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Rob Demovsky
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Even one of the few bright spots from the Green Bay Packers’ performance in Saturday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens had an unhappy ending.
Backup quarterback Malik Willis, who started because Jordan Love did not clear concussion protocol, had to leave in the midst of his finest performance as a pro because his ailing right shoulder acted up in the fourth quarter. Willis could have returned to the game after a brief locker-room checkup, but by then, the 41-24 loss had been decided.
It left Green Bay with a decision to make about how to handle next weekend’s regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers already secured their playoff spot and cannot improve their position — they were locked into the NFC’s No. 7 seed as soon as they lost to the Ravens — and coach Matt LaFleur was noncommittal about how he would approach Week 18.
Chicago Bears. He could not get through the protocol in time to start against the Ravens.
«We just want to get him through the protocol,» LaFleur said. «And then we’ll have a decision to make.»
On a night when Derrick Henry ran all over the Packers’ defense to the tune of 216 yards rushing, part of a 307-yard rushing night by the Ravens at Lambeau Field, Willis was one of the few bright spots for the home team.
Before he left with 7:53 remaining and in the middle of a drive, Willis completed 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown. He also scored on touchdown runs of 22 and 11 yards on read option plays as part of a nine-carry, 60-yard rushing performance.
Aaron Rodgers for the most completions of 20-plus air yards by a Packers quarterback since ESPN began tracking games in 2006.
«I thought it was cool that he trusted me enough to give me an opp,» Willis said.
All of that after Willis barely took any reps in practice. Love took the bulk of the starting quarterback reps because he looked on track to clear the concussion protocol. Willis also missed a day of practice because of an illness that had run through the team. He injured his shoulder the previous week against the Bears in relief of Love.
If only Willis didn’t have to leave Saturday’s game. In a 34-24 game at the time, the Packers had just crossed into Ravens’ territory when Willis grabbed for his right shoulder following a completion to Christian Watson (five catches, 113 yards, TD). Two plays later, practice squad quarterback Clayton Tune’s pass went off the hands of receiver Bo Melton and was picked off.
Willis’ future is unlikely to be in Green Bay. He will be a free agent in the offseason and probably will get a chance to compete for a starting job elsewhere. But in the moment, he just wished he could have finished the game.
«I think that we just got to keep playing ball, and taking it one week at a time,» Willis said. «Hopefully we can get out with a ‘W’ next week, after looking at this tape and understanding what went wrong, And we can worry about all that stuff after the season.»
