By the numbers: 5 Packers stats that tell the story of Week 2

The Packers headed into their home opener on Sunday without a victory or their starting quarterback. Fortunately for fans at Lambeau Field, Malik Willis did enough in relief of Jordan Love to earn the team's first win.

Predictably, head coach Matt LaFleur and his staff did everything they could to make life easy on their untested signal-caller. The game plan relied heavily on Josh Jacobs and the ground game to get out to an early lead. Willis used his legs to help the cause, but the team limited his need to throw the football. Here are five more statistics that help explain how the Packers emerged victorious without relying on their aerial attack.

Week 2 Packers player stats you need to know

Malik Willis: 14 passing attempts

Willis deserves credit for completing 12 of his 14 attempts on the afternoon, but he was not asked to push the ball down the field under any sort of pressure. Instead, the Packers' coaching staff served up a perfect blueprint on how to ease a young quarterback into action via his first NFL start.

Some of Willis' lack of attempts can be explained by Green Bay jumping out to an early lead. That reduced any need for the Packers to rely on their quarterback to win the game with his arm. The jury is still out on whether or not Willis can do that in the coming weeks if Love remains on the sidelines.

The Packers will need to employ a more balanced offensive attack in the future, but Willis did what was asked of him durint this game with outstanding efficiency. 14 passing attempts didn't give him an opportunity to showcase his upside, but it did prove he is capable of working within the confines of an NFL offense. That was enough to earn Green Bay a much-needed win and to settle some nerves inside the organization regarding Willis' ability to be the backup quarterback.

Josh Jacobs: 32 rushing attempts

Some NFL observers scoffed when the Packers elected to spend big money on Josh Jacobs in free agency but he was worth every penny to his new team in Week 2. Green Bay doesn't want to feed Jacobs 30+ carries on a weekly basis but giving him that kind of workload was instrumental in knocking off Indianapolis.

Jacobs racked up 151 yards on the day which was good for an average of 4.7 yards per carry. One explosive 34-yard gain helped buoy that average, but he managed to push the pile forward almost every time he touched the ball.

His workload was clearly important to lessen the need for Willis to throw the ball, but Jacobs' durability also helped prop up an inexperienced running back room for another week. MarShawn Lloyd managed to take five carries of his own, but it's obvious the coaching staff doesn't trust him to eat into Jacobs' workload at this stage of his rookie campaign.

Green Bay needs to be careful not to overwork Jacobs to make sure he's fresh down the stretch. He might continue to assume a massive workload while Love is on the bench, but that could cause the Packers trouble down the line.

Packers secondary: 3 interceptions

Winning the turnover battle was a key for the Packers heading into the game and their secondary made sure they secured the victory. Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams and Eric Wilson all snagged one pick each against Anthony Richardson.

Green Bay did lose one fumble on the day, but going plus-2 in the turnover battle was more than enough to earn the win. Richardson is known for his ability to make elite throws, but he still struggles with his accuracy on intermediate and deep balls. The Packers baited him into several dangerous throws and converted three of them into valuable interceptions.

It's particularly interesting to note that none of the interceptions came from a cornerback on the roster. McKinney and Williams got theirs from the safety position and Wilson was playing linebacker. That speaks to the quality disguise that was deployed by defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley against the young quarterback of the Colts.

The Packers won't be able to win the mental battle against every quarterback they face but it was key to their win over Indianapolis. Things would have been much different for Green Bay had it been their young signal-caller turning the ball over on three occasions.

Packers defense gave up 140 rushing yards on just 18 attempts

One reason why it was incumbent on the Packers' secondary to force three turnovers is that the team's front-seven got handled by the Colts' offensive front. Giving up 7.8 yards per carry will get teams beat frequently in the modern NFL.

Jonathan Taylor was particularly effective on his 12 carries. He went over the century mark with 103 yards rushing and looked dangerous time each time he touched the ball. The Packers are fortunate they were playing with a lead for most of the game which forced Indianapolis to throw more than they might have otherwise.

The rushing defensive is something the Packers need to shore up before they get into more competitive games in the coming weeks. It didn't prove to be a fatal flaw in Week 2 but it should be a point of emphasis for the coaching staff this week.

Josh Myers PFF grade: 56.1

Quantifying the play of NFL offensive lineman is not easy, but PFF grades tell an accurate story on how players perform. That's why Myers, average score of just 56.1 on the season is so concerning for Green Bay.

In fairness, Myers did improve his play after a disastrous performance in the Week 1 loss to the Eagles. The challenge is that he still looked overwhelmed at the point of attack on multiple occasions. That's a big concern for a young, untested quarterback like Willis.

In many ways, it's a testament to the rest of the offensive line that they were able to generate push against the run with such poor center play. The theory of Myers is that he uses his craft to generate movement with good angle blocks. That theory has not produced reality during the 2024 season.

It's far too early to turn to Jacob Monk to see what he can do at center, but it's a situation worth monitoring for the Packers as their season rumbles along. It will be harder and harder for them to overcome his poor play if it continues to be a trend.