DENVER – The Packers' second preseason game did not go nearly as well as the first, ending in a 27-2 loss to the Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
Denver played its starters early in the game while Green Bay did not, and the Broncos jumped out to a 10-0 lead behind efficient play from rookie QB Bo Nix (8-of-9, 80 yards, TD).
The Packers never seemed to recover from the slow start, even as the Broncos subbed in reserves, generating just 69 total yards of offense in the first half and 168 for the game. QB Sean Clifford threw an interception that led to a Denver TD just before halftime, and QB Michael Pratt lost the ball on a strip-sack, leading to a Broncos field goal that made it 20-0 in the third quarter.
Green Bay finally got on the board thanks to a sack for a safety by DL Zach Morton, but the only promising offensive drive ended in a missed 47-yard field goal by K Greg Joseph.
Clifford finished 6-of-10 for 43 yards with the INT, while Pratt was 10-of-16 for 52 yards. RB Emanuel Wilson had 13 carries for 41 yards for Green Bay, while WR Malik Heath had three receptions for 22 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 elected to receive. They started at their own 45 after a touchback and defensive personal foul penalty on Devon Key.
Malik Heath caught a 6-yard flare from quarterback Sean Clifford to setup third-and-1, but Green Bay turned the ball over on downs after attempting deep throws to Heath and Bo Melton on consecutive plays.
Rookie first-round pick Bo Nix led a nine-play, 34-yard scoring drive, capped by a Will Lutz 37-yard field goal to give the Broncos a 3-0 lead with 8 minutes, 23 seconds left in the first quarter.
It was initially ruled Nix threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Javonte Williams, but it was a ruled an illegal forward pass after replay showed Nix passed the line of scrimmage.
Green Bay's offense picked up the initial first down on a 10-yard pass to Ben Sims but was forced to punt after a holding penalty.
Nix and most of Denver's starters remained in the game for the second series. The first quarter came to a close with the Broncos facing first-and-20 at the Packers' 37-yard line after a holding penalty.
Broncos lead Packers 17-0 at halftime
The Broncos extended their lead to 10 with Nix rolling out and hitting Tim Patrick for a 2-yard touchdown off play-action 13:14 left in the first half.
Green Bay went three-and-out on its next possession against the Denver starting defense but got another chance after JL Skinner was flagged for roughing the kicker when he came into contact with the plant leg of Packers punter Daniel Whelan.
Green Bay was forced to punt again after another three-and-out, and Denver took over at its own 20 after a 58-yard Whelan punt that went into the end zone for a touchback.
Jarrett Stidham replaced Nix on Denver's third possession. Green Bay had Denver in a third-and-18, but Stidham hit Greg Dulcich for 18 yards. The Broncos moved all the way up to the 46 after an unnecessary roughness call on Ralen Goforth.
Denver elected to punt for the first time after Alex Palczewski was flagged for a false start when the Broncos were attempting to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Green Bay 45.
The Packers took over at their own 5 after Riley Dixon's 45-yard punt. Emanuel Wilson gained six yards on first down, following a lane cleared by left tackle Kadeem Telfort.
On third-and-4, Clifford connected with Heath on an 8-yard out for a first down. Clifford then kept it himself on an 11-yard scramble on third-and-10 to keep the drive going. An 8-yard pass to Heath set up third-and-1 at the two-minute warning.
A roughing the passer penalty on Jonah Elliss gave Green Bay fresh set of downs at the Denver 46. Clifford tried a deep ball to Joel Wilson on the next play, but Blake Watson picked it off and returned the interception 56 yards to the Packers' 14 with 1:43 remaining.
On third-and-5, Stidham ran in a 9-yard touchdown to push the Broncos' lead to 17-0 with 30 seconds left in the first half.
Rookie Michael Pratt entered the game during the final series of the first half, but the Packers chose to run out the clock with a handoff to Ellis Merriweather.
Broncos lead Packers 20-2 after three quarters
The Packers dialed up a six-man blitz, leading to a Brenton Cox Jr. sack of Stidham for a loss of seven. Stidham worked his way back, though, and hit Lil'Jordan Humphrey for 20 yards on third-and-10.
An illegal chop block pushed Denver back to its own 46. On first-and-25, James Ester batted Stidham's pass up at the line of scrimmage and Kristian Welch picked it off at the Broncos' 46.
Pratt scrambled for seven yards but couldn't hit Grant DuBose on a fourth-and-1 slant, leading to a turnover on downs.
Denver punted the ball back after a holding penalty and back-to-back Hopper tackles, putting him over 11 for the night.
The Packers retook possession at their 20, but Elliss got a strip sack of Pratt on third-and-3. Denver recovered at the Green Bay 23. The Broncos went three-and-out, with Lutz banged through a 39-yard field goal to push their lead to 20-0 with 5:15 left in the third quarter.
The Packers converted on third-and-6 with a 10-yard pass to Samori Toure on a top route. That's as far as Green Bay would get, though, as Pratt's deep throw for Heath on third-and-8 fell incomplete.
The Packers got the ball back, though, as defensive end Zach Morton blew through the Broncos' front to drop Zach Wilson for a sack and a safety. Pratt hit Bo Melton for 11 yards and Wilson busted a 15-yard run, as the third quarter drew to a close.
Packers fall to Broncos 27-2
The Packers opened the fourth quarter with a 6-yard pass to Toure for a first down. The Packers tried a 47-yard field goal, but Greg Joseph missed wide right to keep the score 20-2.
Denver went three-and-out after Brevin Allen sacked Wilson on first down for a loss of six. The Packers turned the ball over on downs after Nate McCrary was stopped for no gain on fourth-and-1.
The Broncos extended their lead to 27-2 with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Badie off a screen with 5:48 left in the fourth quarter. The Packers went three-and-out again after Ellis Merriweather was stopped for no gain on third-and-1.
Grant DuBose tackled punt returner Michael Bundy and Denver started at its own 5 after a holding penalty. The Broncos punted on fourth-and-4 from their 24 with 30 seconds remaining. McCrary ran for six yards as time expired.
