The defense picked off Richardson twice in team 11-on-11. Keisean Nixon corralled a ball that was batted up on an Adonai Mitchell drop. With Richardson rotating on the Colts’ second-team offense, rookie Johnathan Baldwin flashed in front of a deep ball down the seam for an INT.
The No. 1 defense lamented Indianapolis reaching the end zone in two-minute at the end of practice, though Van Ness probably had a sack of Richardson on the two-point play.
The defense still finished on a high note when Simmons scored an impressive interception from Jones to end the second-team offense’s two-minute period.
What made Thursday’s performance especially satisfying is the defense didn’t need a huge rallying cry from the coaches. To a man, the Packers knew where they came up short against the Jets and wanted to turn the tables against Indianapolis.
“I don’t think we need the coaches to push us to come out fast,” Van Ness said. “I think we recognized that as a group.”
Another strong sign of progress came with how Green Bay’s defense attacked the ball against the Colts. After Hafley lamented how the emphasis on forced fumbles didn’t show up against the Jets, the Packers were punching at the football again.
On the play after Nixon’s interception, safety Javon Bullard forced a fumble of Mitchell that Evan Williams picked up and ran back to the end zone.
“There were a few mistakes today, but I was proud of the effort we came out with, the intensity we came out with and really just being ball aware,” Williams said. “We took the ball away a couple times and it felt good.”
For Clark, the longest-tenured player on the team, he was pleased with how the defense responded. Obviously, it is just one day and whoever plays this Saturday against the Colts will have to maintain that momentum inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
However, the loss to the Jets served a purpose. It was a wake-up call and hard look in the mirror for a defense with exceedingly high expectations for itself this season.
“We played lights out today, did our job,” Clark said. “Of course, there are mistakes that you’re gonna have to clean up and all that stuff but we played fast, played physical, played with great effort the whole day. Got turnovers and did our job most of the day.”