Matt LaFleur Orchestrating The Malik Willis Revenge Game In Tennessee Was a Beautiful Thing To Witness

Johnnie Izquierdo. Getty Images.

Greetings from 34,000 feet in the air as I return home from my Vegas bachelor party. Lungs are a little heavy, everything hurts, I'm in desperate need of an IV, and my wallet could be heavier, but it's victory Monday for the Packers so forgive me as I enjoy the following 700 or so words. Quick answers to questions from the peanut gallery. Yes, someone agreed to marry me. Also yes, the Packers are 2-1 despite Malik Willis being their QB over the last two weeks. Also yes, I'm both a Yankees and Packers fan. The horror. I don't even understand how you can say it's being a front runner. Favre left and I stayed true. Now Rodgers is gone and Love is my QB. For christ's sake Malik Willis was my starter the last two weeks. If I was a front runner I wouldn't be watching those games. Also wanna go back and relive all the heartbreaking Packers playoff losses over the years? Too many to count. 4th and 26, Bostic's onside kick fumble, anytime they played Kaepernick, Lawrence Tynes, the Cardinals losses, the list goes on and on. Never makes sense to me hearing that chirp, but I love how much it bothers some people. Now, let's talk football. 

Having Aaron Rodgers on my football team made it hard to evaluate Matt LaFleur as a head coach. He rubbed me the wrong way when he kicked a field goal down 8 with a little over 2 minutes to go in the NFC Championship Game against the Bucs. That sucked and still makes no sense to this day. Whatever, that's in the past. I just wasn't sure what to make of him with Rodgers calling the shots. Was he in the way or being held back? Well, once Love took over in 2023 you started to see his brilliance. The training wheels were taken off in the 2nd half of the season and the offense began to work teams.  

Okay but what if you take Jordan Love off the field? Can you survive? In an immediate short term, I'm glad to say the answer is yes. Did it help that the Packers faced two AFC South teams in the Colts and Titans? For sure, but winning consecutive Malik Willis starts while Love rests and rehabs his MCL? Unbelievable. LaFleur game-planned perfectly for yesterday's game. It was a fucking masterclass. Everything worked. Willis was never put in a position to do too much,. Instead MLF schemed to his strength of mobility and made plays happen all over the field on Sunday. 

These types of throws were there all game for Willis. Also nice that Christian Watson can run and jump now without tearing his hamstrings in half. 

Tucker Kraft's blocking on Sunday was a work of art. Legit just mauling guys and clearing the way for Willis to fly down the field. 

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This read option that Willis took in for the score capped off a near perfect, statement-making opening drive. 

Malik Willis on the Titans was a disaster. He honestly looked scared to throw the football down the field. Throw him into a competent organization and you get this, even if he's only been here for a month. LaFleur pimping homers all over the field. Out-scheming and out-coaching the Titans from kickoff until the final whistle. Boy do they have to be feeling like total shit after this one. 

This blocking by the o-line is such a problem for opposing defenses. Just blowing teams off the football, getting out in the open field, and demolishing everyone in their way.

An example of what you don't want to see from your offensive line? 

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Another amazing sign of great coaching? Look at this fucking defense the Packers have now. Joe Barry was a legitimate war criminal giving up career games to the likes of Tommy DeVito and Bryce Young. He more than overstayed his welcome. In comes Jeff Hafley from BC who has guys causing chaos everyone. Instead of hanging back in zone and trying to rally to the football, the Packers are disrupting opposing offenses. It's a breath of fresh air to see DBs attacking the football in the air. Green Bay already has six interceptions this year, three in three games from newcomer Xavier McKinney. Last year that unit had just seven picks. 

Sure does help when you have Will Levis making reads like this. What an entertaining, must watch player for pretty much every wrong reason. I hope they never bench him. 

Almost every clip of 2nd rounder Edgerrin Cooper is salivating. 

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He's gradually getting more and more snaps as he continues to shine. Just a fun player to throw into that defense. Finally an athletic linebacker who can just blow up plays left and right. 

I was worried Green Bay was gonna find themselves in a devastating 0-3 hole with Love out. 1-2 was the goal. 2-1 is outstanding. Love will now return most likely this coming week for a massive early season game against the Vikings. The schedule will only get harder from here on out, but thanks to Malik Willis, Matt LaFleur, and Jeff Hafley the season is more than alive. I had my doubts and I'm very happy to be wrong. What a human experience that had to be for Willis on Sunday. 

Now we go. 

P.S. Do NOT show this to Bears fans