3 important storylines to watch for Packers vs. Colts in Week 2

With a loss and an injury to Jordan Love, things didn't quite go to plan for the Green Bay Packers in Week 1.

This week, they return home and welcome the Indianapolis Colts to the first game of the season at Lambeau Field.

Most of the pre-game focus has understandably been on Love and the quarterback position, but there are several other storylines to watch. Here are three things to keep an eye on this weekend.

Does Jeff Hafley get more creative with his pressures?

We now live in a world where creepers and simulated pressures are the meta of NFL defenses. Based on what we saw in Week 1, it looks like the Packers defense under Jeff Hafley may be taking a different approach.

If you had to pick a word to describe the Packers’ pressure packages and fronts in Week 1, that word would be "vanilla". They based almost exclusively out of an even front. They didn’t run a single simulated pressure all game and didn’t run a single creeper either. When they did blitz, it was simple, rushing their four down linemen without any stunts and sending one second level defender.

Whilst that kind of approach isn’t necessarily wrong, it doesn’t really help your front. One of the reasons that defensive coordinators love simulated pressures and stunts is that it tips the scales in favor of the defense. They keep the offensive line and quarterback guessing as to where the pressure is coming from, and force them to communicate in picking up and passing off rushers. Any mistakes in doing so lead to free rushers and hits on the quarterback.

The Packers’ strategy in Week 1 is the approach you take when you trust your defensive front to win by simply overwhelming their opponents with sheer talent. Given the players at Hafley’s disposal you can somewhat understand that, but it does feel like they are passing up some easy wins in doing so. Was that just a quirk of Week 1 or was it a sign of things to come? It’s definitely something to watch against the Colts.

What does a Malik Willis-led offense look like?

While Matt LaFleur has left the door open for Jordan Love to potentially play, it seems more likely that Malik Willis will be the Packers’ starting quarterback on Sunday. If Willis suits up, it will mark his fourth NFL start and his first since Week 16 of 2022.

If you go back and watch those games, you will see a player who possesses impressive physical tools but who struggles to play on time and in rhythm. That doesn’t bode well for LaFleur’s offense.

The Packers coaching staff will obviously be aware of these limitations and as a result you would anticipate that whatever offense we see against the Colts will be stripped-back and simplified. Don’t be surprised if there is a significant uptick in screens and manufactured touches. With Willis’ mobility, the Packers are also likely to try to move the pocket, getting Willis on the move with boot action and rollouts.

Establishing the run early and often should also be part of the plan. They ran the ball well against the Eagles in Week 1 and they are going up against a Colts defense that had no luck stopping the run in their opener.

Do we see some better play from Jaire Alexander?

Jaire Alexander has long been an asset in Green Bay’s secondary, but his performance in Week 1 was out of sorts. A quick look at the box score might suggest a different story thanks to his interception, but turn on the tape and you will see a player who struggled.

Alexander was put through the ringer by AJ Brown and Devonta Smith and had some really rough reps in coverage. He finished the game with four catches allowed for 108 yards. This included a 67-yard reception to Brown that went for a touchdown. Alexander also missed a crucial tackle on Brown on a second-quarter play that became a 20-yard gain.

Maybe this was just a rusty game. After all, he is playing in a new defensive system for the first time and the field at Corinthians Arena was in terrible condition. How he fares in Week 2 should tell us if it was really just an opening weekend blip.

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