GREEN BAY – Behind backup QB Malik Willis, a highly productive running game and a stout defense, the Packers won their home opener, 16-10 over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Lambeau Field.

Here are five takeaways from the triumph, which improved the Packers to 1-1 on the young season.

1. The sighs of relief and satisfaction were simultaneous.

It was closer than anybody wanted it to be, Matt LaFleur included, as the head coach let out an extensive "whew" to start his comments at the postgame podium.

The Packers controlled the game throughout but could never deliver the knockout blow, which allowed the Colts to get a Hail Mary attempt from 59 yards out on the game's final play.

Rookie safety Evan Williams intercepted it, allowing a satisfying feeling to wash over the Packers, overcoming the challenge of missing starting QB Jordan Love and finding a way to come out on top.

"I can't tell you how proud I am of our football team," LaFleur said. "You've got to battle for 60 minutes and our guys did that."

LaFleur praised offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich and the entire offensive staff for crafting an effective game plan for Willis, who had just arrived in Green Bay via trade 19 days ago. He also gave it up for the players' execution, which wasn't flawless but far sharper than in the opener in Brazil last week.

"The challenges of going into a football game without your quarterback, with a guy that's been here three weeks … ," LaFleur said, admitting this ranks among his favorite wins in six seasons as head coach. "It's a credit to everybody."

2. The game plan was obvious right from the jump.

Green Bay started the game pounding away on the ground and never quit, ultimately running the ball 53 times for 261 yards to gain a time of possession advantage of 20 minutes, 22 seconds by game's end. All but 24 of those rushing yards came in the first half on 34 attempts, a 7.0 average that established early and often which team owned the line of scrimmage.

"Fifty-three rushes … it's one thing to want to do that, but to be able to go out and execute that, I think that says a lot about really just all 11 out there, starting with the offensive line," LaFleur said. "We had shifts, motions, a ton of different run schemes."

He added that after a "shaky day at practice" on Wednesday, LaFleur made a point to challenge the offensive line, entering their meeting room to deliver a message.

"I went in there and said, 'Hey, we're winning this game through you guys,' and I thought they stepped up," he said.

The Colts certainly clamped down better in the second half, but with a 13-0 lead until late in the third quarter, and a 16-3 lead until late in the fourth quarter, the Packers were never forced to turn away from the run. There was no need to take any chances with Willis, so the passing was very selective, and effective (12-of-14, 122 yards, one TD, 126.8 rating).

"The big boys did a great job, no doubt," Willis said of the line getting it done with the run. "Almost 250 yards in the first half, that's insane.

"They just made it easy on us and just made me have to go out and be really efficient more than go out and have to win it myself."

Willis also hit multiple key passes on third down when he needed to – a 14-yard TD to Dontayvion Wicks on third-and-4, a 17-yarder to tight end Tucker Kraft on third-and-9, and a 39-yarder over the top to Romeo Doubs on third-and-5. The latter two set up successful field goals.

"What a catch by Rome," LaFleur said of the adjustment against the defender and leap to make the grab. "That was a big-time catch."

3. Josh Jacobs was the workhorse, with just one regrettable play.

Jacobs had 20 carries for 128 yards by halftime, and he finished with 32 for 151, one carry shy of his single-game career high for rushing attempts. That's quite the workload on an 85-degree day, tied for the second-hottest home game in team history.

There's just one play he'd love to have back – first-and-goal from the Indy 4 early in the second quarter. Jacobs found an opening and appeared to be lunging for the goal line and a touchdown that would've put the Packers up 17-0 just three offensive possessions into the game.

But the ball squirted out as he was hit from the right, and the Colts recovered in the end zone.

"I don't think I can articulate what was going through my mind on that fumble," LaFleur joked. "But that happens. Josh, I'm sure he was more sick about it than I was. He ran so hard today and he always does.

"He's a great teammate and a great leader for our football team. What did he have, 30 carries? I mean, he put in a good day's work, I'd say. So I know obviously that can be costly, and luckily for us it didn't cost us."

The Packers also left points out there when rookie kicker Brayden Narveson missed a 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter that would've pushed the lead to 16 points. For the second straight game, Narveson was 3-for-4 on field goals, with both misses coming wide right from the left hash.

4. The defense bounced back nicely from last week and stood tall, particularly in key moments.

Colts QB Anthony Richardson ended up throwing for 204 yards and Jonathan Taylor rushed for 103 on just 12 carries. But interceptions by Xavier McKinney in the first quarter and Eric Wilson in the fourth thwarted potential scoring drives. Those were sandwiched around a fourth-down stop near midfield in the third quarter that helped keep the Colts scoreless for more than 40 minutes.

The approach against Richardson was much the same as it was the week prior against Philly's Jalen Hurts, not wanting the opposing QB to make plays with his legs. Rushing the passer was more about containing him than sacking him, and it worked.

"I know there was a couple plays he got out (of the pocket) late, but I thought for the most part, they did a really good job of just being disciplined," LaFleur said of the defense, which held Richardson to five yards rushing until the last two minutes, when he pushed his total to 37. "(We were) trying to collapse the pocket, get in front of him and force him to make some bad decisions."

The defense also got a pair of stops to force field-goal attempts, one of which was missed, from 50 yards out early in the fourth quarter. It would've pulled the Colts within 13-6 and changed the complexion of things.

5. The bottom line: If the Packers need to play another game or two without Love, they've proven they can win.

"You know adversity's coming every week in this league," LaFleur said. "You face it obviously going into the game when you don't have your star quarterback, and you've just got to find a way to win.

"Because at the end of the day, nobody cares. This game is about winning, and you've got to do it, however you've got to find a way, and our guys found a way."