Complementary football helped the Green Bay Packers beat the Indianapolis Colts with backup quarterback Malik Willis under center on Sunday at Lambeau Field.
The offense ran the ball consistently and controlled the clock, the defense allowed only 10 points and had three takeaways, and the special teams created points and flipped the field.
The end result wasn’t a dominant win — the Packers escaped with a 16-10 victory after intercepting Anthony Richardson’s Hail Mary attempt as time expired — but style points mean nothing. The Packers got a win without Jordan Love under center.
Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly coming out of the Packers’ win over the Colts:
The Good
Reinventing on offense: With an athletic but inexperienced quarterback under center, Packers coach Matt LaFleur reinvented his offense on the fly, crafting a dense and complex run attack to hammer away at the Colts’ biggest weakness. The production was relentless early. The Packers had 164 rushing yards in the first quarter, 237 in the first half and 261 total. LaFleur ran the football 53 times, protecting Malik Willis in his first start. The Packers didn’t just try to plug Willis into the existing offensive structure; LaFleur schemed up his offense to fit the strengths of what Willis could do and handle after arriving in Green Bay 19 days ago.
Playstyle of Malik Willis: The Packers ran the ball over and over and rarely asked Willis to make a big play in the passing game, but the former Titan did exactly what is required of a backup: He played efficiently (completing 12 of 14 passes) and safely (zero turnovers, zero sacks), and when the Packers needed him to make a play, he generally did. Four times, Willis found a completion converting on third down, including a dart to Dontayvion Wicks for a touchdown in the red zone. Completing 86 percent of passes and averaging almost 9.0 yards per completion while never putting the ball in danger made for a near-perfect performance from a backup with limited playing experience and limited experience in the scheme.
More interceptions: The Packers intercepted seven passes last season. Matt LaFleur and new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley both prioritized taking away the ball, and the early results are fantastic. The defense delivered three more takeaways on Sunday. Two interceptions halted Colts drives in Packers territory, while the third ended the game. The Packers now have five picks in two games, including two from newcomer Xavier McKinney.
The Bad
Josh Jacobs fumble: A legitimate blowout was brewing early on with the Packers up 10 and driving following an interception, but Jacobs — who finished with 151 rushing yards on 32 carries — fumbled a moment before getting into the end zone. A score there would have put the Packers up 17-0. Instead, the Packers didn’t score again until midway through the third quarter. Considering the Packers fumbled at the 1-yard line and missed a 45-yard field goal, at least 10 points were left on the field. What turned out to be a 16-10 final could have easily been a comfortable 26-13 win (Colts also missed a field goal).
Narv’s 3/4 start
In back-to-back weeks, rookie kicker Brayden Narveson has made three straight field goals before missing a kick in the second half. In Week 1, he missed from 43. on Sunday, he missed from 45. There are only seven kickers under 80 percent on field goals to start the 2024 season, and Narveson is one of them. Will consistency continue to be elusive in the kicking game?
The Ugly
Injuries to rookies: First-round pick Jordan Morgan departed with a shoulder injury and didn’t return, creating concern he aggravated the injury that cost him precious time and reps during training camp. Morgan was gaining valuable experience in a rotation with Sean Rhyan at right guard, but now there is a real possibility of him missing time. Later, third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd suffered his third lower-body injury since the start of training camp. The rookie running back injured his hip early in camp, injured his hamstring in the preseason opener and now injured his ankle in his NFL debut. Lloyd looked dynamic on a few touches Sunday. His injury luck couldn’t be worse.
