Indianapolis, IN
Green Bay Packers scouting report vs Indianapolis Colts in Week 2
The Indianapolis Colts head to Lambeau Field, where the tundra won’t be frozen as they meet the Green Bay Packers in Week 2 action. Both teams are looking for their first victory of the season.
The Colts are coming off an odd 29-27 loss to the Houston Texans, who rolled up 417 yards (213 rushing) and had possession for 40 minutes. Anthony Richardson had the fewest completions among Week 1 starters (9), but a league-best 11.2 yards per attempt, including three completions of at least 50 yards.
Green Bay started the season in Brazil, losing to 34-29 to the Philadelphia Eagles. They also lost starting quarterback Jordan Love to an MCL sprain in the closing seconds. The Packers’ defense was vulnerable (410 yards allowed), but their rushing offense was potent (7.8 yards per carry).
Colts vs Packers injury report: Jordan Love does not practice, while Colts have longer list
Malik Willis steps in as Packers quarterback
Love is likely out this week, so Malik Willis is scheduled to step in. The Packers traded for Willis from the Tennessee Titans late in the preseason. The Titans drafted Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but played little for them. He threw 61 passes as a rookie and 5 in 2023. His next touchdown pass will be his first in the NFL.
Green Bay has Super Bowl hopes behind Love, who justified its bold decision to pick him in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft with a breakout 2023 season. He had 64.2% completions for 4,159 yards, 32 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as the Packers earned a wild-card playoff berth and led the San Francisco 49ers in the closing minutes of a divisional playoff game.
Scouting the Packers offense
Green Bay averaged a league-best 7.8 yards per carry and gained 414, third most in Week 1.
The Packers added running back Josh Jacobs, the 2022 NFL rushing leader for the Las Vegas Raiders whose production dropped off in 2023 (805 rushing yards, 37 catches, 6 TDs in 13 games). He replaces Aaron Jones as the RB1, and gained 84 yards in the opener.
Green Bay’s receiving corps and offensive line are considered adequate, with room to grow. Jayden Reed starred in Week 1, with 4 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown, and also a 33-yard touchdown run. Packers QBs were sacked just twice in Week 1.
Pro Football Focus gave Reed and right tackle Zach Tom Team of the Week grades from Week 1.
Scouting the Packers defense
Green Bay allowed the 4th-most yards (410) in Week 1 but had the most takeaways (3).
Green Bay has a strong group of pass rushers, with Rashad Gary (9 sacks in 2023), Preston Smith (8), Kenny Clark (7.5) and run stuffer T.J. Slaton returning.
Quay Walker leads the Green Bay linebackers (118 tackles in 2023, 11 in Week 1), and cornerback Jaire Alexander and safety Xavier McKinney each had an interception against the Eagles. Second-round safety Javon Bullard is already contributing (11 tackles).
Who is Green Bay’s kicker?
Brayden Narveson, who was 3-of-4 in the opener. He wasn’t even in Packers training camp. The rookie was strong for the Tennessee Titans in the preseason (6-of-7 field goals, long of 59 yards), and Green Bay claimed him off waivers. (Nick Folk has been Tennessee’s kicker for an eon.)
Greg Joseph and incumbent kicker Anders Carlson didn’t make the cut.
Green Bay has the NFL’s best kick returner over the past two seasons in Keisan Nixon (26.1-yard average in 2023), and with a renewed emphasis on kickoff returns, his presence looms larger.
When do the Colts play in Week 2?
1 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis.
What channel are the Colts on against the Packers?
TV: Fox, Joe Davis (play-by-play), Greg Olsen (analysis) and Pam Oliver (sideline reporting)
Radio: 93.5, 97.1, 107.5 FM in Indianapolis, with Matt Taylor (play-by-play), Rick Venturi (analysis) and Larra Overton (sideline reporting)
Streaming: SiriusXM Channels 384, 813, Fubo (free trial)
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — While fireworks are the centerpiece of most Independence Day celebrations, one July 4th event in Indianapolis focused on bringing unity through athletic competition.
“Peace on the Plaza” was held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Saturday afternoon and evening. The focal point of the event was a 3-on-3 basketball tournament featuring eight teams with young men who have ties to area nonprofits and other community organizations, like IndyPeace.
Shardae Hoskins, Administrator for Community Violence Reduction for the City of Indianapolis, said the participants were, “a bunch of teams that all play together often, and are all a part of mentoring or other community organizations… We really wanted to highlight those teams and give them an opportunity to play on such a big stage.”
The event was part of the city’s violence reduction strategy.
“Communities that have meetings, communities that have parks or opportunities for each other just to gather with each other, also have reduced violence,” Hoskins said. “Community builds peace.”
The teams were coached by people like Chauncey Anderson, a life coach who works with young adults to help them become productive citizens.
“My team got knocked out early, I’m kinda in my feelings about that,” Anderson said, smiling. “But they did (well), they held the fort down. And at the end of the day, they showed good sportsmanship and they just linked up with some people that they didn’t know prior to this. So it was a win.”
For those not interested in hoops, the other side of the basketball court had games like cornhole and Giant Jenga. Nearby, workers gave out free snow cones to offer relief from the sweltering heat. There were also opportunities to sign up for free programs to build skills, like conflict resolution.
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Thunderstorms could move in over Central Indiana this afternoon and evening as Indianapolis celebrates the Fourth of July, dampening fireworks shows.
The National Weather Service forecasts that scattered showers and thunderstorms could hit the Indianapolis area before 8 p.m. today, with showers likely and another thunderstorm possible between 8 and 9 p.m. – right before many area fireworks shows are scheduled to begin. The rainy skies aren’t likely to clear until after midnight, and the chance of precipitation today is around 60%.
The storms will move eastward as a low-pressure system in Illinois begins to collide with the hot, moist air mass enveloping Indiana, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Puma. Areas north of Indianapolis are more likely to see thunder and showers on the evening of July 4, while southern Indiana may dodge the storms, Puma said.
Organizers of the largest fireworks shows near Indianapolis haven’t announced any cancellations yet.
“Fourth Fest will be going ahead as scheduled,” Faith Thompson, a spokesperson for the Downtown Indy Alliance, which organizes the fireworks show downtown, wrote in an email. Updates will be posted on the Downtown Indy Alliance’s social media accounts.
Heat and humidity could impact festivities during the rest of the day. With a forecast high of 88 F and a heat index that could rise to 95 degrees in the late afternoon, Indianapolis remains under a National Weather Service heat advisory until 9 p.m. Tomorrow’s forecast is slightly cooler with scattered showers possible.
Though temperatures have cooled slightly after last week’s scorching heat wave, Puma said the health effects of hot weather can build up over time.
If you start to feel overheated, Puma recommends drinking plenty of fluids and moving indoors. If you’re planning to participate in outdoor activities, stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day, he said.
Tilly Robinson is a Pulliam fellow for the Indianapolis Star. She can be reached at tilly.robinson@indystar.com.
View the creative headshots of the finalists competing for a spot on the 2026 Indianapolis Colts Cheer squad during Saturday’s Cheer Audition Showcase. Tune in to watch the team announcement LIVE on Colts social media platforms at 6:15 PM ET, March 7.
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