The Green Bay Packers overcame themselves as much as they did the Indianapolis Colts to earn their first preseason win in comeback fashion Saturday, 24-19. Green Bay committed 12 penalties for 95 yards, while Indianapolis balanced the flag fest by adding 11 for 103. Coach Matt LaFleur rested almost all starters for the game as planned.
The second-string offense opened the game with a promising drive against the Colts’ starting defense. The Packers converted two fourth downs en route to the fringe red zone. On a 4th & 1, Chris Brooks ducked left behind Jordan Morgan and Donovan Jennings for the conversion.
Then from midfield, Malik Willis bought time inside a clean pocket before John Fitzpatrick broke open over the middle. Willis fired the pass to him for the 4th & 5 conversion. However, the drive stalled and backup kicker Mark McNamee missed his first NFL field goal attempt wide left from 39 yards.
The sixth play on the Packers’ second drive epitomized much of the game for both teams. Facing a 3rd and 4 from his own 41, Willis – much like Jordan Love a year ago – opted for a low-percentage deep throw down the sideline into tight coverage. Willis dropped the ball beautifully into the bucket for receiver Julian Hicks who made a remarkable one-handed, sliding catch as he kept his knee in bounds. A holding call on Jennings negated the big play.
The Green Bay defensive backups held their own against the Indianapolis starters, though the Colts had plenty of their own self-inflicted mistakes. The Colts’ first drive stalled at midfield after a botched snap. Arron Mosby forced a holding penalty on Indianapolis’ second drive in the low red zone which led to a Colts field goal, 3-0.
Rookie tackle Anthony Belton’s awful second quarter began on the next Green Bay drive. He started the drive with a false start, and effectively ended it at midfield when he committed an inexcusable unnecessary roughness penalty. On the second Packer drive of the quarter, Belton committed a facemask penalty while the Colts recovered an Emmanuel Wilson fumble. Belton’s blunders continued to worsen.
Taylor Elgersma, now at quarterback, led the Packers to the Colts’ 20-yard line with under 30 seconds left in the half. On first down, Belton allowed a pressure that almost turned into a sack and fumble. On the next play, the mammoth lineman didn’t line up on the line of scrimmage. The miscue negated a touchdown pass Elgersma rifled down the middle between two defenders to Ben Sims. Green Bay settled for a field goal to end the half, and cameras showed LaFleur expressing his frustration to Belton as the team jogged to the locker room. Belton committed five penalties in the second quarter and directly cost the team four points.
While the Packer offense again failed to get out of its own way, the Colts found success. Anthony Richardson led a balanced 12-play, 90-yard drive that ended in a touchdown run by former Packer Tyler Goodson. Indianapolis added three more after the Wilson fumble and led at halftime 13-3.
Belton, along with the rest of the team, responded in the second half. After a Colts three-and-out, Elgersma led Green Bay on a 14-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. The Canadian slinger displayed some arm talent finding Cornelius Johnson over the middle for a conversion, and setting his back foot and ripping the ball to Hicks in tight coverage. He also displayed his inexperience with the American game when he threw the ball late to the backside for an interception. Fortunately, a Colt penalty negated the pick. Israel Abanikanda punched in Green Bay’s first touchdown from three yards out, 13-10.
A Colts field goal extended the lead to six before Green Bay scored another touchdown to tie the game at 16 after McNamee missed the extra point. Eglersma twice found Johnson on crossing routes, including an 18-yard pickup on 4th & 3. Two players later, Amar Johnson plunged in with a pile of bodies for the tying nine-yard touchdown run. On the play, Belton drove his defensive lineman four yards off the ball and then bulldozed the pile across the goal line.
Belton played almost the entire second half after starting the game, and didn’t commit a penalty in the final 30 minutes. Elgersma finished 7/11 for 109 yards while Johnson had three catches for 41 yards.
Indianapolis answered with another field goal before Sean Clifford had his turn at quarterback. With 6:33 on the clock, Clifford managed a game-winning touchdown drive that found success on the ground. Clifford converted a 4th & 7 with his legs when he scrambled left for nine yards. Then on 2nd & goal from the 11, Clifford kept the ball on what appeared to be a zone read. He again found green grass to the left and scampered in for the winning touchdown with a minute and a half remaining, 24-19.
Indianapolis moved the ball rather easily on its final drive before finally being stopped at the Green Bay 31. On 4th & 10 with 13 seconds remaining, tight end Jelani Woods broke free up the right sideline and appeared to make an acrobatic touchdown catch at the front pylon. However, replay review determined he didn’t complete the catch through the ground and the Packers held on for the win.
Other Notes
Elgersma took the majority of series at quarterback after only have one last week. The playing time flipped with Clifford.
Jordan Morgan again played the entire first half at left tackle and did a very good job, even against the Colts’ starters for a drive. It will be interesting how much he pushes Rasheed Walker for the starting left tackle spot, or if it’s just truly Morgan and Sean Rhyan battling for the starting right guard job.
Marshawn Lloyd looked excellent in his first, brief action of the season. He beat a linebacker on a wheel route up the right sideline for 33 yards. He was then rolled up on the tackle and appeared to injure his right foot or leg. He did not return after LaFleur simply said “we’ll see” regarding the injury.
Safety Omar Brown was carted off with an oxygen mask due to a chest contusion and will stay in Indianapolis overnight. End Barryn Sorrell injured his knee and will be evaluated back in Green Bay.