Packers 16, Colts 10: Game Balls/Lame Calls
Willis shines, Green Bay hangs on for critical victory.
Well, who saw that coming? Certainly not me. A creative, diverse run scheme and solid blocking to make it go? A veteran, mistake-free performance from Malik Willis, who was roasted mercilessly by the pundits all week? An embarrassing showing by a Colts team that has plenty of talent and an excellent head coach? It all added up to the Packers holding on — in spite of themselves late in the game — for a season-saving 16-10 win in their home opener.
Yes, season-saving. Had this game, and Willis’ performance in particular, gone as the football world expected, it would have been an 0-2 start from which recovery would have been nearly impossible. Now, the Packers shouldn’t feel any need to rush Jordan Love back into action. Next week’s matchup in Tennessee sets up well for Green Bay, and as a nice revenge game for ex-Titan Willis.
Most emphatically, it’s well past time Matt LaFleur is at the center of discussions for coach of the year. It’s a long season, sure, but this game, more than all his gaudy stats since he came to Green Bay five years ago, should place him atop any legitimate list for an award he should have won at least once already.
GAME BALLS
Malik Willis — Michael Lombardi, longtime NFL executive and talking head, proclaimed on a podcast this past week that Willis is not an NFL caliber quarterback and excoriated the Packers’ front office for acquiring him. Well Mikey, how about you go sit on a beach somewhere with a fruity drink and play with the little umbrella for the rest of your life. Willis has a ton of raw talent, and the trade was made because his ceiling is so much higher than that of Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt.
What no one could have expected was his game-ready, sparkling play under an intense microscope in a crucial spot for his team. Particularly impressive was that he was nearly always in the right place, doing the right thing, amidst an intricate, motion-heavy scheme of varied run looks and gap attacks. Despite limited game experience with the Titans and just three weeks to learn a brand-new offense, Willis’ revealed a high football IQ, with work-ethic and preparation to match. He calmly turned the correct way on a myriad of misdirection handoffs, understood where his receivers were supposed to be and left the pocket to pursue opportunity, not out of fear or confusion. His one deep ball was a tad short, but Romeo Doubs made a special catch to rescue it for a big gain. Willis’ short passes were accurate, and he finished with an impressive 12 for 14 for 122 yards and a touchdown, averaging 8.7 yards per throw. 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈 🏈
Josh Jacobs — The comparisons with Aaron Jones will no doubt persist, but one area where Jacobs wins hands down is workload. Jacobs carried the ball 32 times for 151 yards, totals reminiscent of his 2022 season in Las Vegas, when he led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards. Before the Colts run defense finally stiffened in the second half, Jacobs was in sync with the blocking scheme, was quick to the holes and extended gains after contact. His day was marred by an inexcusable, momentum-shifting fumble near the goal line late in the first half that would have given the Packers a 17-0 lead, on their way to a possible rout. Jacobs has struggled with fumbles throughout his career and he must do better. 🏈🏈🏈 🏈
Devonte Wyatt — Wyatt was an ongoing disruptive force on a D line that stymied the Colts until late in the first half and then sagged in the third quarter under tough pounding by Jonathan Taylor. Wyatt ended the day with one sack, two quarterback hits and two tackles for loss. It’s the kind of internal pressure DC Jeff Hafley’s scheme prioritizes, and Wyatt is clearly more comfortable than he was in Joe Barry’s operation. 🏈🏈 🏈 🏈
The offensive line — They did the job in both run blocking and pass protection. That all we ask. 🏈🏈🏈
UNSUNG HERO
Eric Wilson — Maybe the Packers have found, deep on their depth chart, a better-than-average coverage linebacker in Wilson, who made a key interception of an Anthony Richardson pass over the middle to Michael Pittman in the fourth quarter to end a Colts drive at the Green Bay 25. On the previous Colts’ drive, Wilson stopped an option play on third down and forced an Indianapolis field goal attempt that was missed from midfield.
LAME CALLS
Penalties — Again. For the second game in a row, the Packers got in their own way numerous times with offensive infractions that halted progress. It wasn’t as bad as last week in Brazil, but six penalties for 50 yards helped keep the game from being an early blowout.
Run defense — After some initial success, the Colts, and especially Taylor, torched the Packers for 140 yards on only 18 carries, nearly 8 yards per tote. Mysteriously, Taylor did not play in the fourth quarter, for no apparent injury reason and no explanation was given Sunday night. Perhaps something was amiss on the sideline, for which LaFleur should send Colts head coach Shane Steichen a thank-you card. Hafley’s troops are clearly still adjusting to his scheme, and the rookies are inconsistent. Quay Walker once again had decent moments but then dropped a late interception that would have iced the game. Edgerrin Cooper was still on an apparent snap count. Hafley’s crew has forced six turnovers in two games — a positive sign to be sure — but a team with a more competent offense on Sunday would have made this a much different game. I also remain baffled why, after all the off-season talk of being more aggressive, Hafley is so reluctant to occasionally bring the house. Well-timed corner or safety blitzes have been largely absent.
Brayden Narveson — The new kicker is now three for four on field goals two weeks running, with misses in each week under 50 yards. That’s not an acceptable percentage, and against the Colts the missed kick would have finished them off. The search for a reliable kicker might not be over.
FINAL WHISTLES
The scheme was the story against the Colts, and it was joyous. LaFleur dialed up the best version of his offense while simultaneously protecting Willis from dangerous situations. It’s the kind of offense — albeit without the flashy passing game — that ought to be in play all the time. Imagine the power of it when Love returns and the added dimension of the passing game is layered in.
That said, the reality is the Colts gift wrapped a weak, error-filled performance for Green Bay. Through another lens, it would be easy to make the case that the Colts beat themselves. The Packers only scored 16 points, which won’t often get it done under normal circumstances.
Still, it was a day worth celebrating, although Jordan Morgan MarShawn Lloyd sustained injuries of unknown severity. But with this version of Malik Willis, the future is once again bright. GPG.
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Jonathan Krim grew up in New York but got hooked on the Packers — and on hating the Cowboys — watching the Ice Bowl as a young child. He blames bouts of unhappiness in his late teens on Dan Devine. A journalist for several decades who now lives in California, he enjoys trafficking in obscure cultural references, lame dad jokes and occasionally preposterous takes. Jonathan is a Packers shareholder, and insists on kraut with his brats. You can follow Jonathan on twitter at @Jkrim.
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Comments (44)
TKWorldWide
September 16, 2024 at 08:16 am
Concise and well done. GPG!
Spock
September 16, 2024 at 08:59 am
Nice write up, JK. I wasn't able to watch the game (listened to Wayne and Larry on Sirius) but this matches what I heard. Thanks.
dobber
September 16, 2024 at 09:15 am
" Jacobs has struggled with fumbles throughout his career and he must do better."
It really was a fumble at the worst time. As per ESPN stats, Jacobs--a high-volume back--has lost 8 fumbles in his 6-year career over 1552 touches. I don't think Jacobs came to GB with a reputation as a fumbler.
"Malik Willis"
Resisted the urge to try to do more than he was asked to do. Made good choices with the football and some key runs and throws. What else can you ask of your backup? He'll have to do more against TN next week...I think he'll be amped up for that one.
"The offensive line — They did the job in both run blocking and pass protection."
When your opponent knows you need to run the ball and that you're severely limited in the pass game and they still can't stop you, that says one (or both) of two things:
1. your opponent is uncategorically bad at stopping the run
2. your OL played well and play calls were set up well
Add--Xavier McKinney
Second INT in two games, and seems to be settling in well in Hafley's defense.
LAME CALLS--
It's easy to get after the K in GB these days, but Narveson has hit all his PATs and has been perfect inside 40. He's 50% outside 40 at this early stage of the season. If he starts missing inside 40 and on PATs, then turn the heat up.
Mister Chievous
September 16, 2024 at 06:52 pm
no, the heat is on narveson right now. his miss last week was a big factor in the loss to the eagles and yesterday's miss nearly cost us this game. so tired of the Packers missing a kick seemingly every game the last two seasons. gute should bring a couple guys in this week to try out.
Coldworld
September 16, 2024 at 09:33 am
A team dependent on Richardson emerges for the Colts if they get behind. They did, thanks to a very impressive set of scripted plays. Thus far, however, the Colts have been very weak against the run. Kudos for exploiting it, Jacobs and LaFleur, but I think that it was luck that this game was against that team. I don’t think we have as much success between the tackles next week.
However, once behind it limits the Colts ability to lean on Taylor, who is by far their most dynamic weapon. In fairness, in the second half, we were putting our pass front out there continually. I think, rightly, Hafley realized that they had to make big plays. Richardson is boom or bust, particularly if kept in the pocket. He was and it showed. We again failed to convert on the 2 turnovers (the last was the dagger), but it did stall their drives and eat more time.
We handled Richardson smartly and we got ahead. On the evidence of that game, Willis seemed further ahead in terms of reading progressions, pocket awareness and general mental readiness. More so than I expected, certainly and more so than Richardson looked at this point. That’s a win for us. It may be that a year or two as a back up is exactly what both need to establish their careers.
GregC
September 16, 2024 at 09:42 am
Lots of good takes in here, and I especially liked what you wrote about Malik Willis. He never looked confused or panicky. It will be interesting to see if the training wheels come off a little next week. He looks like he's capable of doing more than he was asked to do yesterday.
I don't agree that this win was needed to save the season though. It's 17 games long with a severely watered -down playoff format, and every year we see teams start badly and end well, and vice versa.
And I could not care less about Coach of the Year.
You are right that the Colts played badly. Anthony Richardson, in particular, was awful. (Though of course that did not stop the announcers from raving about him continuously.)
13TimeChamps
September 16, 2024 at 09:44 am
Green Bay is currently leading the league in interceptions with 5. I know it's very early in the season to be touting stats, but I bring it up because last year they had total of SEVEN all year. And three of those seven came from players no longer on the team (R. Ford, A. Johnson Jr., R Douglas).
Let's hope they can keep it up.
GregC
September 16, 2024 at 10:40 am
The fact that those guys are no longer on the team is part of the reason there have been more interceptions. The talent at safety is vastly improved, and Jaire Alexander has been healthy so far.
These interceptions have mostly been gifts, as was the recovered fumble. It's not like our defense has been harassing QBs into making bad decisions or delivering bone-jarring hits to dislodge the ball, but still, I'll take it!
13TimeChamps
September 16, 2024 at 11:02 am
How many 'gifts' did GB drop last year? Hey...a pick is a pick no matter how it arrives. It looks like the Safety room's overhaul is already paying dividends.
I've never been one to make predictions about players futures. I'll leave that up to those who watch the game more than I do. That being said, there is something about this Evan Williams kid that makes me want to see him on the field more. And sooner, not later. The game doesn't seem too big or fast for him.
jannesbjornson
September 16, 2024 at 11:16 am
He's a natural at safety. Play him.
dobber
September 16, 2024 at 01:37 pm
"He's a natural at safety. "
Which means the Packers will insist on trying him at CB and then let him walk when he doesn't pan out (see: Hyde, Micah...note, this is all in jest)
Mister Chievous
September 16, 2024 at 06:56 pm
speaking of Douglas, I believe he has the second most picks in the NFL since 2021. still baffled about that trade. have to wonder if there was an off-field issue.
crayzpackfan
September 16, 2024 at 09:46 am
Why is everyone so positive that Willis will be the QB next week? Has something been reported?
Coldworld
September 16, 2024 at 09:51 am
No. Nothing is known and nothing will be. I just look at it as Willis is starting til Love is declared medically cleared. Until then the Packers have made it clear that they aren’t going to give us any more insight than the minimum that the league mandates.
GregC
September 16, 2024 at 10:10 am
I read a report this morning that Love is targeting October 6th as his return date. I'm not seeing it on any of the Packer sites though. It could be erroneous or just another smokescreen.
crayzpackfan
September 16, 2024 at 10:17 am
My pure and meaningless speculation or hunch is that his injury wasn't very serious and could easily start this Sunday. Though as completely baseless and uninformed my opinion is, it's what my stupid little brain believes. ;)
GregC
September 16, 2024 at 10:45 am
I am somewhat hopeful as well. There are some soft signs that he could return, e.g., he was walking around just fine on the sidelines. I think we will have our answer on Wednesday, based on whether or not he practices. I don't think they want to put him out there in a game if he hasn't had a full week of practice. Never underestimate our coaching staff's enthusiasm for feeding everyone a line of BS in these situations.
NFLfan
September 16, 2024 at 09:53 am
I particularly liked Malik's locker room interview. He seems confident and self aware; great performance on the field--
GB has found a true back-up QB. He seems relieved he has found a team and coach who will showcase his strengths.
Packerpasty
September 16, 2024 at 09:55 am
0-2 would not have been a great start but certainly not the end of the season...look at the teams that are 0-2 and tell me that some of them wont be in the playoffs...why would 1-2 be any better? So they have to win next week or else?
LambeauPlain
September 16, 2024 at 01:05 pm
If you believe in statistics and facts, less than 15% of NFL make the playoffs after starting 0-2. Another fact is only 3 teams have won the SB starting 0-2.
So 0-2 is not the end of the season, but for 85% of teams starting 0-2, it will likely be the end of the playoffs.
AnotherPackFan
September 16, 2024 at 05:57 pm
Sorry Lambeau, but is that stat is gathered from a time that there were fewer wild-card spots and when there was a 16 game schedule (or even going back to a 14 game schedule and 4 playoff teams per conference?) ?
What are the current stats? If it is a current stat it only has 3 years of historical data to go by.
17 game schedule, 7 teams ( 7! ) from each conference make the playoffs. Starting 0 - 2 just not as big a deal in a 17 game season with more than 43% of the league making the playoff. I recall the Bengals began 0-2 a couple of years ago and finished 12-4. Yes, I know one example hardly proves anything. (but the Houston Texans began last season 0-2 and they finished 10-7 and won the AFC South)
Mister Chievous
September 16, 2024 at 07:00 pm
excellent observation.
vin0770
September 16, 2024 at 10:03 am
Holy crap MLF…this was your best game plan and preparation in your career. Tennessee defense is the real deal so one more big game for your Loveless team please 👍🏼
SicSemperTyrannis
September 17, 2024 at 01:41 pm
Notice he didn't have to adjust. His plan worked.
While that's great when it happens, inevitably there will be games when it doesn't. I hope MLF can learn to make in-game adjustments.
RCPackerFan
September 16, 2024 at 10:07 am
GAME BALLS
Malik Willis —
I liked them getting Willis. He has a strong arm, he has great mobility. I really like his ability as a QB. I thought that the Titans were to quick to cut him loose. But that happens when a new GM comes to town. The only thing I wish, is that GB would have gotten Willis in the offseason to give him more time to learn the offense.
But Willis did exactly what he had to do to win the game. He played mistake free, ran the offense as was called. Even made a great decision to not throw a pukey ball.
Josh Jacobs —
He definitely deserves a game ball. He ran hard all day. The only hiccup was the fumble at the goal line. That was a bit of a game changer.
The offensive line —
They did a tremendous job of run and pass blocking. Willis didn't get sacked. They opened a ton of holes for the running game. It was an impressive performance.
The defense —
Not sure who to give this too, because the defense was impressive all day.
UNSUNG HERO
While I like the Wilson pick, I would say Tucker Kraft - It seemed like he was a huge part of the run game, making key blocks down after down.
LAME CALLS
Not putting the team away -
Jacobs fumbled the ball going into the endzone that would have put the game 17-0. They missed a FG later in the game with only 4 minutes left which would have made it 19-3. Which would have required 2 TD's plus 2 2 point conversions. Instead they allowed the Colts to have a chance to win at the end.
Injuries -
I don't know how severe any of them are but Jordan Morgan left with a shoulder injury and Marshawn Lloyd left with an ankle I believe.
Final Notes:
We just got a win with our back up QB who has only been here for 3 weeks. I don't care what the game looked like, but we found a way to win and that is all that matters!
Happy Victory Monday!
PeteK
September 16, 2024 at 10:10 am
A nice win to keep some momentum, but this team has to start playing with some consistency. The tackling and run defense was very disappointing for me in this game and even the pass blocking could have been a bit better. I say all of this because when we play better teams it will matter. We also need a kicker that can consistently make 40 yarders, hopefully he will improve.
WestCoastPackerBacker
September 16, 2024 at 12:15 pm
Try thinking of the first few games as the preseason, given that most of the starters barely played preseason. Much of the NFL is awful in September. To get a win with a backup QB and a new DC in September is good enough for me. And yes GB needs a reliable kicker.
strangefreeworld
September 16, 2024 at 10:17 am
Just a reminder about Michael Lombardi, he felt that both Urban Meyer and Matt Ruhle would be super-successful NFL head coaches because they are awesome culture builders. I don't regard his hot takes as useful after that.
HarryHodag
September 16, 2024 at 10:18 am
What impressed me most about the game was the fact that they hung together as a TEAM. Didn't see folks taking plays off etc. I saw a TEAM playing with tenacity and smarts(most of the time).
Most gratifying was the offensive line play against a pretty good front seven from Indy. Jacobs didn't run wild by accident. The defensive line showed up, unlike the week before against Philly.
Willis showed he can compete at the NFL level. Notice Tucker Kraft is tight end #1?
Narveson is starting to give me Anders Carlson vibes.
Matt
September 16, 2024 at 10:47 am
If you all wait for a kicker to start with 90% accuracy it can be a long decade for you. Give man some patience he doesn't look bad.
CanPackFan
September 16, 2024 at 11:25 am
Overall, I agree with most of this article except for (1) Jacob's has a record of fumbling?, and (2) I think the criticism of Braydon is premature at this point. At the very least he's not missing extra points like Carleson frequently did. As well, how can one complain about a rookie's inconsistency when Quay has been totally inconsistent as a veteran for the past 2 games? I don't get it?
GregC
September 16, 2024 at 11:53 am
They should and probably will stick with Narveson for now, but he looks shaky, even more yesterday than he did in week one. A couple of his made field goals did not go down the middle, and his extra point was tipped at the line of scrimmage. That means it was probably a low kick, although maybe a defender did not get blocked adequately.
The standards for kickers have gone way up in the past few years. When I watch other teams, kickers are booming 50-plus yard field goals with regularity. The days of kickers being praised for making 80% of field goals are over, and the 33-yard PAT, which was implemented to make the play more interesting, is now considered to be almost automatic.
Coldworld
September 16, 2024 at 05:27 pm
You may be right, you may be wrong. No kicker hits it down the middle every time out doors. In a dome maybe. Since 2021, the league average kicker conversion rate has been 85% of field goals.
He was at approximately 86% before that miss ( 6 of 7) and 6 of 8 or 75% after it. It’s a small sample size. He is 100% under 40, 50% over 40 (he’s not kicked a 50+ yet).
If you boil it down and compare it to Anders Carlson, Carlson was as good below 40 and the same below 50 over the season, but he missed those extra points. Narveson has not. (The difference in the season percentage was that Carlson was 3 of 5 over 50, so better than 40 to 50).
Overall I’d say right in the gray area at this point. If he declines for a couple of games I think he’s gone (the scary thing is Carlson is the best kicker out there). If he improves, I think he’s here for the year barring an implosion.
50 yard kicks are still at a much lower percentage and the odds of conversion decline very quickly after 52 yards, particularly as the season progresses outdoors. Yes, some kickers make highlight kicks beyond that, but not at near that conversion rate, typically indoors or with a favorable wind.
egbertsouse
September 16, 2024 at 01:17 pm
Lame calls: Rashan Gary. Absolutely the invisible man. No tackles, no assists, no sacks.
Quay Walker. Always a step late. Drops an interception that would’ve iced the game.
Narveson: Shanks the kick that would’ve put the game out of reach. I spent the rest of the afternoon watching kickers routinely nail 50+ yard kicks
LambeauPlain
September 16, 2024 at 01:28 pm
I hate to say it but the DL was playing a bit of Barry Ball zone in the game, similar to the Skating Rink Game vs Hurts.
Matt acknowledged it after the game and said the DL was coached to stay in their lane, zone on the way to the QB. They were charged with keeping Richardson in the Pocket and not let him become a jailbreak Rocket. They were asked to play in a style they normally do not in this D and probably won't going forward, he said. Very vanilla...very few stunts, blitzes, delayed blitzes.
I think that also allowed Taylor to get to the second level several times.
Coldworld
September 16, 2024 at 05:30 pm
Barry never got Gary to hold an edge like he has been.
LambeauPlain
September 16, 2024 at 01:19 pm
That was one of the hottest games I ever attended in the Lambeau Shrine. Sweat soaked, loud crowd cheering on the defense...great crowd. What make it even hotter was virtually no breeze in the bowl. The players must have been exhausted!
In fact, Myers threw up on the football. After the game, Larry asked him about it and Myers said "What? I got sick on the ball too? I didn't know that!"
Matt actually discussed it with the ref who asked him if the coach wanted the crew to clean the ball. and stopped play to do so. Matt was obviously on board with a clean up!
A woman who sits next to me said..."Did you see that? One of the lineman was running off the field and threw up twice running to the sideline!"
Doggone Myers gulped some water and returned to battle. He may not be a pro bowl Center, but he's a warrior!
Starrbrite
September 16, 2024 at 02:06 pm
Is anyone else tired of the ever-flag-throwing Hoculi crew? My blood pressure rises every time I see them.
I wouldn’t call Jacobs a fumbler—he’s a stud. His fumble at the goal line is however unacceptable.
Let’s not roll out the coach of the year banner just yet.
However you view it, this was a critical win for the Packers. If we do it again in Tennessee—lookout NFL.
Go Packers!!!
MadJam
September 16, 2024 at 06:25 pm
2 of the first 3 offensive plays got flags. Spot on.
Bitternotsour
September 16, 2024 at 06:13 pm
If you think Willis uncorked a Favre-like pass, wait till you get a load of Will Levis on Sunday. Honestly, Mike Holmgren would have murdered that kid in broad daylight in front of 60,000 people.
Starrbrite
September 16, 2024 at 07:47 pm
Lol—that’s good Bitter.
Mister Chievous
September 16, 2024 at 06:47 pm
cooper isn't on a snap count. who would you bench to give Cooper more snaps?
PhantomII
September 16, 2024 at 10:09 pm
TE position had a much cleaner game. Kicker still missing in the 40's. OL blocked better in the run game. Myers puking on the ball is a conditioning issue as it has now happened multiple times. Not many passes so we don't know if pass blocking has improved, yet. DL...some good and bad. Still not enough defensive edge pressure. I think Wyatt is a jumbo DE....or at least can be for a few pressures at the right time. Punter was penning them deep...WR group were not used much at all in the pass game. If JL does not return this week, maybe QB2 Willis, lets it rip a little more. A much needed Victory, all be it much closer than it should have been....just like last week..GPG
Major Snafu
September 17, 2024 at 12:38 pm
Game two is out of the way and its that time offenses start to gel. The rust from not playing in pre season is wearing off and things are coming together. Our defense needs to step it up too. The passing games will be better and run blocking better and weve got to be ready. Its Hafleys time to shine. His five game test is over. I still say he is using a lot of Barrys playbook.