Patrick Willis responds to Matt Millen criticism: Who is this guy?

In addition to being a well-known ESPN analyst, Matt Millen is also a former NFL player. As a two-time All Pro and four-time Super Bowl champion linebacker, Millen knows a little something about playing the position Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman play. During an interview with 95.7 The Game in San Francisco on Monday, Millen said Willis and Bowman had the worst game he’s ever seen them play on Sunday against the Giants. This did not sit well with Willis.

Willis joined the same station later in the day and brushed off Millen’s comments by basically ignoring the fact that he was once a player.

“Whoever this Matt Millen guy is, I’d like to ask him if he could do what we do every day and do what we do for 16 games a year and see if he can hold up every game,” Willis said according to Sports Radio Interviews. “I doubt he would. I doubt he would be able to consistently play at a high level as Bowman and I do. I really don’t care about what this guy has to say.”

I’m no big-time Millen fan, but I’d say you have to play at a pretty high level consistently to be a part of four Super Bowl teams. Willis also ripped Millen for being so hard on the Niners after one bad game, which is more fair than accusing him of not knowing what life in the NFL is like.

Millen may have a poor reputation as an analyst and former general manager of the Lions, but it seemed like Willis legitimately didn’t know he used to play. That’s pretty surprising coming from a player who plays the same position he did.

Helmet know to Pro Football Talk