EAGAN, Minn. — Midway through the third quarter on Sunday, Packers quarterback Malik Willis was standing in shotgun formation when he put receiver Bo Melton in motion.
The second-year pass catcher zipped in front of Willis pre-snap, then swung back to try and sell the handoff to set up a screen. Melton took four Tennessee defenders with him as Willis lofted a pass to running back Emanuel Wilson, who then trotted 37 yards — nearly untouched — into the end zone.
Meanwhile, up in Minneapolis, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores had just put the finishing touches on a first half shutout after Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel snuck through the offensive line to take down Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud in the closing seconds.
Stroud, the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, was flustered all afternoon. He entered the game with a streak of 266 passes without an interception, but on Sunday, he had two, including one on the game’s very first pass. The Texans eventually got on the board in the third quarter, but Flores’ tactical stunts created constant confusion for Stroud and the offense.
This weekend, LaFleur’s clever designs will go up against Flores’ concealed aggressiveness in what should prove to be a heavyweight bout between two of the best in the business.
“We certainly have one of the best coming up in terms of coordinators,” said Flores of the Packers head coach. “I’ve had my share of tough days against LaFleur and his offenses, dating back to when he was with Tennessee.”
LaFleur’s background is with the West Coast offense — short, methodical, high-percentage passes to eventually set up the deep ball. What LaFleur is doing this season, primarily with Willis, is different. He’s instilling plenty of gadgets with run-pass options (RPOs), zone reads, counter reads, etc. to help his young quarterback flourish — and it’s worked.
The Packers are 2-1 and 2-0 since starting quarterback Jordan Love went down late in their season opener with a sprained MCL. Willis has won both starts by completing 25 of 33 (75.7%) for 324 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s also run for 114 yards and a score, which came off an RPO on Sunday against the Titans.
Love could very well return to the lineup this weekend, but what LaFleur has been able to accomplish with a recently acquired backup quarterback shouldn’t go unnoticed.
“I don’t think it’s being talked about enough what’s going on over there with Malik Willis. … It’s impressive to watch,” Flores said. “He’s obviously a very, very good coach — one of the best in the league — and this will certainly be a challenge.”
Flores has rewired a defense that was among the worst in the league prior to his arrival in 2023. His relentless pressure — blitzing on more than 50% of the snaps — and deceptive disguises made Minnesota’s defense competitive in 2023.
This year, he’s taken it to a whole new level.
The season is still young, but the Vikings have allowed the second-fewest points while sacking the quarterback more than any other team in the NFL. They’re also tied for the second-fewest rushing yards allowed this season, which will be tested this weekend when they go up against an offense that’s averaging 204 yards on the ground per game — tops in the league.
"He does a good job, especially this year, of establishing the run game and creating plays off of that," said veteran safety Harrison Smith, who has plenty of experience going against LaFleur's offense. "Shifts, motions ... they do a really good job and it's hard to match up with them."
LaFleur and Flores split last season with Minnesota’s defense dominating the first meeting, and Green Bay’s offense running wild in the rematch on New Year’s Eve. Sunday’s showdown should be a tough test for both coaches, with the winner having the early advantage in what could end up being a tight race until the very end.
"We're always evolving. We were last year, we are this year," Smith said. "We're always trying to push the envelope and trying to find different ways to do things. Ultimately, it comes down to setting edges, tackling, running to the ball — as long as we're doing that and we can mentally handle everything we're doing, I like our group."