DENVER – The Broncos scored twice in the third quarter and entered the fourth with a 20-10 lead over the Packers on Saturday night in Denver.
Here's a recap of the first three quarters.
First quarter:
An interception set up an early touchdown for the Packers, and they took a 10-7 lead over the Broncos.
The two teams traded punts on their opening possessions. On Green Bay's second drive, Jason Spriggs stepped in for Kyle Murphy at RT following a 27-yard punt return by WR Trevor Davis.
The Packers got moving on a 25-yard run by RB Ty Montgomery, and a defensive holding penalty on third-and-3 gave the Packers another first down, at the Denver 26. A Von Miller sack on the next third down pushed the Packers back, though, and K Mason Crosby was good from 52 yards out for a 3-0 lead.
Green Bay got the ball right back, as S Kentrell Brice intercepted QB Trevor Siemian on third down and returned it 42 yards to the Denver 2-yard line. As Brett Hundley replaced starting QB Aaron Rodgers, he handed off to Montgomery, who plunged in for the score. Crosby's PAT made it 10-0 with 6:14 left in the quarter.
On the Broncos' next drive, Packers LB Nick Perry went down with an ankle injury, leaving under his own power. After two runs for 11 yards by RB C.J. Anderson, Siemian scrambled for 16 yards and then found WR Emmanuel Sanders for 10 for a first down at the Green Bay 36. A 20-yard pass to WR Jordan Taylor on third-and-10 moved Denver into the red zone, and Anderson ran it in from 16 yards out for the score.
Second quarter:
A late field-goal drive by the Broncos tied the score 10-10 at halftime.
With Hundley working at QB with the starting offense, the Packers punted early in the period.
The Broncos got moving again on a 22-yard pass to TE Virgil Green, as Brice was slow to get up after the tackle. DT Mike Daniels got the sack on the ensuing third down, though, with pressure help from LB Kyler Fackrell, and the Broncos punted it back.
The Packers did nothing with it, though, and looked sloppy in the process. WR Davante Adams dropped a pass on second down, and penalties for a false start and holding pushed Green Bay back before the punt.
With help from a holding penalty on Packers S Marwin Evans on the punt, the Broncos took over in Green Bay territory at the 43. After another holding penalty, this one on rookie CB Kevin King, RB Jamaal Charles ran twice for 17 yards. On third-and-1 from the 12, the Packers stopped Anderson just inches short of the first down, and a host of defenders stuffed Anderson again on fourth down.
With the full second unit in on offense, Hundley moved the chains twice with passes to rookie RB Jamaal Williams, good for 20 and 17 yards, overcoming a sack in between. A third-down pass to TE Lance Kendricks came up just short, setting up fourth-and-1 at the Denver 40 at the two-minute warning.
Hundley was stopped on the QB sneak, though, and the Packers turned it over on downs.
Siemian completed four straight passes covering 39 yards, and the Broncos called timeout on first down from the Green Bay 19 with 52 seconds left. King broke up a pass in the end zone for Sanders, and Anderson was stopped one yard short on a third-down pass, setting up fourth-and-1 with 4 seconds left. K Brandon McManus was good from 28 yards out on the final snap.
Third quarter:
QB Paxton Lynch took over for the Broncos on the opening drive of the second half. A 16-yard run by RB De'Angelo Henderson was followed by a 9-yard pass to WR Kalif Raymond. An extra 15 yards were tacked on when Packers S Josh Jones was flagged for taunting after his tackle of Raymond.
Lynch then scrambled for 15 yards on third-and-9, and the Packers nearly got the ball back when DT Brian Price knocked the ball from Lynch's hand, but Henderson recovered for the Broncos. LB Reggie Gilbert then sacked Lynch on third down, and McManus was good from 46 yards out to put Denver in front, 13-10.
Hundley stayed in at quarterback, and the Packers went three-and-out, but the Broncos lined up offside on the punt, giving Green Bay a gift first down.
A 20-yard pass to Davis got the Packers across midfield, but a holding penalty on Spriggs set up third-and-long. Hundley threw incomplete to TE Richard Rodgers, whose offensive pass interference penalty was declined. Crosby was sent in to try a 61-yard field goal, which didn't come close, missing way wide right.
With Kyle Sloter in for Lynch at QB, the Broncos began at the Green Bay 49 but went three-and-out. An offensive pass interference penalty on first down helped the Packers, and Evans broke up the third-down pass. The punt pinned the Packers on their own 4.
Rookie RB Aaron Jones got the Packers out of the hole with a 28-yard run. A 6-yard pass to WR Max McCaffrey set up fourth-and-short, and Hundley was stopped on the QB sneak again.
A 20-yard pass to WR Hunter Sharp converted on third-and-10 and put the Broncos on the Green Bay 21. On the next play, Sloter went up top to Sharp, and he hauled in the TD pass over rookie CB Lenzy Pipkins. The PAT extended Denver's lead to 20-10.
Davis picked up one first down for the Packers on a 3-yard end-around run. Jones added a 9-yard run, and a 15-yard facemask on the Broncos moved the Packers into Denver territory as the quarter expired.
