2024-09-23 20:55:03
NASHVILLE – Packers QB Malik Willis came back to Tennessee and beat the team that traded him to Green Bay for a seventh-round pick.
The Packers left Nissan Stadium with a 30-14 victory Sunday to improve to 2-1 on the young season.
Willis, a third-round draft pick by the Titans in 2022 who had been relegated to Tennessee’s No. 3 QB before being traded, vastly outplayed Titans QB Will Levis, who turned the ball over four more times, giving him nine turnovers through three games for the 0-3 Titans.
Willis, starting his second straight game in place of the injured Jordan Love (knee), completed 13-of-19 passes for 202 yards with a TD and 120.9 passer rating. He also rushed six times for 73 yardsm and a TD, all in the first half.
Complementing Willis’ efforts were RBs Josh Jacobs (14 carries, 43 yards) and Emanuel Wilson (12-50). WR Christian Watson caught two passes for 67 yards, WR Jayden Reed had four for 50, and Wilson had two catches for 35 yards, including a 30-yard TD on screen pass.
That passing TD gave the Packers a 27-7 lead in the third quarter after the defense had stopped the Titans on fourth down in Tennessee territory. The Titans cut it to 27-14 shortly thereafter but moved no closer.
Green Bay’s defense also got three takeaways for the third straight game. CB Jaire Alexander scored on a pick-six in the first half, DL Kingsley Enagbare got a strip-sack in the second half, and S Xavier McKinney picked off a deep ball late in the fourth quarter for his third interception in as many games. He’s the first Packers player to have interceptions in each of his first three games for Green Bay since linebacker John Anderson in 1978.
The strip-sack was one of eight sacks by the Packers, with DL Devonte Wyatt and DL Preston Smith each getting two. Enagbare had 1½ sacks.
Levis was 26-of-34 for 260 yards with two TDs, two INTs and an 92.8 rating. The Packers held the Titans to just 33 rushing yards, with RB Tony Pollard gaining 14 on six attempts. WR DeAndre Hopkins caught six passes for 73 yards and a TD.
Here’s a recap of all the action:
