GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Matt LaFleur didn't ask Malik Willis to throw often on Sunday in his first start for the Green Bay Packers. After all, how much could the Green Bay Packers coach ask of a quarterback who was traded to his team just 20 days earlier?
In a run-heavy game plan that worked just well enough to eke out a 16-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts at Lambeau Field, Willis threw only 14 passes in place of the injured Jordan Love (knee). It's not that LaFleur wanted Willis to throw much more than that, but he did want at least one more pass.
With the Packers leading 10-0 and facing a third-and-10 from their own 47-yard line late in the first half, LaFleur wondered why Willis scrambled only to get stopped after a 3-yard gain, forcing a punt. He wasn't expecting the answer he got.
"I asked Malik why he didn't throw the ball on third down, and he told me that Josh threw up on the ball," LaFleur said, referring to center Josh Myers. "I was like, 'That's the first time I've ever heard that.' Matter of fact, the official came over to me, Shawn [Hochuli] came over to me and said, 'We saw your center throwing up on the ball, do you want us to take him out next time?' I said, 'Absolutely, please do that.' Because you're talking about a critical situation, and it's third down, and I've never had a throw with vomit on a football. I think Malik probably didn't appreciate that."
The Packers appreciated what Willis did, even though he threw for only 122 yards. He completed 12 of 14 passes and threw his first NFL touchdown pass -- a 14-yarder to Dontayvion Wicks in the first quarter.
Myers said he has thrown up in games before; in fact, he did so in last week's season-opening loss to the Eagles in Brazil, so he's 2-for-2 on games puked in this season. But he said he has never done it with his hand on the ball just before a snap. Playing in 85-degree heat -- the second-hottest game-time temperature ever for a game at Lambeau Field -- didn't help.
When told some of his vomit ended up on the football, Myers said: "I tried to lean over. Dang, I'm going to have apologize for that one. That was probably pretty gross."
Just about everything else went according to LaFleur's plan. The Packers ran the ball 53 times -- their most in a game since 1978. They did it to the tune of 261 yards, including 164 in the first quarter -- the most rushing yards in a first quarter by any NFL team since the 2011 Broncos (with Tim Tebow as their quarterback). A Green Bay running back had not carried 30 times in a game since Ryan Grant in the 2008 season. Josh Jacobs did so in his second game since signing with the Packers this past offseason.
Jacobs carried 32 times for 151 yards. He would've had his first touchdown as a Packer if not for his fumble at the Colts' 1-yard line early in the second quarter. Willis was the team's second-leading rusher with 41 yards on six carries followed by receiver Jayden Reed's 37 yards on two runs.
The Colts had to know LaFleur would put the ball in Jacobs' hands considering Willis never reached the 100-yard passing mark in his previous three starts -- all with the Titans during his rookie season of 2022. Through four career starts, Willis' teams have averaged 232.5 rushing yards per game. According to Elias Sports Bureau, that's the third-highest average for any quarterback through his first four career starts since at least 1950.
"It was definitely huge because obviously he's only been here two weeks," Jacobs said of the run game. "He did really good with what was asked of him, but we knew we had to come in and run the ball today. We knew we had to set that tone."
But Willis made enough throws when he needed to, highlighted by his touchdown pass to Wicks and a 39-yarder down the right sideline to Romeo Doubs early in the fourth quarter that set up a field goal. Wicks and Doubs were tied for a team-high three catches. Perhaps LaFleur will be willing to open up the passing game more next week if Willis starts a second straight game in place of Love, who a source said was close to being able to play against the Colts on Sunday.
"When they're given an opportunity, you see, they make a play, like Wicks; that was a quick throw, and he turns it into a touchdown, you know what I mean?" Willis said. "Throughout the game, I know they wish they had more opportunities, but the way we were running the ball, it's just what it is. You've got to lean on that. Those big guys were like, 'Hey, put it on us,' you know what I mean?
"It's great to see them fight through the adversity of losing the starting guy and having a guy who's been here three weeks come in and kind of rally behind me, I rallied behind them and we kind of did this thing together."