he needed to make, and made intelligent plays when needed. The Packers needed a game manager out of him, and he executed the plan flawlessly. The Colts got in their way early, and instead of attacking the Packer’s run defense, they kept trying to throw the ball, and the Pack was well prepared. The Packers rallied around Willis and helped secure his first career touchdown and career win, giving him confidence moving into week three. Malik helping secure this win will hopefully keep the Pack around .500 while they prepare for Love's return. It would be nice to see Willis defeat the team that gave up on him against the Titans next week. If he keeps this up, he could become a very reliable backup to Jordan Love and secure a new home for him.
