The Green Bay Packers schemed and crafted their way to a six-point win over the Indianapolis Colts without Jordan Love in Week 2, but make no mistake — their star QB can’t get back soon enough.
Green Bay didn’t put Love on the injured reserve list (IR) ahead of the game on Sunday, September 15, which means the team is optimistic he can return inside of the next three weeks.
Reporters asked head coach Matt LaFleur on Monday for an update on the status of Love’s sprained knee, to which he responded vaguely yet concisely.
“I did see Jordan in the training room,” LaFleur said, per Ryan Wood of USA Today. “I know he’s doing everything he can.”
Wood added that LaFleur intentionally doesn’t speak with the team’s medical staff until mid-week so that he doesn’t have to dodge injury questions on Monday and can honestly say that he doesn’t have any more information. A more in-depth assessment of Love’s health condition will likely come during a media session Wednesday.
Packers’ New Blueprint Will Be Tested in Coming Weeks
Meanwhile, backup quarterback Malik Willis managed the team’s contest effectively by completing 12-of-15 passes for 122 yards and 1 TD. He also rushed the football 6 times for 41 yards.
The Packers leaned heavily into the run game, led by running back Josh Jacobs with 32 carries and 151 yards. As a whole, the team rushed the football 53 times for 261 yards and forced 3 turnovers on its way to a 16-10 victory over Indianapolis at Lambeau Field.
The strategy of leaning on the run game and the defense, which several analysts outlined ahead of Week 2, worked for the Packers. The question, however, is how sustainable that truly is.
Green Bay has a relatively favorable schedule over the next three weeks. The team travels to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans (0-2) next weekend in a revenge game for Willis. The Titans drafted the QB in 2022 before trading him to the Packers for a seventh-round pick in late August.
Green Bay will then host the Minnesota Vikings, who are an unexpected 2-0 and currently leading the NFC North Division, in Week 4 before heading west to play the Los Angeles Rams (0-2) in Week 5.
Packers Unlikely to Pursue New QB After Adequate Play From Malik Willis in Week 2
Love should be back no later than the following week to take on the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field, and could potentially return earlier. As such, if the Packers can get past the Titans in Week 3 to move to 2-1 on the year, they will probably escape Love’s injury relatively unscathed.
In any case, Willis played well enough that Green Bay probably won’t be looking to the free agent or trade markets this week to add another QB to the depth chart. That could change if Willis gets injured and the team is forced to turn to Sean Clifford, or if Love has a setback in his rehabilitation.
Packers fans should expect the next couple of opponents to stack the box on defense and force Willis to make plays to his young wide receiver corps, which could create some bumps in the road before the QB room regains fully healthy status.
