Both Broncos and Packers are well rested as they search for an early season reset after recent flops
The Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos square off Sunday in a matchup where both teams are looking to end slumps. Packers quarterback Jordan Love started out the season hot but has cooled off and so has Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. The game might serve as a crossroads for both teams. The Broncos are off to a 1-5 start and have lost all three of their home games to underdogs. The Packers were installed as a slight favorite in this game despite having lost three of their past four games following a wipeout of the Bears on opening weekend.
LISTEN: Two hours of pregame for Packers-Broncos on WKTY begins at 1 p.m. Sunday. Kickoff at 3:25 p.m., followed by more postgame coverage. Tune in on 96.7 FM / 580 AM
GREEN BAY (2-3) at DENVER (1-5)
OPENING LINE: Packers by 1½, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Packers 3-2; Broncos 0-5-1.
SERIES RECORD: Tied 7-7-1.
LAST MEETING: Packers beat Broncos 27-16 at Green Bay on Sept. 22, 2019.
LAST WEEK: Packers were off after losing 17-13 at Las Vegas on Oct. 9; Broncos lost to Chiefs 19-8 on Oct. 12.
PACKERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (28), RUSH (27), PASS (21), SCORING (13)
PACKERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (17), RUSH (28), PASS (9), SCORING (22)
BRONCOS OFFENSE: OVERALL (21), RUSH (19), PASS (20), SCORING (T17)
BRONCOS DEFENSE: OVERALL (32), RUSH (32), PASS (30), SCORING (32)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Packers minus-1; Broncos minus-5.
PACKERS PLAYER TO WATCH: S Rudy Ford has intercepted a pass in each of his past two games. After winning an open preseason competition for the starting safety spot alongside Darnell Savage, Ford is producing a breakthrough season as he approaches his 29th birthday.
BRONCOS PLAYER TO WATCH: S Justin Simmons’ return from a hip injury two weeks ago has coincided with marked improvement on defense, particularly in the red zone, where Denver has allowed just one touchdown in its opponents’ past 10 trips inside the 20-yard line. Simmons has never had a winning season in his eight years in Denver and is seen as a prime trade target this month.
KEY MATCHUP: The Packers’ disappointing ground game versus the Broncos’ poor run defense.
KEY INJURIES: LB De’Vondre Campbell (ankle) has missed each of the Packers’ past two games. … RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) has been unavailable for three of Green Bay’s past four games. … CB Eric Stokes (foot) has returned to practice, but still hasn’t made his 2023 debut for the Packers as he comes back from an injury that limited him to nine games last season. … TE Greg Dulcich reinjured his hamstring at Kansas City last week shortly after being activated from IR. This marks the 12th game the Broncos’ second-year pro has missed because of hamstring issues. … OLB Baron Browning (knee) and DT D.J. Jones (knee) were full participants in Wednesday’s installation day and are expected to be active Sunday.
SERIES NOTES: The biggest game between these teams came in Super Bowl 32 on Jan. 25, 1998, when Terrell Davis led the Broncos to a 31-24 upset of the defending champion Packers led by Hall of Famers Brett Favre, Reggie White and LeRoy Butler in San Diego. John Elway won his first of two Super Bowls to cap his Hall of Fame career.
STATS AND STUFF: The Packers have been outscored 54-6 in the first half of their past three games. They rallied from a 17-0 deficit to beat the New Orleans Saints 18-17, trailed 27-3 at halftime of a 34-20 loss to Detroit and were down 10-3 at the break in Las Vegas. … After throwing six TD passes without an INT in Green Bay’s first two games, Packers QB Jordan Love has thrown six interceptions and two TD passes over his past three games. He’s coming off a three-INT performance against the Raiders. … Ten rookies have played in each of the Packers’ five games this season. No other team in the NFL had that many rookies appear in all of its games. … OLB Rashan Gary has had 4½ sacks while playing on only 74 pass rush snaps, according to TruMedia. The Packers have been limiting his workload as he comes back from a torn ACL that ended his 2022 season. … K Anders Carlson, a rookie sixth-round pick from Auburn, is 7 of 7 on field goals and 10 of 10 on extra points. Two of his field goals have been from at least 50 yards. … The Broncos are 0-3 at home with losses to the underdog Raiders, Commanders and Jets. … QB Russell Wilson is coming off his worst passer rating (46.6) as a Bronco after throwing two interceptions and managing a meager 95 yards on 13-of-22 passing at Kansas City in Week 6. … Wilson needs seven completions to become the 19th quarterback in NFL history to total 3,500 in his career. … RB Jaleel McLaughlin is one of three rookie RBs (De’Von Achane and Bijan Robinson) with two touchdown receptions so far. … This will mark S Kareem Jackson’s 200th regular-season game. Only 18 safeties in NFL history have reached that mark. … S Justin Simmons had his 28th interception last week, fourth among active safeties. … CB Patrick Surtain II had a season-best seven tackles last week. … OLB Nik Bonitto has had a tackle for loss in five consecutive games and has had multiple sacks in two of his past three games.
FANTASY TIP: WR Courtland Sutton’s four touchdown catches so far are his most in a season since 2019 when he had six. He and Jerry Jeudy continue to get the most snaps and targets among the wide receivers.
TOP PHOTO: FILE – Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) pulls in a touchdown reception against New Orleans Saints cornerback Isaac Yiadom during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)