The 51-yard connection from Malik Willis to Jayden Reed that won Sunday’s back-and-forth showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars was the result of both an in-game adjustment from the coaching staff and the right timing from Willis and Matt LaFleur.
LaFleur said the Packers called the play — which wasn’t in the game plan and wasn’t practiced during the week — when passing game coordinator Jason Vrable spotted something in the way the Jaguars were reacting to a similarly run play. While Willis had to wait until the defense gave him the right look pre-snap on the final drive, he executed the “can” at the right time and caught the Jaguars completely off guard.
“Not only was it a ‘can’ play, but it was a play we didn’t even have up in the game plan,” LaFleur said post-game. “We ran the keeper earlier in the game, and Vrable suggested it, he’s like, ‘Hey, it looks like the play is there.’ So we put it in there on the sidelines. No reps in practice. That’s a big time credit to our guys to go out there and execute it.”
A “can” play is when there are two plays called in the huddle, typically a run and a pass. The quarterback has the opportunity to “can” to the second play based on what he sees pre-snap. The Jaguars finally gave Willis the right look, and he pounced.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CquHpx-Wwfk
The playcall is dressed up like a run, with Tucker Kraft pulling from left to right and Reed inserted tight into the formation to the right side — a look the Packers often use to block up run plays. In fact, the Packers called the same formation earlier on the final drive but stuck with the run based on the defensive look. But this time it wasn’t a run — Willis canned to the pass and then pulled the ball on the play-action fake, and Reed worked through the traffic near the line of scrimmage and sprung wide open on a leak route.
“We ran a play earlier that kind of countered it a little bit and we just seen the opening, so we ran it,” Reed said, via the team’s official site. “I already knew I was gonna be open before the play was even called.”
Jaguars safety Andre Cisco was responsible for covering Reed. It was cleverly designed, with Reed disguised as a blocker within the mass of bodies along the line of scrimmage. By the time Cisco realized what was happening, Reed was at top speed and running behind him, and when he slipped down trying to transition into coverage, the explosive play was on for the Packers.
Willis calmly made the throw, and Reed made the catch near the Jaguars’ 45-yard line and sprinted inside the 20-yard line with just over a minute to go.
Game, set, match. A few plays later, Brandon McManus came on and knocked through a 24-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Packers a second straight walk-off winner and a 30-27 victory.
“That was a pretty cool one, probably one I’ll never forget,” LaFleur said.
Malik Willis to Jayden Reed for 51 yards to set up the game winning FG for the second week in a row by Brandon McManus, who played for the Jaguars last season. pic.twitter.com/6kH0k9TpZX
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) October 27, 2024