The Green Bay Packers found themselves on the wrong end of a 27-2 score Sunday night against the Denver Broncos. This lopsided beatdown came two days after the Broncos won the joint practice against the Packers. Green Bay travelled to Denver hoping to leave with two successful business meetings. Quite the opposite occurred. With the Baltimore Ravens coming to town this week, Green Bay must learn from their mistakes in Denver.
The Denver experience did not go as planned. The Packers had two rough days at the office in both the joint practice and the preseason game. The Broncos starters reportedly outplayed the Packers starters in Friday’s joint practice. The ugly play carried into Sunday night. Denver HC Sean Payton decided to play the majority of his starters while Green Bay sat a total of 31 players. It is not shocking that the Denver 1s outplayed the Packers 2s. However, it did not stop there. The Broncos 2s & 3s also outplayed Green Bay’s second and third stringers.
On Tuesday, Matt LaFleur told the media that after watching the film, he felt his players played tougher and more aggressively than he initially thought. That being said, the Packers did not get any answers to the critical questions at hand. Neither QBs Sean Clifford nor Michael Pratt played well. Green Bay only had one field goal attempt which Greg Joseph missed wide right. Wide Receivers Bo Melton, Malik Heath, and Grant DuBose did not showcase much either. For the wide receivers, some of that can be attributed to the poor QB play. Green Bay left the Mile High City with many key questions still unanswered.
Time to Respond and Move On
The number of positives from the Denver trip is slim but there are a few. First of all, this rough week did happen in the preseason when it does not count. Second of all, the Packers hype train was catching a lot of steam. Sometimes, a reality check is necessary. The Denver experience will give the Packers an opportunity to reset. Third of all, the Packers do not have to wait long to redeem themselves against a new team, the Baltimore Ravens. By all accounts, the Ravens are expected to be a really good team this season.
The Ravens come to Green Bay for a joint practice on Thursday. Then, Baltimore will stay in town for a few days to play the Packers in the preseason finale at Lambeau Field Saturday afternoon. The Ravens are considered by many to be a top contender in the AFC. The reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson will certainly give the Packers defense several challenges. Baltimore’s defense is no joke either. The Ravens allowed the fewest points per game (16.5) in 2023. This is an ideal early test for Jordan Love and the offense.
Expect Green Bay to bounce back this week. The Packers might not beat the Ravens but anticipate the overall play to be better. The attitude and the approach to the joint practice will be different. The clock is ticking for a majority of the Packers. Cutdown day is Tuesday, August 27th. There are roster spots and roles that are still undetermined. The chance to respond after a poor week in Denver as well as jobs up for grabs is huge. The Packers will need to respond against Baltimore.
