Malik Willis acknowledges that he wasn’t fully prepared during his previous NFL start but was determined to be ready for his next opportunity. On Sunday, he demonstrated his readiness by helping the Green Bay Packers secure a 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts.

Since joining the Packers in a trade from Tennessee on August 27, Willis threw his first career touchdown pass, stepping in for the injured Jordan Love. Packers coach Matt LaFleur praised Willis’s performance, noting the short time he had been with the team.

Love was sidelined due to a left medial collateral ligament injury sustained in a recent loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, marking his first missed game since becoming the Packers’ starting quarterback last year.

The Packers (1-1) relied heavily on their running game, with Josh Jacobs rushing for 151 yards, contributing to a total of 261 rushing yards. The defense also played a key role, intercepting Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson three times.

Willis, who had struggled in his previous starts, completed 12 of 14 passes for 122 yards and a 14-yard touchdown to Dontayvion Wicks. Brayden Narveson added three field goals for Green Bay.

Indianapolis’s Jonathan Taylor ran for 103 yards but didn’t see much action in the fourth quarter. Richardson was 17 of 34 for 204 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

The Packers took an early 10-0 lead and extended it to 13-0 by the third quarter. Their strong running game was pivotal, with 164 rushing yards in the first quarter and 237 yards by halftime.

Despite the challenging heat, which reached 85 degrees, the Packers maintained their offensive strategy, running the ball on 53 of their 67 plays. The Colts struggled with their run defense and missed multiple scoring opportunities.

Indianapolis managed to close the gap to 16-10 with a late touchdown but failed to recover the onside kick. The game ended with an interception by Green Bay’s Evan Williams.