Now that the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills have opened up Week 2 of the NFL season, the No. 1 game to watch on Sunday will be the Indianapolis Colts against the Green Bay Packers, two teams with high expectations looking to dodge an 0-2 start.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love suffered an MCL sprain to his left leg during their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil last week. He has not been put on the injured reserve list by the organization, however, and there is speculation that he might play against Indianapolis.
Evan Smith, a former Packers center, said on his podcast, “On the Line,” this week that he believes Love will indeed play in Sunday’s game, saying, “Trust me. They can tape you to make sure your MCL is there.” Smith also mentioned that Love is on a $220 million contract and implied that he will be expected to push through some injuries for that reason.
“I’ve seen quarterbacks paid less push through more,” he said.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur, however, said in his weekly press conference that while Love is doing everything he can to be back as soon as possible, he does not plan on putting him in sooner than he’s ready at the risk of harming him and the team in the long-term future.
Whether or not we see Love on the field Sunday, the Packers will have backup Malik Willis prepared. He was inserted into the game after Love’s injury last week, finishing with an incompletion and a sack, as the Packers dropped a 34-29 decision to the Eagles.
A relatively new Packer, Willis’ snaps against the Eagles marked the first regular-season action with the club. On Sunday, in fact, he will have only been in the organization for 20 days.
When LaFleur was questioned as to why he’s starting Willis over third-string quarterback Sean Clifford, he told reporters, “Because Malik’s on the roster and he’s our No. 2 quarterback and that shows we’re going to roll. . . He’s grinded, he’s learned the terminology and is able to spit out the play calls, and we’ve got confidence in him.”
LaFleur added that, with a full week of practice and preparation, he believes Willis is going to perform “at a high level.”
LaFleur also spoke about preparing Willis and said that communication between the two of them was going to be very important when navigating what plays Willis will be most comfortable with and confident in.
“It’s not like we’re dealing with a rookie here that has no background,” the coach said. “A lot of these offenses do similar things, it’s just how you do them when you do them, who you are putting where. So we will take that all into account.”
On the other hand, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is healthy and ready to go and understands his team’s potential for long drives if Willis struggles to move the ball for the Packers.
“Regardless of how explosive our offense is, we’ve got to give the defense time to recover, get their minds right,” he said. “[We need to make] sure we can manage the game as well as being explosive.”
Richardson, a Florida native, also referenced the Colts’ 29-27 loss to the Houston Texans last week, saying that the offense got a “little bit trigger-happy.” Like any good athlete and leader, he wants to make sure they learn and adjust. In this case, he believes that means “matching the plan and making sure we’re doing something right for the defense.”
CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-1) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-0), 4:35 p.m. ET
Another game to pay close attention to this week is the Cincinnati Bengals against the Kansas City Chiefs, featuring two of America’s favorite quarterbacks, Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes.
The Bengals, who were the odds-on favorite to win the AFC North this season, lost, 16-10, to the New England Patriots last week. However, Chiefs coach Andy Reid said that they are not to be underestimated going into Week 2.
“Listen, they are a great football team. They are very well coached,” Reid said. “Right now, they are just trying to get their guys back together that haven’t been able to play. We know they are going to come in here and be ready to go. I don’t know what has gone on in the past or anything else, but I do know every time we play each other, it is a heck of a football game.”
Reid added that, as the Super Bowl champions, the Chiefs always have to be prepared with their best because their opponents come in ready to fight.
“Execution is the biggest one, that is normally what you get. You get aggressive plays against us, and I will tell you that tempos are different,” Reid said. “Especially come playoffs at every level, it is a crazy deal. When teams like this play each other — it is a different tempo.”
Burrow solidified his team’s desperation level this week, saying, “We weren’t consistently good play to play [against the Patriots]. We didn’t find the explosives needed to win that game. We didn’t play well enough to win that game. We turned the ball over, you know, a combination of a lot of things led us to losing that game.”
Burrow’s tone indicates that he is coming off the loss hot and motivated, ready to push even harder for this upcoming game. When asked about an opportunity to beat the Super Bowl champions, he said, “Yeah, we’re excited about it. But right now, I’m just focused on getting better every day. You know, Sunday comes when Sunday comes. I’m focused on learning from the practice today, coming out and having a good day tomorrow, and going from there. Now, if you stack practices together, you’re going to go out and play continually better on Sunday. So, that’s what I’m focused on right now.”
The best athletes in history all have that one defining trait. They are not hyperfocused on beating the competition, but rather strive to push themselves to their absolute limits. Being the best they can be projects them even further in their dominance and intrinsic satisfaction than the praise of a slim win. Burrow, a Super Bowl quarterback and a national champion at LSU, is focused on the growth of his team and racking up as many wins as possible.
Knowing that one is out there Sunday against the Chiefs is only adding fuel to the fire.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-0) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (1-0), 1:00 p.m. ET
Earlier in the day, two teams looking for a 2-0 start will take center stage in Texas, with the New Orleans Saints playing in the Dallas Cowboys’ home opener.
This will be the first game at AT&T Stadium since Dak Prescott, quarterback for the Cowboys, signed a four-year $240 million contract extension with an $80 million signing bonus. With an annual average of $60 million, he is now the highest-paid player in NFL history.
