Tag: malik heath

Late letdown spoils Malik Heath’s incredible go-ahead touchdown catch

The Packers took a late lead on Malik Heath’s incredible touchdown catch but a late letdown defensively spoiled the moment.

Tommy DeVito and Randy Bullock teamed up to spoil an incredible moment for Green Bay Packers rookie receiver Malik Heath.

DeVito led the New York Giants 57 yards and Bullock nailed the game-winning 37-yard field goal as time expired after Heath made an incredible catch on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love that gave the Packers a temporary lead late in the fourth quarter.

One play after a potential touchdown was batted out of Heath’s hands in the end zone, the rookie responded with one of the team’s best catches of the 2023 season.

On 3rd-and-goal with 1:34 left, Heath ran an out-route to the front pylon and reached well over his head to catch Love’s pass as he was tumbling out of bounds. After a brief moment of confusion as the ref got back to his feet, a touchdown was signaled and the celebration around Heath ensued.

Here’s the touchdown, the first of Heath’s NFL career:

Dec 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Malik Heath (18) makes a touchdown catch against New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (25) during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The touchdown gave the Packers a 22-21 lead, but it didn’t last. DeVito hit WanDale Robinson for an explosive play, setting up Bullock’s game-winning field goal.

Heath’s touchdown was his only catch of the game and Love’s only touchdown pass.

The score was part of a wild sequence in the fourth quarter. Giants running back Saquon Barkley fumbled while going to the ground at the end of a 34-yard run that could have all but sealed the game, and Packers rookie Carrington Valentine returned the fumble recovery 50 yards to set up Green Bay’s 36-yard touchdown drive.

Heath, an undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss, was on the field as an injury replacement for both Christian Watson, who was out with a hamstring injury, and Dontayvion Wicks, who suffered an ankle injury.

Dec 11, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Malik Heath (18) celebrates after scoring touchdown during the fourth quarter against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

In place of Dontayvion Wicks, Packers WR Malik Heath delivers efficient performance vs. Lions

Packers rookie WR Malik Heath ran 5 routes and caught 4 passes, including 3 contested catches, vs. the Lions.

The Green Bay Packers were without rookie wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks on Thursday as he continued to work his way through concussion protocol. His absence meant more targets for Malik Heath, who capitalized on the additional opportunities with an incredibly efficient performance.

“It was cool to see a lot of young guys get their first opportunity to go out there and play and make some big time contributions,” said Matt LaFleur after the win. “I know Malik’s been up for the last couple of weeks but he had four catches today, and made some big plays.”

Heath ended up finishing second on the team in both receptions and yards, hauling in four passes for 46 yards, with three of them being contested by Lions’ defenders. The truly impressive part of Heath’s performance, however, was that he put up those numbers on somewhat limited opportunities.

Heath was on the field for just 11 total snaps on Thursday, although given his impact in both the passing game and as a blocker, watching live it felt like a lot more. But of those 11 total snaps, only five were as a route runner, and he still managed to get four targets and be as productive as he was.

Yards per route run is an efficiency metric from PFF, and Heath averaged a whopping 9.2 yards per route that he ran. For some context around just how impressive that figure is, coming into Week 11, the NFL’s leader in this category is Tyreek Hill, with 4.06 yards per route.

From a pure snap count standpoint, Heath didn’t fully take on Wicks’ workload in his absence. Over the last four games, Wicks has averaged 25 snaps per game. Instead, the Packers relied more heavily on their top three receivers – Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed – to navigate their way through this game. However, production-wise, Heath did his best to fill that void, not to mention that he through some key blocks in the run game as well.

It was just last week against the Los Angeles Chargers that Heath made his first NFL reception. A few days later he is playing a key role in the Packers offensive surge against Detroit. Heath’s recent play is an example of the growth that the entire receiving room has experienced in recent weeks, which in turn, has helped provide a needed spark for Jordan Love and the entire offense.

“I absolutely can,” said Adam Stenavich last week when asked if he can see the growth from the Packers young receivers. “It’s been fun to watch these guys playing around each other more. Being around each other, the communication that they have on the sidelines and at practice. You can just tell the guys are starting to get it. They’re just understanding things better. Playing faster and just making plays. It’s been great to see all of that.”

The return of Wicks will, of course, be a welcomed sight for the Packers passing game. He has been a capable blocker, is a really refined route runner for a rookie, and seems to have a sixth sense for finding the soft spot in the defense, allowing him to come up with some key receptions and explosive plays.

However, while all of that is very true, Heath’s emergence in a crucial game shows that one of the strengths the Packers offense right now is that in any given situation, Love has four or five players that he can get the ball to, all of whom have the ability to create a chunk play—not to mention that so many potential pass-catching options on any play can really stress a defense.

“He’s a strong, strong football player,” said LaFleur about Heath during training camp. “He can run through contact, he does a good job releasing off the line of scrimmage, widening corners when he gets press coverage, ripping through, he’s got really good ball skills and he’s a bigger guy.”

UDFAs Malik Heath, Brenton Cox Jr. and Emanuel Wilson force their way onto Packers initial roster

There was no denying undrafted rookies Malik Heath, Brenton Cox Jr. and Emanuel Wilson.

There was no denying undrafted rookies Malik Heath, Brenton Cox Jr. and Emanuel Wilson this preseason, and now all three will begin the 2023 season on the roster of the Green Bay Packers.

Together, Heath, Cox and Wilson give the Packers three undrafted rookies on the initial 53-man roster, the most kept by the team since 2018. They also extended the team’s streak of at least one undrafted free agent on the initial roster to a staggering 19 years.

Even during a year in which general manager Brian Gutekunst made 13 draft picks, college free agents got a legitimate shot to make the roster in Green Bay. The trio of Heath, Cox and Wilson made the most of the opportunity.

Heath caught a team-high 12 passes for 146 yards over three preseason games. He finished third in yards per route run (per PFF) among receivers with at least 14 targets this preseason while making four contested catches without a drop. He also blocked like a madman, embracing the “goon” role Matt LaFleur likes at wide receiver and allowing him to beat out seventh-round pick Grant DuBose for a roster spot. Depending on the injury situations for Romeo Doubs (hamstring) and Dontayvion Wicks (hamstring), Heath could be on the field and playing snaps for the Packers come Week 1 in Chicago.

Cox led the Packers in pressures (seven), hurries (six) and batted passes (two). One of his batted passes resulted in an interception. He also had a tackle for loss against the run. His win rate as a pass-rusher was 15.4 percent, the fourth-best among rookie edge rushers during the preseason. Despite having five outside linebackers they liked, Cox forced the Packers to do something rare and keep a sixth. If he stays out of trouble and focused on the job, Cox has the talent to become a pass-rushing asset in time.

Wilson led all NFL players in rushing yards (223) and was tied for first in rushing touchdowns (2). He forced 11 missed tackle attempts, the most among running backs, and his 80-yard run was the longest in the NFL during the preseason. He also caught four passes and displayed some potential as a pass protector. Signed in May, Wilson entered training camp as a roster long shot. He exited as the winner of the No. 3 running back spot, giving him a real chance of factoring into the future of the position past 2023.

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Packers rookie WR Malik Heath appears to make 53-man roster

Based on an Instagram post, Packers rookie Malik Heath has made the team’s 53-man roster on Tuesday.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Malik Heath has appeared to make the team’s initial 53-man roster, based on a post from his Instagram account Tuesday morning.

The undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss had a strong offseason with the Packers and it continued into training camp and the preseason. Over three preseason games, Heath finished with a team-high 146 receiving yards on 12 receptions, including eight catches resulting in a first down. He also proved to be a physical blocker in the run game, which is huge in Green Bay’s offense.

After impressing all summer, the writing was on the wall that Heath had made the team, especially when he was on the field with the starting offense for Saturday’s preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks.

“I think Malik has shown a lot of good things,” head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game. “Not only catching the football, but the way be blocks has been big time for us. He’s a physical player. And I’m excited for him. I think he’s going to continue to get better, and better, and better.”

Heath now has a chance to compete for meaningful snaps in the regular season, which will begin September 10 against the Chicago Bears.

The Packers have until 3:00 pm CT to finalize the roster, and while nothing is official yet, a deserving player appears to be safely on the team.

Packers WR Malik Heath looks like a roster lock following final preseason game

Undrafted rookie WR Malik Heath has all but locked up a roster spot following the preseason finale.

If there was any doubt that wide receiver Malik Heath was going to be on the Green Bay Packers’ final 53-man roster, that question has most likely been answered following Saturday’s preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.

“Potentially,” said Matt LaFleur when asked if Heath could be a part of the receiver rotation this season. “He was out there first snap of the game. Think he might have been a little nervous with the false start. It wasn’t perfect, but it never is.”

After rotating in with the starting offense during Wednesday and Thursday’s final training camp practices, in Romeo Doubs’ absence on Saturday, Heath was lined up with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and the rest of the Packers’ starters during the first series and beyond against Seattle.

Heath’s day began with a false start, perhaps due to some extra adrenaline as LaFleur alluded to, but he settled in, catching four of his seven targets for 35 yards with a long of 15. In total this preseason, Heath has hauled in 12 of the 16 passes thrown his way for 146 yards at 12.1 yards per catch, with several of those receptions coming during key moments, such as on third down or in Week 2 against New England, where he put the Packers offense in field goal range before the end of the first half.

In addition to his impact in the passing game, Heath has taken on a larger role on special teams the last two weeks, and has also made a noticeable impact as a blocker within this offense—more than happy to do the dirty work as an enforcer, a role previously filled by Allen Lazard. Against Seattle, Heath had a key block on a reception by Patrick Taylor that allowed him to pick up the first down and another one on a jet sweep to Reed, who was able to pick up nine yards.

“I think Malik has shown a lot of good things,” added LaFleur. “Not only catching the football, but the way be blocks has been big time for us. He’s a physical player. And I’m excited for him. I think he’s going to continue to get better, and better, and better.”

It’s not as if Heath has come on strong over the last few weeks either to make a roster push. He’s been consistently making plays since rookie minicamp back in May, and has continued to do so since. He does not possess the same sub-4.4 speed that Christian Watson or Jayden Reed have, but he’s shown an ability with his route running to create space, and is more than willing to make a contested catch, and pick up yards after the catch. At the end of the day, he knows how to win his routes, and as a result, the ball finds him often.

When it comes to what the Packers look for in their receivers, Heath has been able to check off pretty much every box. At 6-3 and 213 pounds, he has that bigger frame that they covet. On the field, he’s been consistent as a pass catcher, a capable blocker, able to play from the slot and out wide, along with, as of late, helping on special teams, which is a requirement for most back-end of the roster players.

“He’s balled out since he got here,” said Jordan Love after the game. “The biggest thing since when he got here is how aggressive he catches the ball—he attacks it. His mentality after he catches it is he is trying to get those yards. I think he’s ball out. OTAs to now. He’s taken a lot of leaps just learning the offense, now he’s just going out there and making plays. But he’s done a really good job.”

With it looking like Heath has jumped Samori Toure on the depth chart, along with the unknown around when Dontayvion Wicks will be back on the field, it’s possible that he could be the third or fourth receiving option for the Packers against Chicago in Week 1, depending on whether or not Doubs is available.

Packers film room: Malik Heath proves he belongs on 53 against Patriots

Diving into the tape to show why Packers rookie WR Malik Heath has earned a spot on the 53-man roster.

From the practice field to the preseason, Malik Heath continues to make the most of his opportunities. The undrafted wide receiver out of Ole Miss has done nothing but make plays as a member of the Green Bay Packers and could be on his way to securing a spot on the 53-man roster.

It started with consistent flashes against Green Bay’s corners in practice. Then, it carried over into the first preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals when Heath caught three passes for 36 yards and added a highlight reel block for good measure.

Now, after putting together another solid performance against the New England Patriots in Week 2 of the preseason, Heath is feeling more confident as his momentum builds.

“I get open for sure,” Heath said with a huge smile after the New England game. “They can’t cover me.”

Heath wasn’t entirely wrong, as the Patriots secondary had a tough time containing him on his way to a team-high 75 receiving yards on five receptions on Saturday. However, a box score fails to tell the whole story of what Green Bay’s rookie UDFA at receiver did on the field.

So, we are reviewing Heath’s catches against New England in this week’s film room.

Let’s dive in.

The first catch from Heath was on a short in-breaker from the slot. We see him make a vertical push up the field to force the corner into a backpedal before cutting inside and looking for the ball. After Heath makes the catch, however, he continues to finish the play. Using good awareness, Heath senses the corner closing in and changes direction to elude the tackle and pick up more yards. You love to see this type of competitive toughness and athleticism from a receiver to stay on his feet and fight for additional yards after the catch.

On this rep, Heath is at the top of the video running a corner route against cover 3 coverage. He starts the route by stemming inside to potentially indicate that he might be running another in-breaker. However, once he gets to 10 yards, we see him use a shoulder fake before planting his right foot to make an explosive break toward the sideline. Meanwhile, the Patriots’ corner is in poor position to react, as he’s already given up too much leverage. Heath then makes a leaping grab through contact and shows good concentration to get both feet down in bounds. Overall, everything from the detailed route to the contested catch was fantastic by Heath.

The slant route is one of the most common routes in football for its ability to generate quick-hitting completions. In Heath’s version, we again see how his build-up speed can back off certain coverages, allowing him to take advantage underneath. The depth and timing of this route are perfect.

One of the more exciting plays from this game was this catch over the middle by Heath. At the bottom of the video, he starts by shrugging off minimal contact from the corner and runs a dig. Once he makes his break at the top of the route, there is a slight soft spot in New England’s zone coverage behind the linebacker. This ball probably shouldn’t have been thrown, but Heath shows good toughness to go up and high point the catch knowing contact is imminent. He then bounces right up without a helmet after the 25-yard pickup.

Heath’s last catch was on another slant that unfortunately resulted in the game-ending injury to Patriots corner Isaiah Bolden. Out of respect for him, I am not going to show the play.

Conclusion

It’s hard to project what Heath could bring to Green Bay’s offense this season, considering he’s mostly played against backups. However, he’s done more than some of the team’s recent draft picks who have faced the same level of competition.

I think Heath offers solid route running, good ball skills, and physicality as a blocker. He may not have a ton of production during his rookie year and will likely spend the bulk of his time on special teams, but he’s more than deserving of a spot on the 53.

Packers rookie WR Malik Heath shines again vs. Patriots

Rookie WR Malik Heath led all players with five catches for 75 yards in the Packers’ preseason loss to the Patriots.

After catching three passes and delivering a highlight block in the preseason opener in Cincinnati, Green Bay Packers rookie receiver Malik Heath stacked success with another shining performance on Saturday night against the New England Patriots.

Heath, an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss, caught all five of his targets and led all players with 75 receiving yards during the Packers’ 21-17 loss at Lambeau Field.

Heath caught a 10-yard pass after breaking a tackle on the Packers’ second touchdown drive, drew a 23-yard pass interference penalty and later put the Packers into field goal range with an 18-yard catch to end the first half, caught a 15-yard pass on the Packers’ first possession of the third quarter and had two catches for 32 yards on the final possession of the game, including a 25-yarder in traffic to jump start the march.

His final catch, a 7-yarder to convert on third down and get the Packers into the red zone, was the final play of the contest. Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden suffered an injury after being struck by a teammate, and coaches Matt LaFleur and Bill Belichick mutually agreed to end the game after Bolden was strapped to a backboard and carted off.

Through two preseason games, Heath has eight catches for 111 yards on nine targets. He’s proven capable of getting open, making tough catches and playing with the Packers’ preferred physical brand of football, especially in the run game. His day-to-day successes in Green Bay date back to organized team activities.

In fact, it’s getting harder and harder to believe Heath won’t make the 53-man roster, even if he’s directly competing with recent draft picks at the wide receiver position.

The Packers finish up the preseason next Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks. Can Heath make one more strong case for a spot on the roster? At this point, it’d be hard to argue he isn’t one of the 53 best players on Brian Gutekunst’s roster.

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Rookie Malik Heath wants to be Packers’ new ‘goon’ at WR

Allen Lazard was the enforcer at WR for the Packers offense, but now he’s in New York. Malik Heath is ready to be Matt LaFleur’s new “goon.”

Matt LaFleur often called Allen Lazard the “goon” of his Green Bay Packers offense. Now that Lazard is in New York with Aaron Rodgers, LaFleur needs a new enforcer at the wide receiver position.

Undrafted rookie Malik Heath submitted his application with video evidence during Friday’s preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. On a quarterback keeper play, Heath blocked a Bengals cornerback completely out of bounds and eventually drew a penalty.

It was the definition of a “goon” play.

“They are looking for a goon, so I’m going to try and fill that role,” Heath said Sunday. “I’m going to try to do anything to make this team.”

Here’s the All-22 view of the play, via Ben Fennell:

Heath, who also caught three passes, said the block was one of the “most exciting” plays of his football career. The entire Packers sideline erupted as Heath drove the cornerback out of bounds, opening the backside for Sean Clifford to race for a big gain. The penalty tacked on 15 more yards, and the Packers finished the drive with a touchdown.

The block was the perfect example of the type of play style the Packers want in the run game.

In fact, LaFleur said blocking at the wide receiver position is an “important” part of the Packers offense even if it’s “not always the sexy thing to do” for a pass-catcher. It’s tough work that gets noticed by the coaching staff and can help a young, undrafted player find a role on a roster.

The 6-2, 213-pound Heath said he embraces blocking and the physical side of the game. He got experience blocking in the run game at Ole Miss and is ready to do more of it for LaFleur in Green Bay.

Assuming the Packers keep six receivers, it’s possible Heath is currently the front runner to be the sixth receiver on the 53-man roster. He was impressive during the offseason workout program, made catch after catch during training camp practices and now has an excellent preseason debut on tape.

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Packers WRs Bo Melton and Malik Heath have to carry momentum into preseason

Bo Melton and Malik Heath have caught a lot of passes during Packers training. Now, the two WRs must produce during the preseason.

If the Green Bay Packers keep six wide receivers on their initial 53-man, that is a roster spot that is up for grabs, with Malik Heath and Bo Melton being the front-runners for the role.

Heath, an undrafted rookie from Ole Miss, had a really strong offseason program where he seemingly made a play during each of the practices. In training camp, he has come on as of late, putting together his best practice during Family Night over the weekend.

At 6-2 and 213 pounds, Heath is a big-bodied receiver who doesn’t have blazing speed but has shown the ability to make contested catches and also create separation through his route running. During Family Night, Heath caught two touchdowns, including a catch and run over the middle, where he sold going right but instead went left, creating space between him and the cornerback.

Melton, meanwhile, brings a speed element to the receiver position, running a 4.34-second 40-time coming out of Rutgers last year and has spent most of his time lined up in the slot. Many of the standout plays that Melton has been able to create have either come on slants, or quick in-breaking or out-breaking routes, where he is able to get the ball in space and pick up yards after the catch, or downfield, where he can use his speed to create space. Melton has been able to find the end zone multiple times over the last week.

“I’ve seen a lot of good things from both those guys,” said Matt LaFleur on Monday. “They are different receivers. Malik is kind of your big goonish-type of guy that you know we love around here. He’s very physical. And Bo is a scrapper. He’s a scrappy guy that can really run.”

In recent years we’ve also heard LaFleur refer to Allen Lazard as a “goon” because of his play style and what he was asked to do. Like Heath, Lazard went undrafted before working his way onto the 53-man roster, taking on large roles as both a pass catcher and excellent run-blocking receiver.

Along with Heath and Melton, also in the mix for that sixth receiver role is seventh-round pick Grant DuBose, who was activated off the NFI list on Monday and participated in his first practice as a member of the Packers. What DuBose has going for him is that he is a draft pick, however, as LaFleur has mentioned previously, he is going to be playing catch up. A player can work as hard as they can off the field, but there is no substitution for actual practice reps, especially for rookies.

I’m also not completely sold on the idea that the Packers roster six receivers either. Based on what I’ve seen in training camp so far, we are going to see a lot of two tight end and two running back sets, which means fewer receivers on the field. Also, with how often running backs and tight ends are used in the passing game, coupled with being the sixth receiver on the depth chart, there will likely be little to know opportunities on offense for this player.

With the offensive line, edge rusher, the interior defensive line, safety, and linebacker all being positions where the Packers could go heavy and roster an extra player, the team could choose to use one of their final roster spots at any one of those positions, where there could be a greater impact, rather than on a sixth receiver, whose role will be small. It’s going to be important for DuBose, Melton, and Heath that they be able to contribute on special teams as well.

Heath and Melton have been able to flash over the last week of practices, but now they will need to build upon that momentum during the part of summer where it matters most, with joint practices and preseason games upcoming. Chances are, both players are going to have a lot of opportunities in the preseason games, specifically, with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and perhaps others, on a snap count, and they’ll need to continue capitalizing on those opportunities, showcasing their consistency.

“I think they both have flashed,” added LaFleur. “It’s just about building the consistency in which they go out there, and ultimately they’re going to have to do it in the preseason games.”

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Matt LaFleur excited to see more of Packers rookie WR Malik Heath

The rookie UDFA WR was impressive during the offseason workout program. Now, LaFleur wants to see more of Malik Heath, especially in games.

Green Bay Packers rookie receiver Malik Heath heightened expectations for himself with a strong performance during the offseason workout program, and now coach Matt LaFleur is excited to see what the undrafted free agent can do in new, game-like situations.

“I think he is a talented young player, a guy we look forward to putting in some situations and seeing how he responds in games,” LaFleur said Friday.

Heath, who caught 60 passes and scored nine touchdowns during his senior season at Ole Miss, consistently made plays during OTAs and minicamps, earning himself a handful of first-team reps. Asked about the rookie on Friday, LaFleur provided a long, detailed answer.

“Malik has done a lot of great things,” LaFleur said. “He’s a strong, strong football player. He can run through contact, he does a good job releasing off the line of scrimmage, widening corners when he gets press coverage, ripping through, he’s got really good ball skills and he’s a bigger guy. Malik has shown us what he can do, now it’s about the consistency of which he does it. Like all young players, it’s all about that, just how consistent can you do it down in and down out.”

Heath (6-2, 213) is among a handful of players competing for a back-end roster spot at receiver. With Grant DuBose on the non-football injury list and Dontayvion Wicks now dealing with a concussion, opportunities are open for a receiver like Heath.

Becoming more consistent is a difficult process for young players.

LaFleur specifically mentioned a play during Thursday’s practice in which Heath ran the wrong route and was visibly disappointed afterward.

“Mistakes are going to happen, it’s all about how you respond,” LaFleur said.

Heath has the physical tools the Packers covet at receiver. LaFleur is certainly intrigued. Can the rookie put together a strong training camp and earn a spot on the 53-man roster?