Malik Willis Shines in First Packers Start, But Green Bay Falls to Ravens
Malik Willis didn’t look like a backup on Saturday night - he looked like a quarterback ready to seize his moment.
Pressed into starting duty for the Green Bay Packers against the Baltimore Ravens, Willis delivered a performance that was nothing short of historic. He completed 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards, threw a touchdown, and added 60 rushing yards with two more scores on the ground. That’s not just a solid night - that’s a stat line the NFL has never seen before.
To put it in perspective: Willis became the first player in league history to post at least 275 passing yards, 50 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, one passing touchdown, and an 85% completion rate in a single game. That’s a unicorn-level outing, the kind of game that makes you sit up and ask, “Wait, how is this guy not a starter already?”
And yet, despite Willis’ breakout night, the Packers couldn’t keep pace with a Ravens offense that leaned heavily - and successfully - on Derrick Henry. The bruising back ran wild for 216 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries, helping Baltimore control the clock and wear down the Packers' defense. The Ravens held the ball for over 20 minutes more than Green Bay, grinding out a 41-24 win.
Still, the story of the night was Willis. The former third-round pick showed poise, precision, and playmaking ability - all while playing through a shoulder injury to his throwing arm, one he initially sustained the week prior. He eventually exited the game with just under eight minutes to play after tweaking the shoulder again on a scramble and throw.
“I just felt a little tweak,” Willis said postgame. “All the treatment had me feeling good, but the soreness built up.
I slid, hit it a little bit, and on that throw, I kind of felt it. I should’ve had it checked at halftime, honestly.
You hate to leave in the middle of a drive, especially the way it was going. We could’ve made it a one-possession game.”
Willis jogged to the locker room after that play, and while he returned to the sideline, he didn’t re-enter the game. In his absence, practice squad call-up Clayton Tune took over and was intercepted, leading to a Ravens touchdown that all but sealed the game.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur had nothing but praise for his quarterback’s toughness and performance.
“You guys knew he’s been battling through a shoulder injury,” LaFleur said. “That just speaks to the type of competitor Malik is.
He’s as tough as anybody. He made play after play after play out there.
He was one of the few bright spots.”
Willis’ night was highlighted by a 39-yard touchdown strike to Christian Watson that tied the game at 7-7 in the first quarter. He later added a 22-yard touchdown run before halftime and an 11-yard score in the third quarter that brought the Packers within three points.
What made the performance even more impressive? Willis had barely practiced during the week.
He missed Wednesday’s session and was limited on Tuesday and Thursday. And yet, when the lights came on, he looked like he’d been running the offense all season.
“It’s a hell of a question,” LaFleur said when asked how Willis played so well with so little prep. “It’s a credit to him and the work he’s put in.
He’s showing everybody who he is and what he can be. He’s unflappable.
Calm. Resilient.
I can’t say enough great things about Malik.”
This wasn’t Willis’ first start for Green Bay - he started back in Weeks 2 and 3 after being traded from Tennessee in late August. But in those games, the Packers leaned heavily on the run, calling 90 run plays to just 33 passes.
Saturday night was a different story. With the game in his hands, Willis threw 21 times, and nine of the team’s 17 rushes came from him.
That evolution, Willis says, is a testament to the coaching staff and the trust they’ve built in him.
“They want to put you in position to be successful,” Willis said. “When I first got here, I didn’t know the whole passing game like I needed to.
But they’ve continued to grow me and prepare me. Now I feel just as comfortable as Jordan [Love] does when he’s out there.”
The former Auburn backup turned Liberty star has had a winding road in the NFL. Drafted by the Titans in 2022, he played in 11 games over two seasons before landing in Green Bay. Now, as his rookie contract nears its end, he’s putting together the kind of tape that makes teams take notice.
Still, Willis isn’t looking too far ahead.
“I just got to stay where my feet are,” he said. “Right now, I’m backing up Jordan and doing what I can to stay ready if the team needs me.”
The Packers wrap up the regular season against the Chicago Bears on January 4. Despite dropping three straight, they’ve already locked up a wild-card spot in the NFC playoffs. Whether Willis gets another chance to start - or if Love returns from concussion protocol - remains to be seen.
But one thing’s for sure: Malik Willis made the most of his moment. And after Saturday night, the league knows it.