Packer Central

Stock Report: Josh Jacobs, Malik Willis Save Packers vs. Jaguars

The Green Bay Packers blew a 27-17 lead, but Malik Willis found Jayden Reed for a big completion late in the game and Brandon McManus made a game-winning field goal for the second consecutive week.

Jacob Westendorf

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) runs the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter.
Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) runs the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter. / Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
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Was Sunday’s game a trap game?

I guess that depends on who you ask but, if you believe in those sort of things, the Green Bay Packers’ game at the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday fit all the criteria.

The superior team, the Packers, were coming off an emotional win over another contender.

They were playing an inferior team on the road before a showdown against a division leader at Lambeau Field.

Sunday’s game felt like domination for the Packers in the first half. At one point they were outgaining the Jacksonville Jaguars by a 9-to-1 difference.

Despite that, Green Bay only led 13-10 at halftime thanks to more unforced errors and costly mistakes.

The second half was wild.

The Packers fell behind 17-13, and lost their quarterback in the process.

Things looked perilous, but Josh Jacobs, Malik Willis and Edgerrin Cooper saved the day.

Here is our weekly stock report, starting with their star running back.

Stock Rising

Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs may not have gotten 20 touches a week ago, but he was effective against the Houston Texans last week.

This week, his team needed him to step up with Jordan Love exiting the game with a groin injury.

With Love on the sideline, Jacobs did what he did the first time backup quarterback Malik Willis had to play in spot duty for Love.

Malik Willis’ first full possession saw the Packers trail for the first time in Sunday’s game. They needed to put together a drive to help their defense stop the bleeding.

Jacobs understood the assignment.

He carried the ball five times for 54 yards on that series.

That ended with a 38-yard touchdown that gave the Packers the lead back late in the third quarter.

Jacobs finished the day with 25 carries and 127 yards to go with two touchdowns on the day.

Jacobs may not have the gaudiest numbers or score two touchdowns per week, but he’s been excellent.

Both on the field, and in the locker room, he’s been exactly what the Packers could have hoped for when they signed him to replace Aaron Jones.

Xavier McKinney

The long drought is over.

Yes, Xavier McKinney did not have an interception for two whole games after picking off a pass in each of his first five as a Packer.

After Jordan Love threw an interception in the red zone, McKinney returned the favor as Trevor Lawrence was trying to target Christian Kirk on a deep over route.

McKinney, who had his eyes on the quarterback, made his break, and caught what turned out to be an easy interception.

McKinney’s interception led to what was Green Bay’s only touchdown in the first half.

With six interceptions on the young season, McKinney looks to be a bonafide candidate for Defensive Player of the Year if such a thing exists in late October.

Regardless, the Packers are thrilled to have McKinney and today showed why.

Romeo Doubs

Matt LaFleur has said the use of the phrase, “Number one receiver,” makes him want to vomit.

That may be the case, but through the last two weeks, it has been clear who Green Bay’s primary target has been.

Romeo Doubs caught eight passes for 94 yards in the team’s 24-22 win over the Houston Texans.

In his two games since being suspended for conduct detrimental to the team, Doubs has 11 catches for 166 yards.

Doubs had a highlight-reel catch in the first half, with a deep ball down the right sideline where he showed strong hands to pull the ball in when it was away from his body.

Maybe the Packers do not want a go-to receiver, but Doubs appears to be the one playing the best at this point of the season.

Edgerrin Cooper

Green Bay had just regained the lead 20-17 when their defense was facing a third-and-6 early in the third quarter.

Edgerrin Cooper was sent on a blitz, and did what he's done seemingly anytime he's been on the field.

He made an impact.

He wrapped up Trevor Lawrence with one hand, and swatted the ball away with his other.

The result was a fumble that was recovered by his teammate Devonte Wyatt deep in Jacksonville territory.

Two plays later, Malik Willis threw a touchdown pass to Tucker Kraft, and the Packers led by 10.

Not to rest on his own laurels, Cooper broke up a third down pass to Christian Kirk deep down the field to force a punt.

Cooper has been impactful and is being asked to play more with Quay Walker on the sideline.

Whenever Walker clears the concussion protocol, Cooper needs to be on the field.

Malik Willis

What a story Malik Willis has been. He’s now started two games, and entered one in relief.

Games were in doubt each time Willis stepped on the field.

Each time, he delivered.

Yes, he was buoyed by a strong ground game led by Josh Jacobs, but anytime a backup enters a game he’s put in an impossible situation.

Expectations for backup quarterbacks are usually low.

If you had told Brian Gutekunst that Willis would do what he’s done in games he’s been asked to play more than a snap or two, he would have traded a much higher draft choice for him.

Heck, the Tennessee Titans may not have traded him if they knew what he was capable of.

Today, he was asked to win a game with a late drive.

Willis did just that on a play-action pass that was dialed up for Jayden Reed.

Reed only had two catches on the day, but he made the last one count. A 51-yard catch and run put the Packers in position for a game-winning field goal.

Willis saved the Packers’ season when he helped them win two games after starting 0-1.

Today, he helped save the day, and helped them keep pace with the ferocious Detroit Lions.

Chris Brooks

It’s a play that seemed so small in the moment, but was so big.

With Josh Jacobs leaving the game due to fatigue, it was Brooks who was entrusted with what ended up being the final carry of the game.

With no timeouts, the Jaguars’ defense was trying to let Brooks get into the end zone as a way to save time for themselves.

It would have been easy for Brooks to score a touchdown. Selfishly, that would have been a big play for him.

What practically guaranteed a win, however, was the unselfish.

Brooks had the presence of mind to fall down near the goal line. Brandon McManus did the rest from there.

Brooks is also carving a role out for himself in a pass protection.

Sometimes it’s the smallest plays that make the biggest difference.

Brooks did that today.

Stock Falling

Late-Game Football

Jeff Hafley and Matt LaFleur can both wear this situation for what happened today.

The Packers led 27-17 early in the fourth quarter behind touchdowns from Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft.

From there, it looked like they were trying to take the air out of the ball on both sides.

Jeff Hafley, normally aggressive, went soft.

Matt LaFleur went conservative on offense as well.

The result, was a 27-27 tie with less than two minutes to play.

The Packers should have won this game well before the final drive of the game from Malik Willis, but this team simply refuses to make it easy on themselves.

In this case, it wasn’t the players making mistakes, but rather being put in a poor position.

Thankfully for the coaching staff, Malik Willis saved the day with a big play to Jayden Reed in a two-minute drill, and the Packers won on a walk-off field goal for the second consecutive week.

Matt LaFleur

Nothing about LaFleur’s day made much sense today.

His game plan that seemed to keep Jacksonville’s defensive backs off the field while Love was in the game, was odd.

His team’s continuous mistakes that plague them reflect on him at some point.

Penalties, sloppiness, and ineffective play have been hallmarks of this year’s Packers team.

Obviously, they’re still very good. That speaks to how talented this roster, and how good of a coach LaFleur typically is.

The reality is through the month of October, the Packers played really well in one game. Their 34-13 drubbing of the Arizona Cardinals gave a glimpse to what kind of team they could be.

Otherwise? They did not play their best games against teams that were either not good enough, or too injured to take advantage of it.

Combine that with a ridiculous challenge that LaFleur made on a play where Tank Bigsby was clearly on the ground.

Maybe he was trying to take a shot on a play he was going to take a timeout anyways, but the decision was careless, to say the very least.

LaFleur was probably too conservative late in the game with a chance to put the game away.

Malik Willis might be a backup, but he’s earned more trust than what LaFleur showed in him on that final series.

In fact, Willis proved thatd one series after LaFleur went too conservative, as he delievered a perfect strike on a 51-yard bomb to Jayden Reed that all but won the game.

Javon Bullard

Bullard had a series in the third quarter he is absolutely going to want to forget.

With Green Bay leading 13-10, Jeff Hafley dialed up a pressure on Trevor Lawrence to try to create a big play.

He did. The problem was, it was for Christian Kirk and the Jaguars.

Kirk shook the coverage of Bullard, making him fall down in the process, and gained 26 yards.

Two plays later, it was Bullard again, beaten in coverage by Brian Thomas for a touchdown that gave the Jaguars a 17-13 lead.

Bullard was asked to play more with Evan Williams exiting the game with a hamstring injury.

It was a struggle, and it’s unclear if Williams will be ready for next week’s showdown against the powerful Detroit Lions’ offense.

More Green Bay Packers News 


Packers-Jaguars: Game story | Packers-Jaguars: Game highlights | Packers-Jaguars: Live updates | Packers-Jaguars: Big matchup | Three reasons why Packers will beat Jaguars | Three reasons why Packers will lose to Jaguars | Saturday’s transactions: What they mean for Packers-Jags | Packers miss several top receivers | Brian Gutekunst’s genius showed this week

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Jacob Westendorf
JACOB WESTENDORF