That’s “not” going to stop Willis. (Hopefully…)

A truly gifted athlete, it's like watching a talented dancer-I relax when watching him as he seems so calm and confident. I hope he does well.
I give Matt LF a lot of credit for bringing out the best in him.

I hope Willis is hopefully healthy enough to do himself justice this week. His injury was to his throwing shoulder. That aside, physically, Willis’ one knock is that he’s 6’1 on a good day. A little shorter than the traditional ideal in the NFL. His arm was never an issue and not only is he elite in terms of speed with a 4.37 40, but he has the ability to make players miss as well. At 225, he is about the same weight as our RBs.

Willis was raw as a QB though. As a rookie it showed. We’ve seen a lot of athletes come into the league and look completely lost. He seemed like just another. He didn’t process, he panicked and ran. It was, honestly, awful. That his team was awful too only compounded it—though it might explain why they started him so completely unready when injuries hit.

What is different about Willis is that he clearly was not what he looked like. He had now shown that he in fact has an excellent temperament. What he needed was time to let the game slow down to unleash it and some work on his technique of course.

That his Prior team had moved on is not all that surprising, but that they failed to notice the change—some fans had—is CNN perhaps less creditable. The Packers FO stated when we traded that he’d come a very long way based upon their scouting. They were right. He’s lucky his prior team at least gave him time in the league to work on himself and with team coaches. It also gave him enough of a platform as it turned out.

Even then, the mental side of his game hadn’t really been tested. What emerged was that far from being a rabbit, he’s actually composed and stays in the pocket as a default. Not only that, but he does go through reads. LaFleur was slow to open the playbook, but as he gradually did, Willis showed he could handle it, and perhaps more.

A remarkable turn around that’s as much a tribute to Willis’ character and desire as it is to his talent and a pretty serious indictment of how some teams handle QB talent and hone it. Like Rodgers, though without the input of McCarthy type schooling, Willis is as different in GB compared to his Rookie year as Rodgers was when he finally started.

That doesn’t mean he will be as good as Rodgers, though Rodgers never ran a 4.4 40. He’s still only 26. I do not want him in our division unless it is with us. With his smarts and athleticism, facing him regularly would not be pleasant. If he truly blossoms as a pure volume passer as well, it could be far worse than that.

He is faster than Williams and almost exactly the same height and weight, for context. He’s more accurate too and only 2 years older. I’m not sure I’d prefer trying to catch or bring down Willis to Williams. I do think Willis will do more damage from the pocket.

With the upcoming draft weak on very talented QBs, Willis will deservedly get a lg amount of interest.

Aaron Brooks. Mark Brunell. Doug Peterson. Matt Hasselbeck. Matt Flynn. Kurt Warner. Tim Boyle. Malik Willis.

The "on any other team, he'd be a starter" ranks are comprised of those who were and those who weren't. Either way, and in some cases more than others, these guys got paid. Where Milik will land is anybody's guess, but the grass ain't always greener.

I like the kid and look forward to his play tonight (sill not sure if I'll cough up the $10.99 to watch). With this OL, mobility is essential. That enthusiasm is buffered by the fact that he spent his last two college seasons at Liberty U, and Tennessee let him go for a seventh-round pick. Did Tom Clements whisper loud enough so Sean Mannion could continue to transform Malik into an NFL starter? Let's hope so.

GPG

This is not a reflection on #10 which I cheer for freely. I like his makeup and composure and talent.

What appears so smooth is the connection of #2 to #11. Those guys are so fluid and poetry in motion. I plan on just enjoying the game (on radio or updates on my phone). The Pack are already in the playoffs and #10 gets a chance to get healthier.

Fine tune this, adjust that, and on and on and on we go.

It's okay to appreciate both different styles and talents of the Packer's QBs. It wasn't all that long ago when I was in college. On MNF (at halftime) they were going to interview the QB from the cardiac Pack = Don Majkowski! Back then, you never had a Packer player being asked to be interviewed, ever. To go from thinking the Packers were probably never going to have a talented QB in my lifetime to the ones we have been able to watch is a thing of beauty.

Okay, gotta get my Packer shrine ready....

PB

You have to wonder how many good, young QBs never get developed properly? Willis is one of those lucky few that end up on a team that can truly develop a QB. He's fortunate. GB is fortunate. Imagine how Justin Fields might have developed if he had been lucky enough to be drafted by a team that successfully develops QBs?

Jordan is not DURABLE - he is young but he is like a China doll and breaks on contact and because Jordan is slow and not elusive. Jordan is going to be hurt again and again when the Packers fall behind and Lafleur is forced to let Jordan throw his slow processed, late hospital ball and inaccurate passes.

Imagine what Jordan is going to be like when he gets older and is even slower - and more importantly, less agile - than he is now!

Too bad that Malik has to once again fill in for our China Doll, Jordan.

Malik is toughing it out this week with an injured THROWING shoulder and probably has the flu if not some version of Covid.

Jordan is our Carson Wentz and Malik is our Jalen Hurts.
For those that think that Gutey (the destroyer of Packer Super Bowl bound teams for 8 years now) cannot jettison Jordan Love pronto if Gutey wanted to, they are wrong.
Wentz was also drafted in the 1st round - 2nd overall pick.
Wentz was also had his rookie contract extended with a then record contract - Wentz June 2019 4 year extension gave him $107 million guaranteed - the most in history at that time surpassing Russell Wilson's then new deal.
Unlike Jordan - Wentz in his 2nd season finished 3rd in the MVP voting in 2017 - Brady was first and Todd Gurley 2nd.
But Howie Roseman - less than 2 years after giving Wentz that RECORD GUARANTEED MONEY AND EXTENSION realized what he had in Jalen Hurts and what he didn't have in Wentz and had the guts to rid himself of his mistake of drafting Wentz in the first round and giving Wentz a record contract by finding a team willing to trade for Wentz and take on his record guaranteed contract in March 2021. Roseman traded Wentz on March 17, 2021 for 2021 3rd round pick (84th overall) and 2022 1st round pick (16th overall). In doing so the Eagles took the largest dead cap hit at the time in NFL history.

Roseman's start in the NFL was not due to Nepotism and Roseman had established himself as a GM when he made this trade of Wentz as Roseman's Eagles had won the Super Bowl with Roseman as GM in 2017 and would go to another in 2022 and win in 2024. 4 NFC Championship appearances and 3 Super Bowls for Roseman since 2017.

Gutey's only still around because Aaron Rodgers carried him for years.

Jordan held Gutey's (his NFL father) feet to the fire with the "hold in" after just half a season of decent play as a starter that followed a half season of bone headed interceptions that ended the Packers season with a CHOKE AND BONE HEADED THROWS - in the most important game of the year in the playoffs against the 49ers - that a grade school quarterback wouldn't make.

And "Gutey" lets Jordan BLACKMAIL (the ultimate soft extortion/shakedown) him into a record contract for a QB and pockets $75 million dollars in GUARANTEED SIGNING BONUS without having to play another snap! ( AND GUTEY WOULD NOT GIVE ANOTHER $1 MILLION TO PACKER FAN AND VETERAN PLAYER BELOVED LEADER AARON JONES - instead letting Aaron go to the Vikings, causing the Packers to wear down Jacobs and lose the outside before contact elusiveness of Aaron Jones).

So is it any surprise that Jordan avoids like the PLAGUE even the slightest physical contact?

Some of Jordan's lack of lateral - and vertical - movement inside the pocket and outside the pocket is just due to Jordan's lack of physical agility and clumsiness, but a lot of it is simply due to the fact that Jordan doesn't have to work another day in his life and would quit right now if he could without some crazy fan coming after him.

Jordan will quickly throw the ball away when there is any pressure at all - rather than move laterally in the pocket to elude pass rushers and buy time for his receivers to become open or run for the extra yards and slide (and Jordan is such an uncoordinated Gumby that Jordan will hurt himself attempting to slide) when there is any pressure at all.

Such a contrast to Rodgers in ALL FACETS of the game, but especially physical and mental toughness.
As an example both Jordan and Rodgers sustained Grade 2 Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) sprains.
Does everyone remember Sunday night September 9, 2018 in Green Bay - opening night against the Bears and Khalil Mack?

Rodgers is sacked with 9 minutes and 22 seconds left in the 2nd quarter and the Packers trailing 10-0. Rodgers is put on a medical cart and wheeled off the field and it is determined that Rodgers has a grade 2 Medial Collateral Ligament sprain.

Another of Gutekunst's prize quarterback choices, Deshone Kizer (I am sure that the infamous Brett Hundley was Gutey's choice too as former Director of Scouting) - traded for by "Gutey" just a year after being chosen in the 2nd round and starting 15 games in 2017 "leading" the Browns to a 0 win and 15 loss record - comes in to replace Rodgers and is promptly sacked and fumbles the ball away to the Bears. On the next Packers possession Kizer throws a pick 6 to Khalil Mack.

The score is Bears 20 and Packers 0 to begin the 2nd half.

Rodgers ever the warrior returns at the start of 2nd half and proceeds to throw 3 touchdowns passes - including 75 yards to Randal Cobb (who like Jordy Nelson Gutey does not resign further DESTROYING the Packers veteran receiving corps - and there will be more with the loss of Davante and MVS - and chances for Super Bowls over the 2018 through current 2025 season)

Rodgers played the entire 2018 season with that Grade 2 MCL sprain, not missing a game.

Now let's contrast the Jordan Love experience with precisely the same injury - Grade 2 MCL sprain.

Jordan on September 6, 2024 sprains his MCL on the final drive of Week 1 on Friday Night in Brazil against the Philadelphia Eagles and defers to Malik - who had just joined the Packers a week or 2 earlier and had not seen any snaps with the starting offense - with the game on the line. AND THEN JORDAN TAKES OFF THE NEXT 2 GAMES!

Packer Fans should be calling for Gutekunst FIRING IMMEDIATELY and replacement with an Elliot Wolf (if he can be pried from the Patriots) who as a young teenager was at his father's side building the Super Bowl Packers and whose father always showed respect for the players - or a former NFL player that has been in the arena and can therefore respect the player - a John Lynch type

The Packers obviously feel Love is the better Qb. We haven't seen enough of sample size to evaluate Malik though he is fun to watch.

Yes - Willis has "done a hell of a job." So why has Lafleur not taken more advantage of Willis? Especially given the offensive lulls, short yardage issues and red zone blackouts that have persisted throughout the season. Willis is a "cheat code" - that when used strategically and tactically can impact the course of a game. LaFleur's refusal to incorporate Willis in the weekly game plan - as an additional playmaker - is just another indictment of his limited ceiling as a HC.

Malik will have a large audience tonight (if one wants to pay Peacock)