What We Saw: Week 2

Indianapolis Colts @ Green Bay Packers

Final Score: Packers 16, Colts 10

Writer: Jason Wolf (J_Wolf_Picks on Twitter)

The Green Bay Packers’ starting QB for Week 2, Malik Willis, was acquired just 20 days ago by the team, but you wouldn’t be able to tell from his near-flawless execution of the Packers’ game plan in their overpowering win against the Colts. Willis was tasked with getting the ball out of his hands and into the Packers’ playmakers, and he held up his end of the deal and more on his way to an efficient 12/14 passing performance to go along with a 126.8 QBR. The 16-10 scoreline is highly deceiving as the Packers could have won this by a lot more if not for a Josh Jacobs’ goal-line fumble and a garbage time TD from the Colts. Despite Jacobs’ fumble, he dominated the Colts, racking up 150+ yards on the ground while routinely gashing their defense on over 30+ rushing attempts. The Packers ran 34 run plays against just five! passing plays to begin the game. Despite the predictability, Green Bay executed the run game to perfection, dominated time of possession with over 40 minutes of game time, and kept the Colts’ defense on the field and just a step slower all game.

Three Up

• Josh Jacobs – Even with the obvious run-heavy game plan coming into the game, Josh Jacobs was able to dominate the Colts on the ground, finishing the game with over 150 rushing yards on 32 carries. For long stretches at a time, Jacobs was the entire offense.
• GB offense with Willis at QB – Coming into Week 2, Malik Willis would be one of the last starting QBs you would pick to start a game. Well, credit to HC Matt LaFleur as he coached up Willis and came up with a simple yet creative offensive game plan that Willis executed to near perfection. He was hyper-efficient and even looked good throwing the ball downfield. There is hope after all for the Packers’ skill players with Willis at the helm.
• Jonathan Taylor – Despite the Colts’ disjointed offense and continual mistakes, Jonathan Taylor was able to shine even in a game where Josh Jacobs completely stole the show. Even though Indianapolis only held the ball 1/3 of the game, Taylor still got his and accrued 135 total yards on only 14 touches. The fact that Taylor feasted while the offense struggled to put up a single touchdown is a very encouraging sign for his production.

Two Down

• Anthony Richardson– Undoubtedly, Anthony Richardson routinely gives glimpses of his tantalizing potential materializing, but he still has a long way to go as a passer. In what is essentially still his rookie year, there will be growing pains for Richardson as he improves his accuracy as the game continues to slow down for him. Richardson finished the game with a 50% completion rate, and it feels deserved after an up-and-down performance that saw AR miss some routine throws.
• Michael Pittman  – Two weeks, two lackluster performances from the Colts’ WR1, Michael Pittman Jr. Despite leading his team in targets in both weeks thus far, his output has been modest, to put it nicely. Pittman doesn’t have the deep ball connection that Alec Pierce has and isn’t as flashy as rookie Adonai Mitchell. The target share is encouraging, but the chemistry between Richardson and his “WR1” hasn’t looked great.

Indianapolis Colts

Quarterback

Anthony Richardson:  17/34, 204 Yards, TD, 3 INT | 4 Carries, 37 Yards, 2 Fumble (Recovered)

It was a frustrating, discombobulated kind of day for the promising young Colts’ QB Anthony Richardson. This game was filled with untimely mishaps such as offensive penalties, accuracy issues, and a missed FG, among a litany of mistakes that stunted the Colts offense. Richardson, of course, provided us with flashes of brilliance using his legs and cannon arm, but his day as a passer was up and down with missed throws and questionable decisions leading to turnovers.

Notes

• Richardson shows progression in his mental processing, going through multiple progressions to find the open man. If anything, he leaned on this too much during the 1st half instead of striking the balance of incorporating his feet as well. Despite his improvement in that area, his accuracy still has to catch up for him to become a reliable pocket passer.
• Had a couple of nice individual plays that were unfortunately called back due to offensive penalties, including an excellent pass where he avoided a sack and connected with Alec Pierce on the run for a considerable gain. Also had a nice rush called back due to holding, and plays like these could have helped his final box score look a little better.
• A near-marvel to watch when he’s scrambling and running downfield. Started using his legs more as the game was winding down, and the Packers were preventing big plays. He was effective in the second half, using his legs to extend plays and pick up yardage on the ground.
• His ability to laser in throws in tight windows while on the run is super impressive.
• Deep ball has the potential to be deadly down the line. Richardson showed off his impressive zip on a 30-yard dime to Adonai Mitchell. Richardson got it out early and placed it where only his guy could reach it.

Missed Opportunities

• His first interception was an unnecessary drive-killer that was thrown off his back foot and into a sea of green jerseys. A rash decision when facing down an incoming pass rush, Richardson will wish for that one back on a 1st & 10 with the Colts marching.
• Had rookie WR Adonai Mitchell wide open near the sideline for a nice 15+ yard gain but just couldn’t quite get it to him due to a poor ball. Luckily, that pass didn’t go down as an incompletion due to a defensive penalty, but that’s a throw Richardson should be hitting in his sleep.
• Richardson’s second interception was also the result of a poor decision from the young QB. Richardson made the wrong read and threw the ball into traffic instead of hitting AD Mitchell for a wide open first down.
• Richardson’s third interception was on the last play of the game in a last-gasp desperation heave, hitting multiple sets of hands before falling into the hands of the Packers’ defense, ending the game.

Running Back

Jonathan Taylor:  12 Carries, 103 Yards | 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 32 Yards

Jonathan Taylor, the only RB to register a carry for the Colts in Week 1, again shouldered the load essentially all to himself, finishing with 14 touches compared to just three for the rest of the Colts’ RBs combined. Taylor was highly effective on the day when the Colts had the chance to feed him. The Colts’ second drive was promising, with Taylor picking up chunk gains on his runs, but it was prematurely ended by a costly Richardson interception on 1st & 10. This would be the story of the day as Taylor produced nearly every time he touched the ball, but he was limited by only the Colts’ inability to maintain possession of the ball.

Notes

• Taylor looked excellent on nearly every touch. He routinely flashed his elite speed and moves out of the backfield, beating defenders to the sideline and consistently making would-be tacklers miss.
• The Colts were finding success utilizing Taylor as a pass catcher out of the backfield, but they didn’t do it enough.
• Was fortunate that his fumble fell harmlessly out of bounds on a heads-up play by WR Ashton Dulin. 
• Taylor has a higher gear that he achieves when he sees just a bit of daylight at the second level. He has constantly outrunning LBs and often runs through DBs.
• Going into the fourth quarter, Taylor had accounted for 135 out of the Colts 206 total yards.

Missed Opportunities

• If the Colts fed him receptions earlier, they could have sustained drives instead of drive-killing turnovers and offensive holdings. It’s in the best interest that they feed Taylor as much as possible, so at least this game should highlight that for the coming weeks’ game plans.
• If the Colts didn’t spend the whole game trying to come back from a deficit, Taylor could have seen more touches. Even though he only saw 15 touches, he made the most out of them, implying even more lucrative days are to come.

Trey Sermon:  2 Carries | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards

Trey Sermon didn’t see his first touch until the first play of the fourth quarter when he lost three yards on a 3rd & 1 opportunity. He was barely heard from at all for a 2nd-string RB in 2024. Not many (if any at all) backfields are dominated by one man more than the Colts and Jonathan Taylor.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Michael Pittman:  7 Targets, 3 Receptions, 21 Yards

In a game where the Colts spent the entire day trailing, Michael Pittman’s “modest” output was highly discouraging. Pittman doesn’t seem to gain much separation down the field and doesn’t have the deep ball chemistry with Richardson that Alec Pierce does. Even though Pittman has led the team in targets thus far, he and Richardson are not showing great rapport with their connection.

Notes

• Pittman did most of his work in the short-intermediate game (as he usually does), failing to connect with Richardson on any of the longer balls aimed his way. He did have one deep shot thrown his way, but the ball could have been placed better, and Pittman could have made a slightly better effort to grab it.
• Richardson is often looking for him, as evidenced by a team-high seven targets, so the target share is encouraging.

Alec Pierce:  7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 56 Yards, TD

Alec Pierce was yet again the Colts’ most productive receiver on the field and, for the second consecutive week, came down with a TD grab. Pierce had an excellent individual game, tying for the team lead in targets and doing much more with his targets than WR1 Michael Pittman. Pierce is enjoying a blossoming connection with Anthony Richardson, as they are often making plays down the field. Four out of five of Pierce’s receptions went for over 10+ air yards.  Pierce showed off some impressive offensive awareness when he pounced on a deflected pass to come down with it in traffic. Pierce also showed off good game and spatial awareness on a sideline catch that required him to plant both feet in bounds while falling out of bounds to stop the clock, doing just that.

Notes

• The longer Anthony Richardson extends the play, the likelier that Alec Pierce will work himself open. Most of his production comes from broken and extended plays where Richardson is improvising. This was displayed on numerous possessions, including his TD catch with the game winding down.

Missed Opportunities

• Found himself open for a potential nice gain from a nice throw from Richardson, who hit Pierce at the top of his route, only for Pierce to slip on the turf, causing an incompletion. It was one of the few times Richardson had an incompletion due to no fault of his own.

Adonai Mitchell:  4 Targets, 1 Reception, 30 Yards

The athletic profile shines in real-time when you watch Adonai Mitchell run with (or without) the ball in his hands. Though Mitchell was only able to come down with one catch, he made it count on a big 30-yard gain on a nice dime from Anthony Richardson. There were a handful of times when Mitchell blazed past his defender and had an opportunity to make a play, but the connection just wasn’t there. Most of the incompletions toward him were not his fault, as Richardson missed him on what should have been two routine throws.

Missed Opportunities

• Mitchell had a massive drop on a perfectly placed ball from Richardson, which turned what should have been a 20+ yard gain on 3rd down to a Colts punt. Mitchell was so open that he was already contemplating his break downfield before he secured the ball.

Ashton Dulin:  2 Targets, 1 Reception, 13 Yards

Mo-Allie Cox:  1 Target, 1 Reception, 22 Yards

Green Bay Packers

Quarterback

Malik Willis:  12/14, 122 Yards, TD | 6 Carries, 41 Yards

With Malik Willis starting the game for the Packers, HC Matt LaFleur drew up a perfect game plan to help Willis succeed, and he came through for Green Bay and not only met expectations but far surpassed them as well. Willis not only managed the game well, but he made numerous throws on 3rd downs to keep drives going. Willis was accurate and consistent, not missing any layup throws and hitting his open receivers with regularity. Willis did a good job of getting the ball out early and into the hands of the Packers’ dangerous skill players. Even though the Packers ran the ball nearly 4x as much as they threw it, Willis made an impact with his sharp timing and decisiveness when using his legs to keep the Packers’ drives going.

Notes

• Wasn’t asked to do much deep throwing, but when he did, he answered the call with surprising accuracy and zip. Willis’ long 40-yard bomb to Romeo Doubs was a great ball that gave Doubs enough of a chance to come down with a 1v1 jump ball. Also hit Dontayvion Wicks with a perfectly placed ball that hit Wicks in the hands, but a Colts DB made a perfectly timed play on the ball to force an incomplete.
• Willis didn’t miss any layups or gimmes. He made every single throw that you would expect a starting QB in the NFL to make.
• Used his athleticism in a reserved manner, saving it to catch the Colts off guard, which worked several times.
• Showed off his speed on a designed QB draw on 2nd & 16 that he took for a 12-yard gain.
• Was decisive in escaping the pocket to buy his receivers time or to make a run for it. Made the correct decision in the vast majority of these instances.
• Had an excellent individual play called back where pressure arrived immediately, and he displayed quality pocket awareness and maneuverability in avoiding a sack, shaking a would-be tackler and turning it into a positive play. The play didn’t go down in the box score, but it was one of Willis’ best of the day.
• Threw the first TD pass of his career on a nicely placed ball to Wicks, but the DB overcommitted, leaving Wicks free to walk in the end zone. Solid throw to zip it to Wicks, but Willis definitely got some help on his first career TD.

Running Back

Josh Jacobs:  32 Carries, 151 Yards, 1 Fumble (Lost)

There aren’t enough superlatives to accurately convey just how dominant Josh Jacobs and the Green Bay run game were in this game. From the jump, Jacobs and the offensive line were imposing their will at the LOS. The Packers rushed for 164 yards in the first quarter alone, with Jacobs accounting for 100 of them. Twenty of the first 22 offensive plays were runs for Green Bay. The run game was a well-oiled machine, and the Packers were not afraid to rely on it all game. In a game where Green Bay ran the ball over 50 times (against just 14 passes), Jacobs saw the majority of looks, totaling 32 carries in all. That kind of workhorse performance is becoming increasingly rare in the current NFL RB landscape dominated by backfield committees, and Jacobs thrived in the role.

Notes

• Jacobs was quite often running through defenders, busting through arm tackles with ease and dragging extra defenders for extra yards. Seemingly every touch was gold from Jacobs as he gained chunk yards after chunk yards. He was running like an angry man all day, consistently requiring extra defenders to bring him down and muscling out some quality YAC.
• Here’s one such example of Jacobs’ blend of power and speed that he put on display all game. 
• Jacobs switched it up from running through defenders to juking a single defender out in space. Flashed nice shiftiness at times when the defense wasn’t expecting it. Also made numerous defenders whiff on tackles in the backfield.
• His tackle-breaking was truly next level today. His physicality was on full display on a 2nd quarter drive where he had several chunk gains and made at least five defenders miss or whiff on tackles.
• Didn’t look any worse for wear as he closed the game out with strong run after strong run; it seemed like he was getting stronger as the LBs were getting more tired. Some Derrick Henry-type stuff.

Missed Opportunities

• Jacobs had a TD run negated by a holding penalty. The offensive line opened up a huge hole, but Jacobs hit it hard and with burst, beating the defense on the way to the endzone.
• Jacobs also had a goal-line fumble on an otherwise nice run when the last Colts’ player in position to make a play punched the ball out of his hands right before crossing the plane.
• Didn’t score a TD on the day even though he had a couple of opportunities, or else his day would have looked even better on paper.

Emmanuel Wilson:  5 Carries, 9 Yards

Emmanuel Wilson came into spell Jacobs every once in a while. The Packers even gave him a chance to convert a 3rd & 1 to open up the second quarter, but he lost a few yards instead of converting.

MarShawn Lloyd:  6 Carries, 15 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards

Rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd had a few touches in this one, failing to do anything notable in the box score. However, his best play of the day was called back by an offensive hold. Lloyd weaved and cut his way through to the second level of the defense, busting out for a 15+ yard gain. He looked agile on that carry but was quiet otherwise.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Romeo Doubs:  3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 62 Yards

Romeo Doubs made the most of his limited opportunities on a day when the Packers only threw the ball 14 times. Doubs came down with all three of his targets for a healthy 62 yards (20.7 YPC). Doubs showcased his excellent hands as the difficulty of his targets was the highest amongst the GB receivers.

Notes

• Absolutely “Moss’d” the defensive back on his long gain of 39 yards. Willis threw it up and gave him a shot, and boy did Doubs make the most of it, going over the top of the DB and snatching the ball at its high point. Here it is in all its glory:

https://twitter.com/BookOfEli_NFL/status/1835418229339992501

Dontayvion Wicks:  4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 26 Yards, TD

Last week’s odd man out was the only offensive player to find pay dirt in this one as Dontayvion Wicks was much more involved in the offense in this game compared to last week’s. Wicks saw 31 snaps last week in a game the Packers were throwing constantly and saw 30 today in a game where they were comfortably ahead. This can either be a sign of increased playing time or a temporary benefit from playing with Willis, who has probably had more reps with Wicks than the other WR’s. The fact that Wicks is fighting for scraps in this offense speaks to how loaded the Packers are with receiver talent.

Notes

• Wicks led the Packers receivers in targets (4).
• Wicks made an excellent play near the sideline when he had to leap and spin near the boundary, doing so while getting both feet in bounds for the catch, showing off skills and good spatial awareness

Missed Opportunities

• Almost came down with a deep shot from Malik Willis but the defender came in and broke up the play at the last second. Wicks was getting looks from Willis all over the field. Even though they missed on this one, it was encouraging for future prospects.

Jayden Reed:  2 Carries, 37 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards

Without the aerial threat that Jordan Love brings to the table, Green Bay tried to take advantage of Jayden Reed’s big play ability in other ways. The Packers drew up some designed plays for Reed, and they used his speed creatively to get the ball in his hands with a running start. The best play from Reed’s day was a 22 yard end-around where he easily beat the defenders to the edge and hit the second level of the defense in a flash. He was only targeted a couple of times in the passing game, bringing down both targets for short gains.

Notes

• His big end-around rush did showcase his elite speed but the initial defender had an angle on him but slipped before he could make a play. This play could have ended before it got going, making Reed’s box score look even more pedestrian.
• Reed wasn’t needed or called upon to make big plays in the passing game happen, though Willis’ surprising ability to throw it far brings hope for better days ahead for Reed.

Tucker Kraft:  2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards

Tucker Kraft definitely seems to be playing ahead of Luke Musgrave for meaningful targets at the TE position. Two weeks in a row now he’s been the preferred TE option for the passing game and seems well suited for it. Not a knock on Musgrave at all but Kraft has some surprising athleticism and showed a nice move or two in making his man miss and gaining extra yards on his long gain of 17.

Luke Musgrave:  1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards

Bo Melton:  2 Carries, 8 Yards