Green Bay managed to add to the win column last Sunday against a gritty Jacksonville squad. This would be the second game in a row in which Green Bay has walked it off with a field goal. Here is a dive into how the Packers managed to grab a win and move to 6-2.

Love injured – Willis takes over

Packers starting quarterback Jordan Love went down in the third quarter last Sunday, leaving backup Malik Willis in the driver’s seat. Willis was added to the Packers roster not long after Love hurt his knee in week 1. Willis has arguably been one of the best free agency additions in the league, as he has practically won 3 games for Green Bay this season.

Malik Willis has commanded the offense well when his number has been called. In week 2 and 3 Willis took over and led Green Bay to wins over the Indianapolis Colts and the Tennessee Titans. After Love went down in the 3rd quarter, Malik Willis managed the offense well, completing 4 of his 5 passes for 56 yards and a touchdown.

His biggest plays of the day came from his lone touchdown pass to tight end Tucker Kraft, and his 51-yard pass to Jayden Reed who got the Packers into field goal range to win the game. Willis has revived his career in Green Bay and has proved he is more than capable of running an offense. It’s easy to wonder what the Packers record would be without QB2.

Jacobs takes over

With the absence of Jordan Love in the 3rd quarter, the Packers relied heavily on the run game. Running back Josh Jacobs proved once again that he can handle the workload when asked. Jacobs finished the game with 25 carries for 127 yards and two touchdowns. Most of those stats occurred after Love checked out of the game, as Malik Willis only threw 5 passes.

Jacobs said “My goal coming into this game was to inspire the play-caller, inspire the team. Whatever that looks like, I just wanted to come in and run hard. Have the guys trust in me. It just played out that way.” According to Pro Football Focus, Jacobs ranks second in the league in yards after contact with 510.

“I just wanted to come in and make a statement that we could still win games running the ball,” said Jacobs. It’s easy to conclude that with Jordan Love not being 100% ahead of Sunday’s game against Detroit that Josh Jacobs is in for another big day.

More turnovers and field goals

Safety Xavier McKinney proved once again that he is one of the most valuable pieces on the Packers defense. McKinney snagged an interception off Trevor Lawrence last Sunday. With yet another takeaway, McKinney now leads the NFL with 6 interceptions. McKinney was just recently named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October.

The only other takeaway against the Jaguars came from a strip sack from rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. The fumble was then recovered by Devonte Wyatt, setting the Packers up at the Jaguars 5-yard line. Cooper stated, “Seeing that and being able to change the game and offense went down to score points, it felt good.”

Not only did Cooper cause a strip sack, but he also had a key pass breakup to Christian Kirk early in the fourth quarter. On top of that, he finished with 8 tackles on the day. Cooper had such an outstanding performance that he was selected as the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for week 8.

Kicker Brandon McManus proved to be the guy yet again this week, as he kicked a game winning 24-yard field goal. That is back-to-back weeks that McManus has walked it off for Green Bay. Not only that, but he also comfortably made field goals from 31 and 38 yards earlier in the game.

NFC North Matchup

The Packers take on the Detroit Lions this weekend in a classic NFC North battle. Green Bay will need to play smart and clean football if they want to add to their win column. Due to Jordan Love’s health being up in the air, it will be important for the Packers to once again rely on Josh Jacobs to get the run game going.

While the defense did generate takeaways against the Jaguars, the overall performance was a frustrating one. The defense fell flat after rookie safety Evan Williams exited the game. He has since been ruled out for the game against Detroit this week. It will be important for the defense to find a way to generate pressure on Jared Goff, who is playing really good football this season.

The Packers have the opportunity to not only move to 7-2 on Sunday, but with a win they would also be first in the NFC North.