Packers’ LaFleur: Love will start over Willis once healthy

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Matt LaFleur said he hasn’t decided how he will handle a regular-season finale that doesn’t change playoff positioning, but the Green Bay Packers coach made it clear Sunday there is no controversy within his team.

Malik Willis, one of the few bright spots in Saturday’s 41-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, will resume his backup role when starting quarterback Jordan Love clears concussion protocol. It could be as early as next weekend if LaFleur decides to play all of his starters in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings.

“I want to put the brakes on all this,” LaFleur said. “I think Jordan Love plays some pretty high-level football, and it’s great that we feel the same way about Malik in his ability to go. I thought he had two outstanding performances in a row. So we’re in a good place with that position, we definitely have a lot of confidence in both of those guys, but clearly Jordan is our franchise quarterback, and when he’s healthy, he’ll be our starter. So, I just want to crush that.”

Willis completed 18 of 21 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown, and he also rushed nine times for 60 yards and two touchdowns despite missing part of the fourth quarter to have his ailing right shoulder checked. LaFleur said he expects Willis to be able to play against the Vikings if he decides to hold Love or if Love doesn’t clear the concussion protocol. Love suffered a concussion in Week 16 against the Bears.

The players were at Lambeau Field Sunday for meetings, but LaFleur said Love did not undergo any additional testing. This will happen later this week.

The Packers are locked into the NFC’s seventh seed and will be on the road to open the playoffs, but his team’s health and the defense’s poor performance against Baltimore — allowing Derrick Henry to rush for 216 yards and the Ravens to rush for 307 as a team — could also determine whether LaFleur plays all of his starters against the Vikings.

“What was probably most disappointing after watching the tape was how many times we didn’t have the right technique or just in the right position to make a play,” LaFleur said of the run defense.

It was only the second time since 1978 that the Packers allowed more than 300 rushing yards in a game.

A defense that was already without Micah Parsons (knee) and Devonte Wyatt (ankle) due to season-ending injuries lost two more players to the Ravens. LaFleur said defensive tackle Jordon Riley (Achilles) and cornerback Kamal Hadden (ankle) suffered season-ending injuries.

“No matter what, whether you rest certain people, you’re kind of limited, especially our situation right now with the amount of injuries that have happened,” LaFleur said. “Guys are going to have to play ball. They better approach it in such a way that they prepare their minds to play ball.”