The Green Bay Packers were good enough offensively without Jordan Love to take down the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Lambeau Field. The gameplan wasn’t conventional — the Packers ended with 53 rushing attempts and 14 passing attempts — but it was effective in terms of attacking the opponent’s weakness and protecting backup quarterback Malik Willis.
Here are a few things to know from the re-watching the Packers offense in Week 2 against the Colts:
1. The run game obviously helped Malik Willis, but Matt LaFleur also made life easier for Willis in the passing game. On his 14 passing attempts, Willis averaged just over 2.5 seconds from snap to throw, per PFF. Early in his NFL career, Willis had real issues holding the ball, inviting pressure and taking sacks. On Sunday, Willis got the ball out on time, avoided mistakes and didn’t take a single sack. His average depth of target was just under 6.0, so LaFleur provided quick, short and safe outlets for a young quarterback.
2. Tucker Kraft was once again terrific as a blocker. The Packers used a variety of run schemes to gash the Colts, and Kraft was often asked to move left or right in space to clear a hole or block a second-level defender. Time and time again, Kraft found the right man and got him blocked to create a bigger play. The second-year tight end is looking like a terrific all-around player.
https://twitter.com/TylerDBrooke/status/1835743349023678854
3. The Packers had 10 possessions. Four ended in scores. Two others should have ended in scores (fumble at the goal line, missed field goal). One lasted eight plays but ended in a punt from midfield. One was a safe possession before the half — Matt LaFleur didn’t want to put Malik Willis in danger in the two-minute drill. One was a clock-killing, three-run possession after recovering the onside kick. And one was a true three-and-out in the third quarter. Overall, the Packers consistently moved the football and really should have scored 26 points with a backup quarterback who had 19 days of experience in the offense.
4. Willis was quietly terrific on third down. His completions and scrambles converted six different third downs, including 3rd-and-4 on a touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks and 3rd-and-5 on a 39-yard completion to Romeo Doubs. Wicks and Doubs both had a pair of conversions, and Willis scrambled once on 3rd-and-9 to convert. The Packers stayed in manageable third downs and Willis made plays. The Packers finished with 10 third-down conversions. Willis was 7-for-8 passing on third down.
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5. Josh Jacobs deserves a ton of credit. He gutted out 32 carries during a hot, humid day in Green Bay, and he consistently made plays against unblocked defenders. Regardless of which stat tracker you use, Jacobs gained well over 100 yards after first contact. The Packers don’t want to run Jacobs 30 times every week, but he has the type of body that can handle a workhorse workload every now and then.
Two unblocked hats on this play. Jacobs made them both miss. https://t.co/DmPiAmYUip
— Zach Kruse (@zachkruse2) September 16, 2024
6. It’s difficult to know if this specific gameplan will have any staying power, but for one week, it was a fantastic way to win a football game with a backup quarterback. Matt LaFleur reinvented his offense to fit what Willis could realistically handle, and everyone around the quarterback position — particularly up front along the offensive line — stepped up to the challenge. The Titans are up next, and they are significantly better up front against the run. It’s possible Jordan Love returns Sunday, but if not, the Packers may need more wrinkles to get the job done in Nashville. That truth takes nothing away from what LaFleur, Willis and the Packers accomplished against the Colts.