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By PACKERNEWS
By RYAN WOOD
Malik Willis, Green Bay Packers defense dominate in 30-14 win over the Tennessee Titans
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Four weeks ago, the Tennessee Titans decided quarterback Malik Willis wasn’t talented enough to play for them.
They drafted Willis in the third round two years ago. Entering his third NFL season, Willis was buried on the quarterback depth chart, third behind Will Levis and Mason Rudolph. Not exactly a position bursting with talent.
The Titans traded Willis to the Green Bay Packers on the final Monday of August, just 27 days ago, surely not expecting to be embarrassed by the decision. That’s exactly what Willis did in the Packers’ 30-14 win Sunday in Tennessee.
With Jordan Love missing his second straight game because of an injured left knee, Willis got his second straight victory as a starter. Unlike last week, when Willis merely had to keep the ship afloat against the Indianapolis Colts, the backup quarterback was a central character in beating the Titans. Willis completed 13 of 19 passes for 202 yards and a passer rating of 120.9. He also led the Packers in rushing with 73 yards on six carries.
The quarterback Tennessee didn’t want a month ago was the best player on the field for four quarters.
It was a deflating loss for the Titans, who drop to 0-3. Levis struggled, completing 26 of 34 passes with two interceptions and two touchdowns. He also lost a fumble. Sharing the field with a quarterback the Titans didn’t give a chance to win his job, it wasn’t a great look. But it also illustrated the difference in how a situation can enable a player’s success, especially for a quarterback.
The Packers improved to 2-1 this season, winning both games without Love. It created something of a best-case scenario with Love getting a chance to heal another week before preparing for a home showdown against the Minnesota Vikings, the NFC North’s last remaining unbeaten team at 3-0.
Here are some quick observations from Tennessee:
Malik Willis able to hit chunk plays in Packers passing game
The stunning part of Sunday was Willis’ ability to make big plays with his arm. It started on the opening drive when Willis had a pair of completions for 30 yards. The first was a short throw to Jayden Reed, allowing the speedy playmaker to stretch it into a bigger gain. But on the second, a third-and-6 with the Packers in fringe field-goal range, Willis delivered a perfect ball for Christian Watson to go up over undersized cornerback Roger McCreary. It was a stunning play considering the circumstances, but it didn’t stop there. Maybe the highlight of the day was a third-and-14 throw to Romeo Doubs over the middle for 18 yards. Or the third-and-18 throw to Watson for 37 yards. Willis had four completions of at least 30 yards, including a touchdown on a screen pass to running back Emanuel Wilson. That clearly wasn’t in the Titans’ scouting report.
A week after getting 32 carries, it was a lighter day for Packers running back Josh Jacobs. He finished with 14 carries for 43 yards. The Packers rushed for almost 200 yards for the second straight week, finishing with 188. But 73 yards came from Willis’ ability to make things happen with his legs. It was a good enough rushing day for the Packers to have some balance on offense, but not the domination they showed last week against the Colts. The Packers were able to win with a less than remarkable rushing attack because Willis made enough plays.
Jaire Alexander turns momentum of game with first pick-six of his career
After a hot start, the Packers had started to lose grip of momentum late in the first quarter, the game devolving into more of a stalemate. Then Jaire Alexander changed the game. The Packers cornerback didn’t even have to move before breaking on a Will Levis pass to DeAndre Hopkins. He simply read Levis the entire play, and by the time the Titans quarterback tried to hit his receiver on a stop route near the right sideline, Alexander looked like the intended receiver. He returned the interception for a 35-yard touchdown, the first pick-six of his seven-year career. Alexander has two picks in the first three games of this season after not having an interception in 2023. The Packers led the NFL with five picks through the first two games entering Sunday. None were as significant as their sixth interception this season.
Packers’ vaunted pass rush finally shows up
There were big expectations for this Packers pass rush entering the season. That didn’t change after modest production in the first two games, considering the Packers were trying to keep Jalen Hurts and Anthony Richardson contained in the pocket. But Sunday was a chance to unleash their pass rush on a quarterback who couldn’t beat them with his legs, and the Packers didn’t disappoint. After a slow start on the Titans’ opening touchdown drive, the Packers’ pass rush started wrecking the game. They finished with eight sacks, scattered among seven defenders. Devonte Wyatt had a career-high two sacks and has three in three games this season, a sign he may be in the early stages of a breakout year. Kingsley Enagbare had a strip sack, forcing a fumble near midfield that Lukas Van Ness recovered. The Packers’ defense came at the Titans in waves, and it was relentless. By the end, the Titans’ offensive line was in disarray.
Brayden Narveson misses a kick, but it doesn’t count
For the first time in three games, Brayden Narveson didn’t miss a kick. But he got lucky. Narveson was wide right on a 48-yard field goal in the third quarter, but the Titans were called for a holding penalty on the play. That gave the Packers a new set of downs, and they quickly scored a touchdown. Narveson officially finished 3-for-3 on field goals from 21, 26 and 47 yards and made all three of his extra points, but the miss that didn’t count sullied his day. An NFL team doesn’t get away with missing kicks each week like the Packers have going back to most of last season. It might not have counted Sunday, and it was important that Narveson responded with splitting the uprights from 47 yards late in the fourth quarter, but it remains a concern.For the first time in three games, Brayden Narveson didn’t miss a kick. But he got lucky. Narveson was wide right on a 48-yard field goal in the third quarter, but the Titans were called for a holding penalty on the play. That gave the Packers a new set of downs, and they quickly scored a touchdown. Narveson officially finished 3-for-3 on field goals from 21, 26 and 47 yards and made all three of his extra points, but the miss that didn’t count sullied his day. An NFL team doesn’t get away with missing kicks each week like the Packers have going back to most of last season. It might not have counted Sunday, and it was important that Narveson responded with splitting the uprights from 47 yards late in the fourth quarter, but it remains a concern.
