The Packers (0-1) host the Colts (0-1) on Sunday in the early afternoon slate, and Green Bay backup quarterback Malik Willis appears in line to start for the injured Jordan Love. Packers reporter Matt Schneidman and Colts reporter James Boyd went back and forth on several topics to get you ready for the game.
Let's dive in.
Schneidman: I'm interested in your opinion of Anthony Richardson. He obviously made the highlight reel last week and for good reason, but how did he play as a whole and what's your evaluation of him in Year 2 after barely playing as a rookie?
Boyd: A.R. is arguably the best athlete I've ever seen with my own eyes, and this comes from someone who's been face-to-face with LeBron James in a few postgame news conferences. He can make every throw, even the cartoonish ones, though he still struggles with his accuracy. Aside from his 60-, 57- and 54-yard completions in the season opener, he completed just six of his 16 other passes for only 41 yards. I think he's more comfortable and sure of himself than he was last year, but expect some errant throws at Lambeau. Josh Downs, the Colts' top slot receiver, could make his season debut after missing Week 1 with a right ankle sprain. If he's available, that bodes well for Richardson's completion percentage.
Speaking of quarterbacks, what's the latest on the Green Bay QBs? Any chance we see Love and not Willis on Sunday?
Schneidman: There's not much that stuns me in this business anymore, but I'd be stunned if Love plays. The initial reports suggested at least a three-week absence, and Sunday will be 10 days from when he went down on the third-to-last play against the Eagles in Brazil with a knee injury. The Packers are trying to make it seem like he has a chance, though, with head coach Matt LaFleur saying Wednesday the door is "pretty open" for Love to play and backup quarterback Willis saying that Love is taking mental reps as if he's preparing to play.
"He's going to do everything he can to be out there and we'll give him the week," LaFleur said Thursday. "He's been out there at practice (but not practicing). He's been engaged, knows every play call, is always coaching up Malik, coaching up Sean (Clifford) and is doing a good job with it."
This reeks of gamesmanship, so I fully expect Willis to start. Wide receiver Jayden Reed told us Wednesday that he's setting up extra film sessions with Willis to ensure they're on the same page come Sunday. Christian Watson implied that Willis is starting, too.
As for what to expect from Willis, assuming he starts, that's anybody's guess. He's wildly unproven, but the Packers traded for him because they think he improved from the pocket this summer and can make plays with his arm and legs. LaFleur can bolster a Coach of the Year candidacy for however long Love is out by dialing up a game plan for Willis that gives him easy completions to open up the run game for Josh Jacobs and also gets Willis on the move to take advantage of his mobility in both the pass and run game.
If the Packers lean on Jacobs, do you expect the Colts to stop the run better than they did against Joe Mixon and the Texans?
Boyd: This may be a good chance for Wills to prove himself, then, because the Colts are banged up. Starting cornerback JuJu Brents was placed on injured reserve with an MCL injury he sustained in the season opener, and starting safety Julian Blackmon hasn't practiced the last two days with a shoulder injury. Indianapolis' secondary was already one of its biggest questions coming into the season, and with the absence of Brents and potentially Blackmon, the questions only become louder.
As for the Colts' run defense, let's just say their front seven are sick of hearing about how Houston ran all over them -- 213 yards to be exact. I'd expect them to be much better than they were against the Texans because if Willis plays, he isn't as dangerous a thrower as C.J. Stroud (or Jordan Love). Indianapolis linebacker Zaire Franklin is good friends with Josh Jacobs and views him as one of the best backs in the league, but Franklin believes his squad is equipped to keep the 2022 NFL rushing champ in check.
Could it be Jayden Reed who steps up Sunday? He was brilliant in Week 1, and I'm sure if he's watching film with Willis, they can at least find a few plays they like against the Colts' injured and inexperienced secondary.
Schneidman: Zaire Franklin! I covered him at Syracuse when I was a student reporter. Really impressive the career he's crafted for himself.
It could be Reed, but it could also be Christian Watson or Romeo Doubs. Or Dontayvion Wicks. The biggest discussion point here in Green Bay this summer surrounded the Packers' lack of a true No. 1 wide receiver. On the same token, the Packers think any of those four guys can play like a No. 1 on any given day. In Week 1, it was Reed, who led the league in receiving yards after one game and scored two touchdowns, one on a 70-yard completion and one on a 33-yard end around. But Watson might be the most prototypical No. 1 wide receiver because of his skill set and stature, and I bet Willis will air it out to him at least once given the Colts' secondary deficiencies.
We know about Richardson's arm talent, but how can his receivers help test the Packers' secondary? Which pass catchers should Green Bay be most worried about?
Boyd: Yeah, Franklin has one of the best underdog stories in the NFL. He was drafted in the seventh round in 2018 and now holds the Colts' record for most tackles in a single season. He actually plans to donate $44 per tackle to the Midwest Food Bank of Indiana this year, and he'd like to be donating a lot more this week than the $176 he gave away last week for four solo tackles.
When it comes to the Colts' pass catchers, I think Michael Pittman Jr. will always command the most attention because he's their No. 1 receiver. He was paid like it, too, when he inked a three-year, $70 million extension in March. However, it would be wise for the Packers to keep an eye on deep threat Alec Pierce. The third-year pro had three catches for 125 yards in the season opener, including a 60-yard TD reception from Richardson, who threw the best pass I've ever seen. Pierce has wheels, and so does rookie wideout AD Mitchell. Richardson missed Mitchell on a pair of long would-be touchdowns last week, but Mitchell's ability to get open was very notable. The Colts offense is built on generating explosive plays, so to mitigate that, Green Bay's secondary can't get caught looking in the backfield. The wild part is even if the Packers are in the right coverage, Richardson has the arm talent to simply outthrow it if he feels like Mitchell or Pierce has a chance to make a big play.
From your perspective, who are some of the Packers defenders who could rattle Richardson? I know cornerback Jaire Alexander certainly won't be bashful if he gets the best of Indy's franchise QB.
Schneidman: You're right about that, and I'm sure Alexander will be looking to bounce back after a rough Week 1 against A.J. Brown. I'll be interested to see the Packers' pass-rush plan Sunday. Against the Eagles, they intentionally stuck with power rushes and staying vertical to keep Jalen Hurts in the pocket, sacrificing pressures with exotic looks in doing so. For the most part, it worked. I imagine they'll do the same with Richardson, so maybe don't expect too many sacks and TFLs or scrambling and more of Richardson throwing. That's what the Packers want. If Richardson beats them enough through the air like Hurts did, then so be it. That's why I think it'll be on Alexander more than anyone to take away whoever he's guarding. He didn't do that well enough in Week 1, and doing so in Week 2 may be the key to squeaking out a win with Willis at quarterback.
All right, one more before we make our predictions. The Packers have been abysmal stopping the run for the majority of the last five-plus seasons. Will this be a Jonathan Taylor bounce-back game?
Boyd: I think this is a huge opportunity for Taylor to break out after a rather pedestrian performance in the season opener. The 2021 league rushing champ had just 48 yards on 16 carries (3.0 yards per carry), which is not what Indianapolis envisioned when pairing him alongside Richardson. Colts owner Jim Irsay has raved about the multiplicity of his team's offense with Richardson and Taylor being the centerpieces, though we've yet to really see it come to fruition. They shared just two snaps together last year due to injury and are still building their chemistry.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen doesn't need a reminder of how special Taylor can be and the obvious pressure he can take off Richardson. Taylor ranks second in franchise history with 4,582 yards through his first four full seasons, trailing only Hall of Famer Edgerrin James. Plus, this is the first season of Taylor's three-year, $42 million extension that came after a very public spat with the franchise last year. Now that he's been paid like a top back, Taylor is expected to play like one against everybody, not just the Packers.
All right, let's get on with the predictions, where I'll be 100 percent right. And if I'm wrong, I'll just claim that I was hacked!
Schneidman: I'm going Colts 27, Packers 17. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if LaFleur schemes up an offensive game plan that helps the Packers win, but I won't let myself pick Willis to win a game before he does. I think Taylor gets going on the ground and Richardson hits a couple of explosives against a defense still acclimating to a new coordinator, while Willis struggles to complete anything respectable so the Colts just load the box to stop Jacobs.
Boyd: I'm picking the Colts, as well, but in a 24-17 victory. I think the crowd at Lambeau has a chance to rattle Richardson, and although his season opener was promising, I still don't know what to expect from him on a week-to-week basis. He could throw two dimes for two touchdowns, or he could sail two passes for two picks. Assuming Richardson doesn't have three 50-yard completions like he did last week -- which was the first time a Colts QB had done that since Peyton Manning in 2000 -- I expect him to come back down to earth and give Green Bay a chance to stay within striking distance. But even with all of that in mind, I still believe the Colts can squeeze out a win by forcing Willis to beat them with his arm. If he does, Indianapolis general manager Chris Ballard will catch even more heat for betting on a young secondary that -- outside of Blackmon and Kenny Moore II -- hasn't proved anything in the NFL.