The Green Bay Packers are set to face the Indianapolis Colts, another team, hoping to capture their first win of the 2024 season, during Week 2.
Last week, the Colts had no answer to the Texans’ rushing attack, which totaled 213 yards on the ground. The Packers were their own worst enemy in their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, failing to capitalize in the red zone and scoring only nine points on three turnovers while getting called for 10 penalties.
The expectation is for the Packers to be without Jordan Love this week as he heals from a knee injury. Matt LaFleur has left the door cracked for his starting quarterback to play on Sunday, though that could be a little gamesmanship to keep the Colts on their toes.
Meanwhile, Indianapolis is banged up on the defensive side of the ball after losing starting corner JuJu Brents to a knee injury against the Houston Texans. Stud defensive tackle DeForest Buckner has also been held out of practice this week due to a back injury and is expected to be a game-time decision.
Now, both teams will have to overcome injuries to get back on track.
As always, there will be plenty of key matchups to watch out for that will help decide the winner. Let’s highlight three of them:
QB Malik Willis vs Colts defense
Assuming Love won’t suit up this week, Green Bay is to hand the reigns over to backup Malik Willis. Willis has had three weeks to learn Matt LaFleur’s playbook since being acquired from the Tennessee Titans. That probably isn’t enough time to learn every concept, but it should be enough to formulate a competent game plan. The Packers will likely run a simplified offense that features run options and rollouts so Willis can utilize his mobility. It will be important for the offense to avoid long down and distances so Willis is not forced to throw more than he needs to. He showcased some questionable decision-making with the Titans, so it will be extremely important to take care of the ball and avoid turnovers at all costs.
RB Josh Jacobs vs Colts run defense
As previously mentioned, the Colts had the worst run defense in the league in Week 1, surrendering 213 yards, with 159 going to running back Joe Mixon. That bodes well for Jacobs, who, after getting off to a slow start against the Eagles, had an efficient day totaling 84 yards on 16 carries. Without Love under center, Green Bay is expected to lean on the run game, which could mean an increased workload for Jacobs. However, the team’s new running back did pop up on the injury report this week with a back injury. Even if he’s a little banged up, the Packers may need to rely on Jacobs to carry the load offensively to give them the best chance of winning.
Packers defense vs QB Anthony Richardson
As I wrote recently, Jeff Hafley’s defense did a solid job of limiting Jalen Hurts’ impact as a runner. Hurts is one of the best scrambling quarterbacks in the NFL but could only muster 33 yards on 13 carries against Green Bay. Richardson will be another tremendous challenge, known for being faster and having more elusive than Hurts. It’s very possible that Hafley will implement a similar game plan that tries to contain Richardson in the pocket. Though not always accurate, Richardson has a big arm that can do some damage if you’re not careful. Still, maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea for the Packers’ defense to take their chances and force Richardson to beat them through the air.