NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Malik Willis ran for a touchdown and threw for a score in his best performance in the NFL to lead the Green Bay Packers to a 30-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
Not only did Willis win his second consecutive start as Jordan Love’s backup, he also got some sweet revenge on the team that traded him to Green Bay (2-1) in August. Willis accounted for 134 of the Packers’ 137 yards in the first quarter. He finished the game with 202 yards passing and 73 rushing.
Cornerback Jaire Alexander scored a touchdown on his first career pick-6 late in the first quarter to give Green Bay a 17-7 lead after 15 minutes. The Packers led 20-7 at halftime and eventually scored 20 straight points for a 27-7 lead midway through the third quarter, prompting chants of “Go, Pack, Go!”
The Packers had eight sacks, their most since Jan. 2, 2005 in Chicago. They also forced three turnovers.
New coach Brian Callahan has given the Titans (0-3) their worst start since their first six losses in 2009. Tennessee, which received a seventh-round pick for Willis after trading Liberty’s 2022 third-round pick, has lost 21 of 27 games overall.
Green Bay cut Love before the game and gave him another week to recover from a sprained left knee. Willis kept the Packers out of trouble with coach Matt LaFleur’s plays. The quarterback showed the Titans what they had given up by sticking with Will Levis as the starter and Mason Rudolph as the backup.
Levis threw two touchdown passes, one to Nick Vannett and the other to DeAndre Hopkins.
The 33rd pick out of Kentucky in 2023 has eight turnovers in three games, including two interceptions that turned into touchdowns. When Callahan called a timeout and sent the offense back for the punt team, Levis was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-2 early in the third quarter.
Tennessee’s defense forced its first three-and-out after Hopkins’ TD put the Titans within 27-14. Levis drove the Titans to the Green Bay Packers’ 31-yard line, but was sacked by Kingsley Enagbare two plays later. Lukas Van Ness recovered the fumble near the halfway line.
This sent Titans fans streaming toward the exits on a muggy afternoon.
Green Bay led the NFL with five interceptions and six takeaways. They now have seven interceptions after three games, matching their total for all of 2023.
Packers: TE Tucker Kraft has aggravated a shoulder injury that limited him in practice.
Titans: CB Chidobe Awuzie injured his groin early and did not return. S Amani Hooker left the field, holding something to his right temple at the 2-minute warning and did not return.
Packers: Host: Minnesota next Sunday.
Titans: Visit Miami and another backup quarterback in prime time on Monday, Sept. 30.
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