The Green Bay Packers sat 31 players in Sunday night’s preseason clash with the Denver Broncos and were blown out — falling behind 17-0 at halftime — at the hands of Sean Payton’s team at EmPower Field at Mile High. It took a safety on a sack of Zach Wilson in the second half to avoid a shutout.
After a disappointing overall performance at Friday’s joint practice and Sunday’s no-show, Matt LaFleur’s team needs to get home from Denver and regroup before the final week of the preseason starts back up on Tuesday.
Here is an instant analysis of the Packers’ loss to the Broncos in the preseason on Sunday:
Scoring summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| GB (1-1) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| DEN (2-0) | 3 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
Scoring plays
First quarter
DEN 3, GB 0: Will Lutz 37-yard FG (8:23)
Second quarter
DEN 10, GB 0: Tim Patrick 2-yard catch (13:14)
DEN 17, GB 0: Jarrett Stidham 9-yard run (0:30)
Third quarter
DEN 20, GB 0: Will Lutz 39-yard FG (5:11)
DEN 20, GB 2: Zach Wilson sacked for safety (0:54)
Fourth quarter
DEN 27, GB 2: Tyler Badie 7-yard catch (5:48)
It was over when…
… the Packers briefly had life following a safety and an extended drive on the ensuing possession, but Michael Pratt failed to convert on third down and Greg Joseph’s 47-yard field goal sailed wide right — preserving Denver’s 20-2 advantage early in the fourth quarter.
Game balls
Offense — RB Emanuel Wilson: His 11-yard catch off a one-handed catch on a screen was the offense’s longest passing play, and he also ripped off a 22-yard run. Wilson also produced a few key pass pro blocks on blitz attempts.
Defense — LB Kristian Welch: He caught the defense’s lone takeaway on a tipped ball to open the second half. Welch also produced a tackle for loss and two other run stops.
Special teams — P Daniel Whelan: His first two punts sailed in the altitude and resulted in touchbacks, but Whelan delivered two punts inside the 20-yard line and also drew a 15-yard penalty.
Key stat
3-for-16: The Packers finished 3-for-13 on third down and 0-for-3 on fourth down. Failing to convert the big downs meant the Packers ran zero plays inside the opponent’s red zone.
Deciding factor
The Packers got nothing going in the passing game. Protection was inconsistent, and neither Sean Clifford nor Michael Pratt played well. The Packers attempted 26 passes but managed only 80 net passing yards. Clifford threw a bad interception, and Pratt lost a fumble.
Jordan Love watch
Love watched from the sideline as both of the quarterbacks vying to be his backup struggled mightily. This was nothing short of a confidence-rattling performance from Clifford and Pratt, who both failed to lead a scoring drive. The Packers averaged 3.7 yards per passing attempt.
Play of the game
SACK FOR THE SAFETY!#GBvsDEN pic.twitter.com/mMezKiwyUI
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 19, 2024
The Packers avoided a preseason shutout. How? Zach Morton won on a stunt to the inside and sacked Zach Wilson in the end zone, providing the Packers’ only two points of an ugly performance overall.
Injury updates
Rookie linebacker Ralen Goforth left with a concussion. The Packers did not report any other in-game injuries.
What’s next
The Packers have an open practice on Tuesday, a joint practice with the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday and the preseason finale at Lambeau Field on Saturday.