The Green Bay Packers have followed what appears to be an apparent trend across the NFL.
Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and Justin Fields are all cases in point when looking at the trend that is taking place across the league. But what do these three quarterbacks, none of which have ever played for the franchise, have to do with what’s happening in Green Bay currently?
Take a look at Malik Willis and compare how each of them are doing in a change of scenery… It’s clear that a change has helped each of these starting-turned-backup-turned-starting QBs.
What has Willis been doing well for the Packers?
Willis was thrust into the limelight after Jordan Love went down with an injury in Week 1. The Packers would lose that game and start 0-1 on the season; a concern about the season ahead for many, especially after Willis’ performances the year before playing as the backup QB at the Tennessee Titans. Indeed, the loss of Love is huge, given the astonishing second half of the season he had last year.
While the latest Betway odds may indicate that the team remains in the top 10 for Super Bowl chances, this is based on their surprising performance with the #86 pick from the 2022 NFL Draft. It’s surprising, as he was extremely underwhelming for the Titans in his three starts. However, since being in Wisconsin, he is 2-0 in his first two games for the organization.
Matt LaFleur has to take a lot of the credit for the outcome. With the QB only arriving a month ago, the head coach has had to make sure he plays to the quarterback’s strengths with limited reps. He made sure to utilize the run game against the Indianapolis Colts, but trusted Willis to use his arm against his former organization in Week 3.
The trust and decision to work to the player’s strengths are clearly paying off for the Packers. Through the two starts that he has had, the organization has managed to put up at least 260 yards in offensive play in the first half of each game alone. This is something that hasn’t been experienced at Lambeau Field for a decade. A time when Aaron Rodgers was leading the charge and putting in prime MVP performances, hence why there has been a keen interest in the team on betting platforms like Betway by NFL bettors.
How is Willis part of an NFL trend being experienced?
As mentioned, there have been other instances whereby there have been other quarterbacks that have appeared to have been “written off” that are making their way back into the game.
Darnold finally appears to be finding his feet and thriving in the league in his seventh year. He had torrid times in New York and Carolina, but appears to be comfortable now he is in Minnesota. Admittedly, it’s only three weeks, but it’s had the same impact as Willis.
A greater sample size would be to look at Mayfield. He replaced Tom Brady at Tampa and appears to be thriving. He was considered average in Cleveland, but he also struggled in Carolina. Fields has become a better player in Pittsburgh (who started the season 3-0) after a poor time in Chicago.
Coaching has been a key part in all of their development and making sure they can no longer be considered “written off”. Perhaps this is what we will see of Willis across the season, or at least until Love is cleared to return to the field and take his starting jersey back.