The Green Bay Packers and Indianapolis Colts will do battle Sunday at Lambeau Field. The winner will even their record at 1-1; the loser will fall into the dreaded 0-2 hole.
The big storyline coming into Sunday is obvious: How will the Packers handle not having Jordan Love, who is doubtful to play with a knee injury? Avoiding an 0-2 start will require the Packers to win a game with Malik Willis under center.
Here are 10 things to consider before the Packers take on the Colts on Sunday:
1. Today is a big spot for Matt LaFleur. Can he push the right buttons for a talented but inconsistent and inexperienced quarterback who has been in Green Bay for just 19 days? Malik Willis is in Year 3, but he’s only appeared in 11 NFL games, and the Packers traded for him on Aug. 27 after he failed to beat out Mason Rudolph for the backup spot in Tennessee. Willis has a big challenge in front of him, and he needs his laycaller to help him along every step of the way on Sunday.
2. Will the Lambeau Field crowd bring some energy for the home opener? The Packers are coming off a long layoff since Week 1, have an injured quarterback, will play an uncommon opponent and are scheduled for a noon kickoff. It all sounds like the recipe for a slow, sleepy start. The Packers need to feel the energy early.
3. The Colts are a good barometer for Jeff Hafley’s defense. While not as talented overall as the Eagles, the Colts do have some of the same ingredients offensively — a dynamic, dual-threat quarterback, an elite, do-it-all running back, a No. 1 receiver and a big, physical and experienced offensive line. Hafley said the defense wasn’t good enough in Week 1. Improvement must start on Sunday against Anthony Richardson, Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman and the Colts.
4. Jaire Alexander had an interception in the end zone and nearly had another game-turning pick in the season opener, but he also gave up four catches and over 100 receiving yards to A.J. Brown. He’ll get a chance to produce a more even performance Sunday. Both Alexander and Eric Stokes need to guard against big plays after Anthony Richardson turned nine completions into 212 passing yards in the opener. Speedy receiver Alec Pierce had two catches over 50 yards.
5. The rotation at right guard will continue. Adam Stenavich said the Packers want Sean Rhyan and first-round pick Jordan Morgan rotating in and out until one player wins the job outright. Now that Morgan has some game action under his belt, it’s possible we’ll see close to a 50/50 split on Sunday.
6. A bunch of rookies will be playing roles on defense for the Packers on Sunday. Expect to see Javon Bullard start again at safety and play some nickel. The plan is for Edgerrin Cooper to play a bigger role at linebacker after he impressed in limited action in Brazil. And Jeff Hafley said the Packers want a role for Evan Williams — a summer standout — moving forward.
7. How will Brayden Narveson handle his first regular season kicking experience inside Lambeau Field? He impressed at a practice at Lambeau Field before the Packers went to Brazil, but games are always different. Narveson was 3-for-3 on kicks inside 40 yards but missed his lone kick over 40 yards against the Eagles. Weather conditions should be favorable in Green Bay on Sunday.
8. Christian Watson has a chance to be a difference-maker Sunday. He should play a role in the gadget game — think jet sweeps and other potential misdirection plays or manufactured touches. Also, one of Malik Willis’ best traits is his big arm. Taking an early deep shot or two could keep the Colts honest defensively. The Packers need to create easy throws for Willis, but that will be tough to do if the Colts are sitting on everything short and condensing the space underneath. Hitting a big shot to Watson could solve the problem early. His speed must tilt the field and help give Willis more layups.
9. One big worry: Malik Willis taking sacks. His pressure-to-sack rate has been high dating back to college, and it’s fair to wonder how fast he’ll process in the passing game with such limited time in the Packers offense. Don’t be surprised if Willis ends up holding the football and taking a few big losses in big spots on Sunday. Matt LaFleur needs to do everything in his power to create fast, quick decisions that gets the ball out of Willis’ hand without becoming too predictable. A tall task.
10. Which personnel group will Matt LaFleur prefer today? It might make sense to play more 12 personnel (two tight ends) and pound away at the Colts defense, which allowed over 200 rushing yards to the Texans last week. But that would also invite the Colts to play a lot of 8-man boxes and load up against the run all day. Don’t be surprised if LaFleur sticks with 11 personnel (three receivers) and attempts to spread out the Colts. The Packers have to be able to run against nickel defenses and throw against base defenses on Sunday. Inviting the Colts to play more nickel might be the best play in terms of getting the run game going.