DENVER – The Packers practically repeated their last loss in Las Vegas, playing poorly in the first half and then having a chance to win at the end of the game intercepted.
As a result, the Broncos hung on for a 19-17 win Sunday in Denver, dropping the Packers to 2-4 on the season. The Broncos are now 2-5.
Green Bay trailed 9-0 at the half, which included a missed field goal, but finally got the offense going in the second half, scoring three times, the last a deflected TD pass to WR Jayden Reed on fourth down to take a 17-16 lead. After the Broncos responded with a fourth-quarter drive for a field goal to retake the lead at 19-17, the Packers had one last chance.
Green Bay drove to the Denver 44-yard line, but a holding penalty on G Elgton Jenkins pushed Green Bay back to the other side of midfield. Then on third-and-20, QB Jordan Love's deep ball for WR Samori Toure was picked off by S P.J. Locke.
Love finished 21-of-31 for 180 yards with two TDs and the INT for a 90.8 passer rating. RB AJ Dillon had 15 carries for 61 yards, plus two receptions for 34 yards. RB Aaron Jones had eight carries for 35 yards, plus three receptions for 22 yards. TE Luke Musgrave had four catches for 30 yards before leaving the game with an injury on a penalized hit that led to S Kareem Jackson's ejection. WR Romeo Doubs had two catches for 30 yards and a TD, with Reed catching three for 21 and a TD.
For the Broncos, QB Russell Wilson was 20-of-29 for 194 yards with one TD and a 98.9 passer rating. WR Courtland Sutton had six catches for 76 yards and a TD, and WR Jerry Jeudy added five catches for 64 yards. RB Javonte Williams had 15 carries for 82 yards, with RB Jaleel McLaughlin adding five carries for 45 yards.
Here's a recap of all the action:
Broncos lead Packers 3-0 after first quarter
The Packers won the opening coin toss and deferred. Carrington Valentine started at outside cornerback in place of Jaire Alexander, who didn't play due to a back injury.
Rashan Gary had two early pressures on Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, but Denver hit on a 33-yard pass to Courtland Sutton on third-and-7 to move into Green Bay territory.
Wilson connected again with Sutton for a 3-yard gain to convert another third down at the Packers' 31. Denver nearly scored on a Javonte Williams 4-yard run TD run on third-and-1, but Quinn Bailey was flagged for holding.
The Broncos settled for a 32-yard Will Lutz field goal to take a 3-0 lead with 8 minutes, 27 seconds left in the first quarter.
Aaron Jones started for Green Bay but gained only two yards on his first two carries. Jordan Love hit an underneath pass to AJ Dillon for six yards, but the Packers were forced to punt.
Green Bay's defense earned a three-and-out, buoyed by Quay Walker's 1-yard tackle for a loss of Williams on second down.
Starting at the Packers' 38, Jones gained five yards on a dive up the middle to set up an 8-yard pass from Love to tight end Luke Musgrave for the first down.
The Packers were forced to punt after Love and Jayden Reed failed to connect on a downfield pass on third-and-6. The Packers appeared to draw defender offsides on fourth-and-6 but center Josh Myers was flagged for a false start. Daniel Whelan's 51-yard punt bounced into the end zone for the touchback.
Denver will start the second quarter in Green Bay territory.
Broncos lead Packers 9-0 at halftime
Denver moved into Green Bay's red zone after converting on third-and-5 with a 9-yard pass to Sutton on a slant.
Kingsley Enagbare and Lukas Van Ness combined to flush Wilson from the pocket and throwing the ball away on second-and-8.
Packers defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt was injured on the play. Wyatt has a knee injury and is questionable to return.
Preston Smith pressured Wilson into throwing the ball away on third down, with the Broncos settling for a 29-yard Lutz field goal to extend their lead to 6-0 with 13:14 left in the half.
After an offsides penalty on Denver, Love completed his first pass to Christian Watson for six yards and the first down. A neutral zone infraction set up a third-and-4 but Love's pass went incomplete after some apparent miscommunication.
The defense had the Broncos in third-and-5 from their own 15 but Keisean Nixon was flagged for defensive pass interference against Brandon Johnson.
Rasul Douglas tackled Marvin Mims Jr. for an 11-yard loss after a busted end-around on first down. The Broncos then faced second-and-31 after a holding penalty on Garett Bolles.
Jaleel McLaughlin broke a 25-yard run to make it third-and-8. Safety Darnell Savage left the game with a calf injury after the play. The Broncos were forced to punt after an incomplete pass by Wilson.
Emanuel Wilson, playing against his former team, picked up nine yards after back-to-back touches. Jones then gained the first down after a 6-yard toss left.
Romeo Doubs moved the Packers across midfield with a 14-yard pass of a quick throw from Love. Jones converted another third-and-1 with a 3-yard pass to the Denver 31.
AJ Dillon gained six yards after the two-minute warning but Rasheed Walker was flagged for a false start, setting up third-and-9 at the Broncos' 30. The drive didn't produce any points, though, after Anders Carlson's 43-yard field goal sailed wide left.
The Broncos used the final 41 seconds of the first half to march down the field and add to their lead with a 35-yard Lutz field goal. The first half ended with Emanuel Wilson's 14-yard run.
Broncos lead Packers 16-10 after three
The third quarter began with the Packers announcing defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt (knee), safety Darnell Savage (calf) and cornerback Eric Stokes (hamstring) have been ruled out.
Jones opened the half with a 6-yard carry. The Packers converted on third-and-4 with a 17-yard pass to Dontayvion Wicks across the middle.
Love kept the drive going when he scrambled for nine yards to the Denver 39 on third-and-6. On the next play, center Josh Myers was injured on Dillon's 8-yard draw up the middle.
Right tackle Zach Tom replaced Myers at center, with Yosh Nijman stepping in at right tackle.
On second-and-2 from the Denver 31, the Packers ran a trick play where Wicks threw a pass across the field to Aaron Jones off an end-around. The play gained 14 yards.
The Packers got on the board with a 29-yard Carlson field goal to cut Denver's lead to 9-3 with 10:24 left in the third quarter. The 12-play drive went 64 yards and lasted 4:36.
The Broncos moved back into scoring territory after an 18-yard pass from Wilson to Jerry Jeudy and a 21-yard run by Williams to the Green Bay 36.
Quay Walker and McDuffie combined for a 2-yard tackle for a loss of Michael Burton, but Denver's drive continued after Jonathan Owens was flagged for defensive holding on third-and-3.
The Broncos extended their lead to 16-3 after an 18-yard touchdown pass to Sutton on third-and-4 with 6:17 left in the third quarter. The seven-play, 75-yard drive lasted 4:07.
The Packers started their next drive with a 23-yard pass to Watson on a deep crossing pattern. Denver was forced to call its first timeout after Love nearly caught the defense with 12 men on the field on third-and-7 at the Denver 49.
On the next play, Surtain was called for defensive holding on Wicks to give the Packers a fresh set of downs. The Packers moved the chains again with a 12-yard pass to Reed off an out route on third-and-7.
After an 11-yard run up the middle by Jones, Doubs fought through tight coverage to catch a 16-yard touchdown pass from Love to cut Denver's lead to 16-10 with 1:46 left in the third quarter.
The third quarter ended with Rashan Gary tackling Williams on third-and-3 and forcing a Broncos three-and-out.
Packers' comeback falls short in 19-17 loss to Broncos
Musgrave caught a 16-yard pass off a crossing pattern before taking a hard hit to the head from Broncos safety Kareem Jackson, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness and disqualified from the game.
Musgrave exited the game with an ankle injury after the play, which moved the ball to the Denver 38.
Dillon gained four yards on a carry and Wilson picked up another four on a short pass from Love to set up third-and-2.
The Packers chose to go for it on fourth-and-1 after Dillon was stopped on third down. The Packers kept the drive going with a playaction rollout to Sims for two yards.
Love scrambled for 10 yards on second-and-12 but a false start penalty on the next play pushed Green Bay back to the Denver 9.
A 5-yard pass to Jones set up fourth-and-2. Love targeted Doubs on a slant but the ball came off his hands and into the arms of Reed for the 4-yard touchdown to propel the Packers to a 17-16 lead with 8:31 left in regulation.
The Broncos moved back into Green Bay territory with Jeudy's 16-yard catch and run across the middle to the Packers' 45. Preston Smith sacked Wilson at the Denver 34 but Lutz made a 52-yard field goal to put the Broncos up 19-17 with 3:50 remaining.
The Packers started their next series with a 29-yard dump off to Dillon that he took up the middle for the Denver 44. A holding penalty moved Green Bay back to its own 46 after the two-minute warning. P.J. Locke intercepted Love on a deep pass intended for Toure on third-and-20.
