NFL Week 15: Packers vs. Broncos Preview & Prediction

Before looking at this Sunday's game in Denver vs. the 11-2 Broncos, a quick look back to last weekend's game vs. Da Bearz in Lambeau Field. Here it is: Packers won ... 28-21! (If you check our prediction for that game, we once again had the spread correct on the final score, just off a few points for both teams with the prediction. Still ...)

The Pack was in control in the first half, but Chicago made adjustments at halftime which basically allowed them to make a game of it in the second half by controlling the time of possession. The Pack's defense was gassed. They couldn't get off the field and when they did, Green Bay's offense either scored too quickly (as defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley noted in his chat with the press during this past week) or couldn't sustain possessions to let their defense get a breather.

It was a nail biter at the end, with the victory sealed by an interception in the end zone on a 4th-and-1 play that new Chicago head coach Ben Johnson would probably like a mulligan on. Whew! The Packers see Da Bearz next Saturday night in Chicago in primetime in what will be an even colder game than they played last weekend. Bundle up if you're going (like my Chicago fan buddies Bill and Jack ... good luck with the cold guys, not the game).

On to the game at hand.

We hope to see the Packers celebrating like this

throughout the game versus the Broncos on Sunday.

(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

The Preview

Both of these teams are mentioned as Super Bowl contenders. Some pundits even suggest that this game may be a Super Bowl preview. Let's set that aside for the moment. Can't even get there without winning one game at a time, starting with this one, obviously.

Denver has won 10 straight games, albeit without really dominating opponents. They've won 11 straight home games going back to last season. The Broncos are coming off two straight road game wins. Returning to Mile High Stadium (is it still called that???), the home fans will be jacked. Historically, the Packers have not done well in Denver: 1-7.

Packers QB Jordan Love has already said the GB offense will be operating on a silent count the whole game because of the noise. Factor in the altitude, and this is a tough test for any team. 

The Broncos have a great defense — as does the Packers — and an ascending offense under QB Bo Nix. More on Denver's offense and quarterback in a moment.

The Broncos have the best third-down defense in the NFL and, coincidentally, the Packers have the best third-down offense in the NFL. The Broncos get many teams into a lot of third-and-longs. It will be a match up of heavyweights in those situations. Denver also likes to play the type of pass defense against which QB Jordan Love has had a great deal of success. So if the O-line can protect Love and give him time, he and his receivers could have a big day. That's a big if because Denver's defense has been a sack machine this season, on track to tie or even surpass the 1985 Bears. Yowza.

This will likely be the best defense, and especially defensive front, the Packers will see the rest of the season. The ability of the offensive line to create some running lanes for the Pack's running backs, to set up play-action, will be hugely tested. If they can't do that, it could be a long day for Love. It won't be easy as Denver's defense is No. 1 in the NFL in yards allowed per rushing attempt. Oy.

Back to Denver's offense and QB ... in terms of abilities, Nix reminds some of Chicago QB Caleb Williams: young guy, good arm and dangerous legs. The Packers know how to scheme against that type of quarterback. Execution of the scheme is, as always, the key. And Denver will have the home field advantage of the fans allowing them to call out the signals.

Weather conditions will be balmy in Denver for mid-December. Kickoff temperature is predicted to be in the low 60s. Sweet. Despite that, the Packers will still be wearing their "Winter Warning" all-white uniforms ... which have come to grow on at least some of us. (Yeah ... we like 'em!)

The Packers on Saturday, in a concerning move, added backup RB Emanuel Wilson to the injury report and listed him as questionable. This apparently arose due to an illness. It's concerning, of course, because starting RB Josh Jacobs is also questionable with his ongoing knee issue.  As a result of both of these circumstances, the Packers elevated RB Pierre Strong Jr. from the practice squad; this is Strong's third call-up of the season, the maximum allowed. Elsewhere, most of the receivers are good to go. And the Packers may even have DE Lukas Van Ness available, which would help along the defensive line. Every bit helps. Especially with the need to spell guys given the altitude issues which come along with a visiting team playing in Denver.

If it comes down to a special teams play, Denver has the edge. Returner Marvin Mims is statistically the greatest punt returner in league history in his young career with a 16.1 yard average. He's averaging 26.3 yards per kickoff return. Conversely, the Packers sit at 21st in punt coverage and 13th in kickoff coverage. Yikes! As fans know, penalties have been a real issue all season long for the special teams, with some Packers players now even suggesting that the officials are looking for penalties to call on the Pack while not doing so in a similar way for the opponents. More on that here.

Punter Daniel Whelen will need a big day when called upon to change field position. He's third in the league in average at 51.1 yards and seventh with a 42.7 yard net average. Obviously, kicker Brandon McManus also needs to be spot on with his kickoffs (i.e., make sure they land in the "landing zone" and not the end zone) and make his field goal attempts. With the thinner air, we may see some long attempts. Gotta make 'em, because it may come down to that.

The Prediction

Earlier in the week the Packers were favored by 2-1/2 ... against an 11-2 team ... who is playing at home. At the time of this writing, that spread has tightened and currently sits at 1-1/2 in favor of the Pack. In a game such as this, that doesn't really mean much. Accept perhaps giving the "no respect" card to the Broncos as added incentive. Both teams need to win to stay atop their respective divisions and help solidify playoff seeding in their conferences.

This game could well go down to who has the ball last. Hope not. 

We're calling this game Packers 24 - Broncos 23.

Go Pack Go!!!

2023 NFL Week 7: Packers vs. Broncos Preview & Prediction

Wait, you may be saying: What happened to NFL Week 6? It still happened, of course. Just not for the Packers. Bye week and all that. So a couple weeks since the Pack last played. Seems like forever, doesn't it? A really goofy schedule. On the one one hand, it gave the guys time to heal up a bit. And for coaches time to figure out how to put together a game plan to defeat one of the worst teams in the league right now. Which they pretty much had the opportunity to do, as well, in Las Vegas. But didn't. So the Pack went into their early-season bye at 2-3 (we had them at 3-2 in our preseason prediction).

The Preview

Now, Green Bay faces the worst rushing defense in the league and a veteran QB in Russell Wilson who's apparently on the downside of his career. So it would seem there should be opportunities for the Packers to run the ball. If RB Aaron Jones can figure in on at least a portion of plays, that is. Or, if A.J. Dillon can find his form from a few years ago. And the defense can force Wilson into making some bad choices. A few turnovers going the Pack's way would be a help.

Packers RB Aaron Jones has been limited or out since the opener against Da Bearz.

He's listed as questionable for Sunday's game vs. the Broncos.

(Photo by Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Head coach Matt LaFleur will need to have a balanced offensive plan (a-duh, I know, I know). That begins with the offensive line not putting the offense behind the eight ball series after series with penalties and miscues. They have to give QB Jordan Love time to find mid-range receivers. And, have those young receivers, oh, I dunno, run the right routes. And catch the balls when thrown to them. This isn't rocket science. It's football. And other than a few shining moments through these first weeks, the Packers have been grinding at playing the game effectively. Now they need to be effective and grind out a win.

So, as some pundits and fans are asking: is this a must-win game for the Pack? Not necessarily. But it sure seems like it given the opposing team.

The Prediction

The Packers at the time of this writing are anywhere from 1 to 1-1/2 point favorites. So, pretty much a pick 'em game. And the over-under is set at 45.

We've been burned on our most recent predictions for the Packers. Is this a game the Pack could lose? Of course. They have to show up. They have to execute. Especially the defense, who may be called upon to win the game in a potentially close game.

Sure, Denver gave up 70 points against Miami. Well, the Packers aren't Miami-good right now. So toss that anomaly out the window. But Denver is still bad. Are the Packers better? Time to prove it.

We're calling it Packers 23 - Broncos 17.

Go Pack Go!!!

NFL Week 3 Review of Packers Win vs Broncos, NFL Week 4 Preview vs Eagles — Yet another twofer!

With about 1 hour to go before the Green Bay Packers meet the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field tonight, we're once again in a time crunch. Sorry. Again.

So...for a quick review of last week's game, here it is: the Packers beat the Broncos, as we predicted. We had the 11 point differential correct, albeit slightly more conservative in our score than was the final. But the main thing is, the Pack went to 3-0 on the season to continue their lead of the NFC North. Yay!

Tonight's Game vs. Philly

In last season's game at Philadelphia, NT Kenny Clark chases down
Eagles QB Carson Wentz. He'll need to do so again tonight.
Photo: Jim Matthews / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)

The Pack's offense is still searching to find itself. They've scored more points in each game than they did the prior week, so that would be a good trend to continue. But some of the receivers still aren't living up to expectations and the running game is somewhat hit and miss. The Pack's defense, on the other hand, has been dominating at times, particularly in the secondary, and generating turnovers which have led to points for the offense. That also would be a good trend to continue. But the Packers run defense is leaving something to be desired, giving up 198 yards against the ViQueens and 149 yards rushing against the Broncos That has to get tightened up.

So with only 3 days to prepare for this game, how much improvement on both sides of the ball can we expect? Well, probably not much. But at a quarter of the way through the season now, you hope that some of the things that need to start clicking finally will.

The Prediction

The Eagles, it is said, could just as well be 3-0 as well as the 1-2 at which they now find themselves. They have issues, too. If the Pack's defense hadn't been generating 8 turnovers through the first 3 games, they could just as easily be 1-2, as well. But ... not.

The home field advantage counts for a lot on a short week. The oddsmakers favor the Packers by 5.

We're calling it Packers 27 - Eagles 24.

Go Pack Go!!!

NFL Week 2 Review of Packers Win vs Vikings, NFL Week 3 Preview vs Broncos — Another twofer!

Hello, again, Packer fans! Once again, despite best intentions, we're doing a combo post: first, reviewing (quickly) last weekend's Green Bay Packers win at Lambeau Field vs. the Minnesota Vikings and then taking a peak at today's game at Lambeau vs. the Denver Broncos.

The Win vs. the ViQueens

Packers RB Aaron Jones had a big day against the Vikings.
(Photo: Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis)

Let's say that the Packers' offense did just enough — in one quarter — and, coupled with the second outstanding performance in a row of the young season by the defense. to beat a good Minnesota team 21-16. With Vikes' QB Kirk Cousins doing his best impression of Chicago's Mitch Trubisky, the Packers' defense took advantage of timely turnovers...especially an ill-advised pass to the endzone late in the game that was picked off by DB Kevin King to basically seal the win for the Packers.

The Packers' offense, as noted above, finally showed signs of what it might be able to do throughout the season if it's firing on all cylinders. For a quarter, the squad looked darn near unstoppable. RB Aaron Jones had a great day rushing the ball. When QB Aaron Rodgers was able to get the ball out quickly to his receivers, good things happened.

Let's now see what, if anything, this game's performance might mean for today.

The Broncos Come to Town

In one of those rare occasions when the folks from the Mile High City venture to Green Bay, we get to see a Joe Flacco-led team in the friendly confines of Lambeau today. Flacco isn't the QB he used to be. And he is also prone to making ill-advised passes. So if the Packers' defense continues to perform as in the two opening games, there should be at least one or two opportunities to get turnovers.

Still, Denver should have beaten Da Bearz last weekend. If it weren't for a horrible roughing the passer call in the closing minute of the game to extend Chicago's drive, the Broncos would have won that game.

Denver has potent defenders in the form of linebackers Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, the latter the victim of that horrible penalty call. But Denver's defense has been unable to register a sack through the first two games. Is it likely that streak will extend to three? Doubtful. Bryan Bulaga and David Bhaktiari will have their hands full, particularly if Rodgers holds onto the ball too long.

The Prediction

The oddsmakers have the Pack as 7-point favorites. That seems about right, although we think the Packers' offense will be able to get in gear more so than in the first two games. The defense will take care of itself.

We're calling this game 24-13 Packers over the Broncos.

Go Pack Go!!!

Packers get smacked down in Denver, 29-10

The headline on my preview/prediction post for last night's game between the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos noted that only one of those teams would be 7-0 after the game. Sadly, it's not the Packers.

Boy, was I wrong about this game...although I did note that I was nervous that the Packers were favored and that most pundits were projecting the Pack to win. Somehow, there often seems to be a game such as this lying just around the corner when those types of predictions are made.

In about as flat a performance as we've seen from the Pack this season, even coming off a bye week and supposedly being rested, the intensity level on both sides of the ball for Green Bay did not match that of Denver.

For the second game in a row, the Packers' defense gave up more than 500 yards to the opposing offense. Not a good trend. Conversely, the Packers' offense could do nothing. QB Aaron Rodgers took a pounding. Even when he did get the time to search for receivers, none were getting open. The results was a mere 77 yards passing for Rodgers, the lowest of his career. This ongoing lackluster performance by the offense, despite the record, has essentially been present since about the fourth game of the season.


Packers QB Aaron Rodgers took a pounding in last night's loss to Denver.
Photo by Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
We had also made the comment in our preview that some thought Denver's 6-0 record was more reflective of a pretender than contender. Not last night. In fact, it might actually be the other way around: the Pack's record might be a reflection that in their first six games they had not played a team with a winning record. Who's the pretender? Who's the contender?

So, Packer fans, there are areas for concern. Genuine concern.

The Packers have to go on the road next weekend to play the currently undefeated Carolina Panthers. If the Pack's defense gave up over 500 yards to a supposedly immobile and lacking-in-arm-strength Peyton Manning-led team, just imagine what a quarterback such as Cam Newton might be able to roll up. Think of similar type pass-run quarterbacks and what they typically do against a Packers defense: Russell Wilson and (prior to this season, anyway) Colin Kaepernick come to mind, don't they? It could easily be another 500-yard offensive onslaught by an opponent this coming weekend.

Even more concerning, perhaps, is that the Minnesota ViQueens are now only one game behind the Packers in the NFC North after their last-second win over Da Bearz yesterday. A-whaaaaaa??? Yes, really.

The elements of this beat-down can be analyzed every which way, and are. For one of the better analyses of the game (to no one's surprise) you may wish to read this great article by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Bob McGinn.

Nothing I can add at this point except next week is an opportunity for redemption. The young players who are being asked to step in and step up due to injuries need to start doing so...big time. We'll know what type of team this season's Packers are after this upcoming game against Carolina: pretenders...or contenders.

NFL Week 8: Packers at Broncos...Only one will be 7-0.

Well, Packers fans...the boys in the Green 'n' Gold (or white, green and gold tonight) have had a week off and time to get healthier before the battle in Denver against the Broncos this evening. Yay. B.J. Raji and Davante Adams should see action, while safety Morgan Burnett will be back in the lineup...finally...giving a big boost to the Packers defense. James Starks is questionable with a hip injury. Ty Montgomery is likely out.


Packers safety Morgan Burnett should return to action tonight.
Photo by Mike De Sisti, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Denver, however, also had their bye week last week, as well. Both teams should come in rested and with game plans well-worked out.

But, getting a healthier Eddie Lacy back into the ground game, plus giving QB Aaron Rodgers someone to stretch the field, i.e., Davante Adams, bodes well as the Pack goes against the league's No. 1-ranked defense.

According to Wayne Larrivee, radio voice of the Green Bay Packers, the Denver Broncos defense is the fastest and best the Packers will face this season. They lead the league in sacks and takeaways, and have four defensive touchdowns, including two pick-6 INT returns by DB Aqib Talib. The cornerbacks are good enough that Denver defensive coordinator Wade Phillips doesn't need to give them safety help, meaning he can sometimes go with seven or eight men at the line of scrimmage. Denver leads the league in sacks as a result.

Some might argue, though, that part of Denver's defensive success is that they really haven't played a very good team yet. I'd say regardless of that that any team that can be unbeaten at this stage of the season -- regardless of quality of opponent -- is doing something right and has to be respected. By the way, this is only the fourth time in NFL history that two teams with at least 6 wins and no losses have met one another.

Turning to Denver's offense, you certainly have to respect QB Peyton Manning, particularly when he gets the time to step up in the pocket to pass. He may not have the arm strength he used to, and he's never had great mobility, be if his offensive line protects him tonight against the Packers' also-stellar pass rush it could set up for a very interesting game. On the other hand, if the Packers' "D" can do what they've done all season, and get pressure on him, the Packers should win this game. No mistaking, Manning has weapons he can leverage offensively. The Packers defense must minimize those offensive opportunities, particularly the two top wide receivers who lead the league in receptions and yardage: 86 catches and more than 1,000 yards receiving combined. However, they only have combined for four touchdowns. The Packers' secondary will be tested if the defensive front doesn't get effective pressure on Manning.

On the Packers side of the ledger, the offense has to display more than they have the last several weeks in particular. They've done enough to win, but without the great performances from the defense generally the Pack might not be at 6-0 right now.

The Prediction
Without further ado, particularly with only about about an hour to gametime, it's time to make our call. A big consideration, among all the others listed here, is that the Packers are 8-1 after the bye under head coach Mike McCarthy, which is the best record in the NFL during that span, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Some pundits think this will be close, others that Denver is more of a pretender and the Packers will put them in their place. Most all are calling for the Packers to win this game which, frankly, always makes me nervous. The Packers are favored by 3 points. My own take is that I think both teams will be up for this game and want to keep that unbeaten tag. If the Pack play their game and get pressure on Manning while protecting Rodgers, the Pack will prevail. (I know: "Thank you, Captain Obvious!") This could be tight into the fourth quarter. Still...

We're calling it 31-24 Packers over the Broncos.

Go Pack Go!!!

Seattle vs. Denver Super Bowl a once-in-a-lifetime #SuperBowlVIP opportunity

Now that we know who the participants are in the upcoming Super Bowl (that would be the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos for those who were off the planet Sunday), fans can begin making plans for what to do and where to do it.

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The Super Bowl only happens once each year (a-duh!). It's never happened in the New York/New Jersey area before and it may never happen there again. This may also be one of the last times you get a chance to see a future Hall of Fame quarterback, arguably the best quarterback of all time, go for the Lombardi Trophy.

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