Malik Willis’ 51-yard connection to Jayden Reed to win Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars was the result of both play changes by the coaching staff and timing by Willis and Matt LaFleur.
LaFleur said the Packers called a play — which wasn’t in the game plan and wasn’t practiced during the week — when passing game coordinator Jason Vrable noticed something about the way the Jaguars were responding to a similarly run play. While Willis had to wait for the defense to give him the right look before making the final throw, he made the can at just the right time and completely caught the Jaguars off guard.
“Not only was it a play that could have been made, but it was a play that we didn’t even consider in the game plan,” LaFleur said after the game. “Earlier in the game we checked the goalie and Vrable suggested it and he said, ‘Hey, it looks like the play is working.’ So we put it out of the way there. In practice, no repetitions. It’s a great credit to our guys that they went out there and did it.”
A “may” play is when two actions are called in the group, usually a run and a pass. The quarterback has the option to “maybe” go to the second play based on what he sees before the snap. The Jaguars finally gave Willis a proper look, and he pounced.
The play looks like a run, with Tucker Kraft pulling from left to right and Reed tucked tightly into the formation on the right side – a look the Packers often employ to block running plays. In fact, the Packers had the same lineup earlier in the game but decided to run because of their defensive appearance. This time, however, it wasn’t a run – Willis crossed for the pass, then pulled the ball out on a successful play, and Reed weaved through traffic near the line of scrimmage and jumped wide into the path of the spill.
“We ran a play earlier that kind of counteracted it, but we just saw an opening so we ran it,” Reed said. via the band’s official website. “I knew I would be open before the show was even announced.”
Andre Cisco was responsible for Reed’s safety. It was cleverly designed, with Reed disguised as blocking a mass of bodies along the line of scrimmage. Before Cisco realized what was happening, Reed was at full speed running behind him, and when he slipped while trying to move to coverage, the Packers started an explosive play.
Willis calmly made the throw and Reed made the catch near the Jaguars’ 45-yard line and ran to the 20-yard line with just over a minute left.
Game, set, match. A few plays later, Brandon McManus came on the field and made a 24-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Packers their second straight win and a 30-27 victory.
“It was pretty cool, something I’ll probably never forget,” LaFleur said.
Malik Willis passed 51 yards to Jayden Reed and thanks to this, Brandon McManus, who played for the Jaguars last season, won the FG for the second week in a row. pic.twitter.com/6kH0k9TpZX
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) October 27, 2024
