INDIANAPOLIS — The Green Bay Packers will come home from Saturday's second preseason game with a win and some work to do after topping the Indianapolis Colts 23-19 on a late touchdown at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Sean Clifford's 11-yard touchdown run with 1:31 to play proved to be decisive, with the win confirmed as the Packers defense stopped the Colts in Green Bay territory in the final minute.
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Coach Matt LaFleur withheld 29 players from Saturday's game, chief among them starting quarterback Jordan Love. Love underwent surgery to repair a ligament in his left (non-throwing) thumb earlier this week. Clifford, Malik Willis and Taylor Elgersma split the quarterbacking duties. Willis was 6-for-14 for 83 yards in his stint, which extended into the second quarter.
The Green Bay offense didn't generate points until Mark McNamee's 43-yard field goal on the last play of the first half. The first touchdown came with 4:19 left in the third quarter, a 3-yard run from Israel Abanikanda. Amar Johnson also found the end zone for Green Bay, which averaged nearly four yards per carry and totaled 159 yards on 40 rushes.
Indianapolis' main concern for the day was sorting out a quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones. With both auditioning for the top job, most of the Colts' offensive starters played deep into the first half as the hosts got out to a 13-0 lead.
Green Bay, meanwhile, committed 12 penalties, five of them by backup right tackle and second-round draft pick Anthony Belton alone (two for illegal formation, one false start, one unnecessary roughness and one face mask). The Packers also lost a fumble for the game's only turnover.
The Packers (1-1 preseason) will conclude the exhibition season on Saturday, Aug. 23 vs. Seattle at Lambeau Field.
By Staff reports
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