It’s a little early in the season for a rematch, but the Green Bay Packers could have one on their hands Sunday.
The Packers will travel to Nashville to face the 0-2 Tennessee Titans, a team they know they can beat on paper. But there’s also a lot of familiarity at play, thanks to a trade the two teams made just days before the season began.
Sensing their backup quarterback position needed upgrading, the Packers traded a seventh-round pick to Tennessee for 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis, who had been usurped by Will Levis on the depth chart. Now, as fate would have it, the two signal-caller will face off at Nissan Stadium.
Given that Willis spent two full seasons and all of training camp in Tennessee, there will certainly be some information exchange at both teams’ facilities this week. But which team has the advantage heading into kickoff?
Tuesday, Wes Hodkiewicz NFL.com’s opinion was that Willis’ ability to share useful information about the Titans’ defense gave the Packers an early advantage.
“Willis practiced against Tennessee’s system all summer, but I guess he didn’t get a lot of reps against the starters since Will Levis was the designated starter,” Hodkiewicz said. “Willis was always in all those meetings, though, and I guess he has a good understanding of the Titans’ possessions on that side of the ball.”
In three career starts with Tennessee, Willis threw no touchdowns with three interceptions and went 1-2. In his first game with Green Bay, however, he threw his first career touchdown, a stunning 12-of-14 passing game and a 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.
If there was ever a time for an encore, it’s Sunday for Willis and the Packers. Starter Jordan Love will be back shortly, but Willis has a chance to solidify his long-term role as a stable backup in the NFL, and maybe even another chance at starting somewhere down the road.
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