Packers 16-10 Colts (September 15, 2024) Game Recap

GREEN BAY, Wis. — — Malik Willis admits he wasn’t ready the last time he had to start an NFL game. The Green Bay Packers quarterback knew he’d be more prepared the next time the opportunity arose.

With significant support from his new teammates, Willis proved that on Sunday, helping the Packers beat the Indianapolis Colts 16-10.

Acquired by Green Bay on August 27 in a trade with Tennessee, Willis threw his first career touchdown pass, helping the Packers survive the absence of the injured Jordan Love.

“I don’t think you can appreciate or even fathom the task that Malik Willis has in front of you,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “The guy got here three weeks ago.”

Love missed the game after tearing his left medial collateral ligament during the final series of the Eagles’ 34-29 season-opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 6 in Brazil, the first game Love has missed since taking over as Green Bay’s quarterback last year.

The Packers (1-1) relied on a well-rounded effort to win without Love. Josh Jacobs rushed for 151 yards on 32 attempts to lead Green Bay’s 261-yard rushing attack. The defense hounded Anthony Richardson, throwing three interceptions.

Without Willis’s tenacity, however, the Packers might not have won.

Willis has made three previous career starts — all in 2022 — and has not thrown for 100 yards in any of them. Tennessee traded Willis for a seventh-round pick after failing to beat out Mason Rudolph for the right to replace Titans starter Will Levis.

“I’m just thankful that God gave me another chance somewhere else, with a clean slate, just gave me the opportunity to be around people who have helped me grow over the last three weeks in terms of learning as much as I can,” Willis said.

Willis played efficiently and was 12-of-14 for 122 yards, including a 14-yard TD pass to Dontayvion Wicks. Brayden Narveson was 3-of-4 on field goal attempts to account for Green Bay’s other points.

Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor ran for 103 yards on 12 attempts but did not touch the ball in the fourth quarter. Richardson was 17 of 34 for 204 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Richardson also ran for 37 yards on four attempts.

“We started off slow as a group, especially as an attack,” Richardson said. “We definitely can’t do that. We know we’re better than that.”

The Packers didn’t need Willis to throw the ball early on as they played wildly against a leaky Colts defense, allowing them to build a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. That lead grew to 13-0 early in the third quarter.

Green Bay ultimately ran the ball on 53 of 67 plays.

The Packers accumulated 164 rushing yards in the first quarter alone, the most in a first quarter by any NFL team since the Denver Broncos accumulated 167 yards in the first quarter of a 41–23 loss to the New England Patriots on December 18, 2011. By halftime, the Packers had accumulated 237 rushing yards on 34 attempts.

“We knew we had to come in and run the ball today,” Jacobs said. “We knew we had to set the tone.”

Indianapolis (0-2) lost 29-27 to the Houston Texans after allowing 213 rushing yards, the most yards any team allowed in the first week of the season.

“We have to fix this,” Colts coach Shane Steichen said. “It starts with me, I’m the head coach, and we have to come in on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and fix this. That’s the bottom line.”

Green Bay squandered a chance to tie the game early in the second quarter when Jacobs fumbled the ball on a first-and-goal opportunity at the 4-yard line. Zaire Franklin forced a fumble that Laiatu Latu intercepted in the end zone.

The Colts’ run defense stiffened up in the second half, but they couldn’t get back into the game as their offense failed to capitalize. The Colts failed to score on three separate trips into Packers territory.

Indianapolis cut the Packers’ lead to 16-10 on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Richardson to Alec Pierce with 1:47 left, but Green Bay’s Evan Williams intercepted the ball on an onside kick.

The Colts got the ball back on their own 5-yard line with 43 seconds left, but Williams intercepted a Hail Mary attempt from the Indianapolis 41-yard line to end the game.

INJURIES

Colts: DT DeForest Buckner was taken off the game in the third quarter. … Latu left the game in the second half with a hip injury. … The Colts played without S Julian Blackmon (shoulder) and WR Josh Downs (ankle).

Packers: G Jordan Morgan did not play in the second half with a shoulder injury. … RB MarShawn Lloyd suffered an ankle injury.

What’s next?

Colts: Next Sunday they will host the Chicago Bears.

Packers: Visit the Tennessee Titans next Sunday.

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The article corrected Pierce’s name to Alec instead of Antonio and added that Richardson completed 34 passes instead of 33.

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