Malik Willis might start again for the Packers in a Week 18 that won’t change the playoff standing for Green Bay, but his spot in the quarterback pecking order is unchanged.
Willis outperformed expectations in the Packers’ 41-24 loss Saturday to the Ravens with Jordan Love on the sideline due to concussion protocol. Willis was 18-of-21 passing for 288 yards and a touchdown and scored two rushing touchdowns with 60 yards on nine carries.
Love and Willis were both injured Week 16 at Chicago. Love practiced while in concussion protocol last week but wasn’t fully cleared. Willis was slower to return to practice with an ailing right shoulder, but received the green light on Friday to start against Baltimore.
Even if Love is cleared this week, he might not play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers are anchored as the No. 7 seed in the NFC regardless of results next week.
Partially because of the strategic approach the Packers are still determining, Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Saturday night he wasn’t ready to discuss the plans at quarterback, stirring questions and debate by stating he didn’t want to “speak too soon.”
But LaFleur went out of his way to clarify on Sunday afternoon that Love is the QB1 when healthy.
“I want to pump the brakes on all that stuff,” LaFleur said. “I think Jordan Love is playing some pretty high-level football, and it’s great that we feel the same about Malik in his ability to go in there. I thought he’s had two really back-to-back outstanding performances. So we’re in a good spot with that position, certainly have a lot of confidence in both of those guys, but it’s clear that Jordan is our franchise quarterback, and when he is healthy, he’s going to be our starter. So, just want to squash all that.”
The Packers have lost three consecutive games, dropping from a share of the NFC North lead and a chance at the No. 1 seed to the bottom of the seven-team playoff field in the conference.
During the stretch, the Packers lost Love to a head injury in the first half at Chicago last week, pass rusher Micah Parsons (torn ACL) at Denver in Week 15 and starting right tackle Zach Tom (back/knee) missed his second consecutive game on Saturday. Defensive tackle Jordon Riley sustained a season-ending Achilles injury and cornerback Kamal Hadden sustained a season-ending ankle injury in Saturday’s loss, LaFleur said Sunday.
“Guys going down all over the league — that ain’t just happening to us you know what I mean?” safety Javon Bullard said. “No matter how we put it, we’ve got to ball. We get paid to ball.”
LaFleur said the number of injuries the Packers are dealing with factors into what personnel Green Bay will use at Minnesota. Not because he’s planning to “protect” starters, rather he wants every player without an injury to be “ready to play ball.”
“Regardless of anything, whether you rest certain individuals you’re kind of limited, especially our situation right now with the number of injuries that occurred,” LaFleur said. “Guys are going to have to play ball.”
