Willis played a turnover-free game for the second week in a row, completing 13 of 19 passes for a personal-best 202 yards and a touchdown pass that gave the Packers a 27-7 lead midway through the third quarter.
Willis opened Green Bay’s big offensive day with a 5-yard touchdown run that capped a crisp 70-yard drive. He ran six times for 73 yards, including runs of 20 and 29 yards and a key conversion where he ran 8 yards on third-and-7 to keep a field goal drive alive.
But according to Willis, this was not a revenge game, but simply another chance to prove himself as a young quarterback.
“I think all wins count equally,” Willis said.
Christian Watson disagreed. The Packers’ top receiver said Sunday that he heard what happened to Willis in Tennessee and wanted to make sure he and his teammates had their quarterbacks’ backs, even if Willis wasn’t looking for a rematch.
“I don’t care if he thinks it’s a revenge game, I’m going out there and playing for him,” Watson told ESPN.com. “I want him to go out there and win the thing considering his situation. I know he’s always going to stay humble and stay who he is.”
Willis led a fierce attack in the Packers’ Week 2 win over the Colts, with Green Bay clearly in control of him. On Sunday, they gave Willis more room to play, showing an impressive level of trust.
Willis also played better than his counterpart Will Levis, with whom he competed in training camp. The Packers pressured Levis to the tune of eight sacks, two interceptions (one run back resulted in a touchdown) and a lost fumble, leading Titans head coach Brian Callahan to raise questions about Levis’ status as the team’s starter.
The Titans say they’re sticking with Levis, but do they regret trading Willis? The Packers are certainly excited about the trade so far, even though Love could soon push Willis back to the bench. But LaFleur is by no means overlooking the potential significance of what his new quarterback has done for the Packers.
“I think that can motivate our team,” LaFleur said. “We needed everyone.”
