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Looking back on a big play from the Packers victory over the Jaguars
The Green Bay Packers went into their Week 8 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at 5-2, having just rattled off three straight victories (over the Rams, Cardinals and Texans). But, in the fourth quarter, they had their hands full against the 2-5 Jaguars.
On their first drive of the second half, nursing a 13-10 lead, quarterback Jordan Love left the game, giving way to Malik Willis. Willis had won his two starts earlier in the season, but both of those games came with a week of game prep. How would he do when pressed into action mid-game?
The Packers went run-heavy, with Willis only attempting 5 passes in the half. The Packers were able to tread water, but a late touchdown drive by the Jaguars made it 27-27 with 1:48 remaining in the game.
On the first play of their drive, the Packers ran Josh Jacobs up the middle for a four-yard gain. They didn’t call a timeout, so the next time the ball was snapped, there was 1:14 remaining in the game. It was a playfake, with Willis booting right and...well...let’s back up a full quarter.
With 1:13 remaining in the third quarter, the Packers ran PA Boot (“Keep”, in their playbook). It’s a core passing concept of the Packers (as it is with all teams that run some wide zone). Fake the run one way, boot out the other and find receivers running parallel to the line on different planes. The route distribution is usually Sail, with a receiver in the flat, a receiver running an intermediate crossing route and a deep corner (“Sail”) route.
There are a lot of variations to this. In this version, Jayden Reed [11] is running a Slam route. He starts in-line on the right and fakes a block down the line before releasing with the boot. His job is to sell the down block, then work in the space created by the flat route as a potential late option.
As a note, they’re running this out of 11 personnel (1 RB, 1 TE, 3 WR) in a formation called Deuce LT Off (the strength of the formation is on the left and the TE is to align off the line instead of on the line).
The way Willis moves here is interesting. Usually, the QB continues the boot to the sideline and throws on the move. On this play, Willis pulls up short even though there isn’t pressure forcing him to do this. Based on how the Packers teach this play, I have to assume that the movement from Willis was intentional. We usually only see this type of half-boot-pull-up on a designed throwback.
Fast forward a quarter to where we started. There is 1:14 remaining in a tie game, and the Packers are facing 2nd & 6 from their own 34. They are in 11 personnel in Deuce LT Off, with Jayden Reed in-line on the right. They...
