After taking over the top spot in the NFC North with a win over the Chicago Bears last week, the Green Bay Packers will have one of their toughest tests of the season on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.
Here are three keys for the Packers, as well as a look at the Broncos on offense, defense and special teams.
Packers-Broncos: Three Keys to Victory
1. Neutralize the Pass Rush
The Packers will face their biggest challenge of the season trying to stop the Broncos’ incredible pass rush. Their defensive front is chasing history, on pace to tie the single-season sacks record of 72 set by the Chicago Bears in 1984.
Led by a top outside linebacker duo of Nik Bonitto (12.5 sacks) and Jonathon Cooper (7.5 sacks), the Broncos have totaled 55 sacks in 13 games, an average of 4.23 sacks per game. A total of 11 players have at least two sacks and 16 have at least a half-sack.
If the Packers want to leave Mile High Stadium with a win, they will need to spoil the Broncos’ hopes for history and keep Jordan Love upright as much as possible.
The Packers’ offensive line has been one of the top units in football, giving up only 18 sacks. While the season total is low, sacks were a problem in the Packers’ three losses, giving up nine sacks, meaning half of their sacks given up came in less than 25 percent of their games.
“I think across the board, they’re really good,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “They do a really nice job bringing pressure, but they can win their one-on-one blocks, as well. They bring a lot of five-man pressures. They’ll put five bigs in the game and rush those guys and do all their games and stunts off that, but they’re really productive up front, just winning their one-on-one blocks.”
2. They Can’t Account for Everybody
When it comes to planning for a team that has only lost two games, there is a very small sample size of things to look at that can be exploited. When it comes to the Broncos’ two losses, a balanced offensive attack may be the only way to beat them.
In the Broncos’ loss to the Colts, great offensive performances from most of their skill players, while overshadowed by the Jonathan Taylor show, were key in the one-point win. Taylor rushed for 165 yards, but the Colts’ pass catchers, led by rookie tight end Tyler Warren, had a great day, as well.
The Colts had six players with multiple receptions, including five who went for 40-plus receiving yards, and got a touchdown from quarterback Daniel Jones to Taylor. Paired with a perfect 5-for-5 day from kicker Spencer Shrader, the Colts won in Week 2.
It was a similar situation in their next game, which ended in a loss to the Chargers. While Los Angeles didn’t have a back like Taylor leading the charge, they were able to get 98 rushing yards between Omarion Hampton and Najee Harris. Like the Colts, they spread the love through the air, with five players catching multiple passes and all going above 40 yards.
While the running game will need to be solid for the Packers this week, it is the passing attack that will have to lead the way if they want to come home with a win. The Broncos have given up 300 passing yards in just two games this season and lost both.
Jordan Love has hit the 300-yard mark just twice this season but has eight games with a 100-plus passer rating. His diverse passing attack could be the difference.
3. Win the Turnover Battle
With the Broncos being one of the top teams in the NFL, not only in overall record but in a lot of key statistics, one thing that sits near the bottom of the league is their turnover differential.
The Broncos are minus-3 in turnover differential, forcing 10 turnovers and giving up 13. Like the Packers, they have struggled at forcing interceptions with just seven this season. Surprisingly given how good their front seven is, they are even worse at forcing and recovering fumbles with just three, the fourth-fewest in the NFL.
Overall, the Broncos have been good at taking care of the ball and keeping it in the hands of their offense. They are eighth in the NFL in giveaways with 13. Bo Nix has thrown nine interceptions, which puts the Broncos in the middle of the pack at 16th, and they have lost just four fumbles, tying them for the fifth-fewest in the league.
If the Packers are going to steal a win from another top contender, they will have to take care of the ball on top of trying to stay ahead of the sticks against the top pass-rushing team in the league.
Packers-Broncos: The Three Phases
Broncos on Offense
Led by then-rookie Bo Nix, the Broncos last season ranked 19th in total offense and 10th in scoring. This year, they’re up to 10th in total offense but down to 14th in scoring.
Nix’s numbers are down slightly almost across the board. While his yards per game is up slightly from 222.1 to 227.2, his completion percentage has fallen from 66.3 percent to 63.2 percent and his passer rating has fallen from 93.3 to 86.4. He is coming off a game in which he completed a season-best 81.6 percent of his passes for 212 yards last week against the Raiders.
Before landing on injured reserve due to a foot injury, J.K. Dobbins was the leader of the backfield. He was on pace for 1,300 rushing yards and was averaging 5.0 yards per carry. They have turned to rookie R.J. Harvey as their main back. Harvey has rushed for 354 yards and five touchdowns with a 3.9-yard average, and he is coming off a 75-yard, one touchdown performance against the Raiders.
The Broncos’ pass catchers are led by veteran receiver Courtland Sutton, who has had an up-and-down season en route to his team-leading 773 yards and five touchdowns. Second-year receiver Troy Franklin is behind him with 541 yards while also bringing in five touchdown passes.
They like to get Harvey involved in the passing game, as well, he has brought in 37 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end Evan Engram is averaging only 8.7 yards per catch but had a 41-yard gain two weeks ago against Washington.
The Broncos’ offensive line is one of the best in the NFL, giving up a league-best 17 sacks. Left tackle Garrett Bolles has not allowed any.
Broncos on Defense
The Broncos have an elite defense. They are third in the NFL with 282.0 yards allowed per game and fourth with 18.1 points allowed per game.
The Broncos’ have the best pass-rushing unit in the league, and one of the best in the history of the NFL. They have 55 sacks in 13 games, averaging 4.23 per game and chasing the record of 72 in a season. Led by outside linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, who have combined for 20 sacks, 16 players have gotten to the quarterback.
Led by last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos rank ninth with 193.0 passing yards allowed per game and third with 5.56 yards per attempt.
Their secondary has been getting their hands on the football all year, with cornerback Riley Moss leading the team in passes defensed with 12, Surtain right behind him with 11, and former All-Pro safety Talanoa Hufanga next with 10. Rather incredibly, those three don’t have an interception. Outside linebacker Dondrea Tillman leads the team with two picks.
Led by linebacker Alex Singleton (103 tackles, three tackles for losses) and Hufanga (94 tackles, five TFLs), the Broncos are second with 89.0 rushing yards allowed per game and first with 3.70 yards per carry.
Broncos on Special Teams
Veteran Wil Lutz, who is in his third year with the Broncos, is 20-of-23 on field-goal attempts. Two of his misses came from 50-plus yards while the other hit the right upright from 42 yards out. He is a perfect 30-for-30 on extra points.
The punter is rookie sixth-round pick Jeremy Crawshaw. He ranks 13th with a 47.7-yard average and 16th with a 41.6-yard net. He has landed 25 inside the 20-yard line with seven touchbacks. A total of 25 of his punts have been returned for an average of 9.6 yards.
Receiver Marvin Mims Jr., a second-team All-Pro in 2023 and a first-team All-Pro in 2024, is the primary kickoff returner and an electric punt returner. He’s averaging 26.3-yard average per kickoff return and a league-leading 16.4 yards per punt return, including a 48-yard touchdown against the Raiders last week, when he was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
“We’ll have our hands full with him,” Packers special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia said. “He just had a touchdown last week against the Raiders to help them win that game. So, it’ll be a good challenge for us.”
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