Packers’ Malik Willis Shares Emotions, View on Future After Loss to Ravens

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Baltimore Ravens couldn’t stop Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis.

Fortunately for them, Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat delivered the critical blow a week earlier.

Sweat’s questionable sack at the end of regulation last week at Soldier Field injured Willis’ throwing shoulder. With Willis trying to lead a frantic comeback against the Ravens on Saturday night, the shoulder flared up when he muscled a 7-yard completion to the sideline to Christian Watson.

“I just felt a little tweak,” he said after a 41-24 loss. “I think all the treatment had me feeling good and I think a little soreness just built up to that point in the game. I slid and kind of hit it a little bit and, on that throw, I kind of threw it all arm and I kind of felt it a little bit.”

The injury happened with the Packers trailing 34-24 but on the move. Willis went to the locker room to get it checked out. By the time he jogged back onto the field, Clayton Tune had thrown an interception and the Ravens had converted a third-and-5 while on the way to the end zone for the clinching touchdown.

The outcome of the game ruined a Matt Flynn sort of day.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) passes the ball against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the 2011 finale against Detroit, Flynn started for Aaron Rodgers and threw for 480 yards and six touchdowns, a legendary performance in a 45-41 victory. Flynn parlayed that game into a free-agent payday.

On Saturday night, Willis couldn’t have done anything else to try to rescue the Packers other than lining up at defensive tackle to try to stop Derrick Henry. Willis completed 18-of-21 passes for 288 yards and one touchdown. He also ran the ball nine times for 60 yards and two touchdowns. That’s 348 yards. As a team, the Packers finished with 363.

With free agency looming after the season, Willis became the first player in NFL history with 275-plus passing yards, a completion rate of 85-plus percent (85.7 percent), one touchdown pass, 60-plus rushing yards and multiple rushing touchdowns.

The Packers not only didn’t punt – incredibly, that’s the third time this season and they are 0-3 in those games – but they faced only six third downs. Willis had completions of 30-plus yards to four different receivers.

All week, the belief was Jordan Love would be the team’s quarterback. Willis didn’t practice on Wednesday due to illness and Love took the No. 1 reps on Thursday, as well. Instead, Love didn’t clear the concussion protocol and Willis made his first start of the season.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis (2) does a Lambeau Leap after scoring against the Baltimore Ravens. | Dan Powers / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

How did he dominate without taking any reps with the No. 1 offense?

“That’s a hell of a question,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I don’t know. I think it just is a credit to him and the amount of work that he’s put in and the type of player he is. He’s showing everybody who he is and what he can be. I thought he did a lot of great things tonight.”

So, how did he do it?

“Just leaning on my own understanding,” Willis said. “Obviously, you want to take reps if you feel like you’re going to play in the game, but just trusting in God’s plan for my life. Trusting in all the reps that we got this offseason and actually being here in the offense and going into my second year, I think has been great.

“This is my fourth year in the league. You get to see so many different styles of offense and understand why we’re doing certain things. I think that Matt does a great job in communicating with us and making sure that we know what to do with the ball and when he calls the play what he’s thinking. I just think it works out like that.”

Among all quarterbacks with at least 20 passes in a game, his 85.7 percent completion rate was the fourth-best in Packers history and his 13.7 yards per attempt was fifth-best.

Showing complete trust, LaFleur unleashed Willis from the start with a 40-yard completion to Romeo Doubs on the first play of the game. After two offensive penalties, he threw a 39-yard touchdown to Watson to tie the game 7-7.

“I thought it was cool that he trusted me enough to give me an opp,” he said of the first play. “Obviously, you don’t predetermine, so we could’ve went a multitude of places but they gave us the look for it. I thought it was awesome, and Rome went out and made a great catch.”

Unfortunately for Willis, every time he got the ball, the Packers were trailing.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis runs the ball during the third quarter against the Ravens at Lambeau Field. | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

After Baltimore took a 14-7 lead, the Packers were stuffed on third- and fourth-and-1. After Baltimore extended the lead to 17-7, Sean Rhyan’s premature shotgun snap drilled Willis in the facemask and resulted in a turnover. After Baltimore further extended the lead to 20-7, Willis scored a 22-yard touchdown on a zone read.

Rather than the Packers going into halftime trailing 20-14 with the ball to start the second half, the Ravens drove to a touchdown to lead 27-14 at the break.

For Willis, it was more fun than frustration to constantly be fighting uphill but never getting over the hump.

“Football is fun,” he said, “and you should play it with joy. I mean, obviously, you want to win the game – you want to be winning the whole time – but just being out there and playing ball is fun. You know what I mean? I mean, that’s so simple, but it is. This is what we love to do. We’ve been playing since we were little kids.

“Obviously, the ramifications are different now, but I think it’s awesome that we get to go out there and just have fun for a living—literally. And, obviously, you want to be back in the game. We were fighting. I don’t think nobody on that offense was not fighting. I think the defense were fighting. I think it just didn’t go their way tonight. And that’s the way this league works. They are good players everywhere. We just got to look at the film, step back and figure out what’s wrong and fix it. That’s all it takes.”

That potentially will be Willis’ final action in a Packers uniform. He should be a coveted quarterback in free agency, having completely resurrected his career after a trying couple seasons with the Titans.

A third-round pick in 2022, Willis was “thrown into the fire.” He wasn’t ready, and it showed.

Now, in Year 4 in the NFL and Year 2 with the Packers, who acquired him for a seventh-round pick at the end of training camp last year, he’s ready.

Willis said he isn’t worried about free agency. He’s just worried about watching the film from this game and getting ready for Week 18 at Minnesota. Finally, after dodging a handful of questions about his future, he hit upon the reality.

“I think that what you put on tape is your pitch” to other teams, he said. “Obviously, you know, any opportunity, it will be a blessing, and you want to think about that type of stuff, but can’t worry about tomorrow. Today has enough problems of its own. We’ve got to figure out how to get back on track here.”

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