Since arriving in Green Bay in 2019, Matt LaFleur has enjoyed the luxury of coaching a four-time NFL MVP in Aaron Rodgers and now a rising star in Jordan Love. But in Week 2, with Rodgers in New York and Love sidelined, LaFleur faced a new challenge: winning with recently acquired quarterback Malik Willis. And he delivered.
The Packers won their first game of the 2024 season, defeating the Colts 16-10. Even though it was a one-score game, Green Bay took advantage of their Week 2 opponent’s weaknesses, tallying 261 rushing yards as a team and three takeaways.
Willis, who had only been with the team for three weeks, looked comfortable and made smart decisions with the football en route to completing 12 out of 14 passes for 122 yards with a touchdown. LaFleur deserves a ton of credit for not only having Willis ready to play but for how efficient he was.
LaFleur has yet to win NFL Coach of the Year despite having three consecutive 13-win seasons — with two trips to the NFC Championship game — and last year leading the youngest roster in the league to the playoffs.
By and large, Green Bay’s head coach hasn’t gotten the credit he is due. In Sunday’s win, LaFleur once again showed he is one of the best offensive minds in the game.
To get a better idea of how difficult it is to stop LaFleur’s scheme, we are going to look at some of LaFleur’s best play calls against Indianapolis for this week’s film room.
Let’s begin.
One great thing about this scheme is that its creativity is not just limited to the passing game. The run game also has a ton of wrinkles to keep the defense guessing. In this play, the Packers are in split shotgun with two potential runners on either side. Watch as the one back loops behind the quarterback in play action while the other takes the handoff. This little misdirection gets the defense moving in the opposite direction of the ball. It also buys a little time for the tight end to execute his split-flow action and climb to the linebacker, leading to a 12-yard gain.
As expected, LaFleur sprinkled in some read option and run-pass option (RPO). This RPO call in particular was set up beautifully to get an advantageous look for the offense. The safety bites on the potential wide receiver screen, creating space for the running back, who follows his blockers for a big gain. Early in the game, this play design helped Willis get settled as it was probably a variation of a play he had run hundreds of times and was a relatively easy read.
Here is another misdirection play action call out of split shotgun, but this time, it’s a swing pass out with the left tackle and center getting out to the second level to lead the charge. This is a perfect example of why Green Bay covets athletic offensive linemen who can get up-field and operate in space. Also, you have to love the blocks from the wide receiver and tight end, as both do an excellent job to open up a lane for the ball carrier.
Willis’ first career passing touchdown was a thing of beauty. Not only did he deliver the throw with pinpoint accuracy, but the play was well-crafted and well-executed. The No. 2 receiver in the formation runs a back-and-forth motion that allows him to get into his speed out route quicker. If it’s not a perfect throw, it’s probably a pick-six. However, Willis has a strong arm and trusts that he can deliver an accurate ball outside the numbers. And he does.
Let’s finish with another RPO. There are many moving parts to this play, but it’s really just a two-level read that puts Willis in a position to do what he does best: use his mobility and allow him to make half-field reads. Willis could have handed this ball off, but he decided to keep it. The receiver in motion runs a wheel route to try to create space for the tight end leaking out of the backfield into the flat. However, the Colts have the tight end covered, so Willis is forced to progress to his second-level read. He delivers a great ball right on the money to the receiver in space for a nice gain and a first down. Well done.
Conclusion
Overall, the Packers hope that Love can return as soon as possible. But when you have a great play-caller who understands his personnel and knows how to put his players in a position to succeed, you can take some comfort in that. Despite being with the team for just three weeks, Willis quickly settled into LaFleur’s system, delivering an efficient performance. Until Love returns, the Packers can lean on LaFleur’s creativity to keep the offense moving. Sunday’s win showed that even with a new quarterback, Green Bay’s offense is in capable hands.