The Green Bay Packers will head to Denver for a matchup on Sunday between two of the top teams in the NFL. The Broncos are tied for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, and the Packers currently hold the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Both teams are hot coming in. The Broncos have won 10 straight games, and the Packers have won four straight, including three straight against division opponents.
Packers vs. Broncos Preview
The most significant injuries to watch are on the Packers’ side, with running back Josh Jacobs being the biggest question mark. After not practicing early in the week, Jacobs was a limited participant on Friday and is questionable to play on Sunday. The Packers’ running back has been dealing with a knee injury for the last few weeks, and it seems to be a matter of pain tolerance.
If Jacobs felt good enough to practice on Friday and his knee didn’t bother him further afterward, he would probably play on Sunday. That would be a huge boost to a Packers offense that also saw running back Emanuel Wilson added to the injury report late with an illness.
Another under-the-radar injury to watch is defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness. Van Ness has been dealing with a foot injury and hasn’t played in seven of the last eight games. However, he was a limited participant all week and is listed as questionable.
The Packers Win if the Offensive Line Wins the Line of Scrimmage
The Broncos’ defense ranks No. 2 in the NFL, according to PFSN’s Defense Impact metric. Denver is No. 2 against the run and No. 10 against the pass. Whether it’s in the trenches or in pass protection, the Packers’ offensive line will need to show up if Green Bay wants to move the ball against this elite Denver defense.
The Packers’ offensive line ranks No. 23 in the NFL, according to PFSN’s Team OL Impact, but it has ranked inside the top 20 in nine of the last 10 weeks. However, Green Bay’s offensive line has also ranked outside the top 15 in four of the last five weeks.
Jacobs has a strong history against the Broncos, going 8-0 and averaging 4.5 yards per carry. However, this Broncos defense is the best he has faced. The Packers need to establish a run game to take pressure off quarterback Jordan Love and allow the offensive line to create movement rather than pass-protecting on every down.
The Packers Lose If They Make Mistakes During Crunch Time
This game will be close, and the Broncos have excelled this season at making the right play when it matters most.
Nine of Denver’s 11 wins this season have been one-possession games. The Broncos have only blown out two opponents, and they’ve won five straight one-score games.
Three of those wins came against the Las Vegas Raiders and Washington Commanders. This team knows how to win in clutch situations, and to beat them, you have to execute in crunch time.
The Broncos and Packers are Super Bowl contenders, and both teams understand the importance of this game. It will likely come down to a one-score difference.
The Packers, meanwhile, are 4-3-1 in one-possession games this season. In games decided by three points or fewer, Green Bay is 0-3-1.
If the Packers don’t create a big enough gap when the opportunity arises and the game comes down to a final field-goal drive, history this season favors the Broncos.
Who Will Win and Why?
The Packers are poised to enter Mile High Stadium and emerge with a victory, which would mark only their second all‑time win in Denver.
Green Bay is hot right now, having defeated the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and taken control of the NFC North last week against the Chicago Bears, but this game presents another opportunity to cement themselves as true Super Bowl contenders.
The Broncos have won 10 straight games, but many were not convincing, and Denver hasn’t looked complete at times this season.
The Broncos may put things together when they need to, but eventually, that luck will run out.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur is expected to implement a solid game plan designed to get the ball out of Jordan Love’s hands quickly to neutralize Denver’s pass rush, while defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley continues to demonstrate why he is regarded as a potential head coaching candidate at season’s end.
Green Bay’s defense will slow the Broncos’ offense enough, and Jacobs will break off a couple of runs, or Love will connect on a few big throws to secure the win.
I predict the Packers beat the Broncos 17-13, with Green Bay’s defense forcing a key turnover at some point. The Packers are just 1-7 all-time in Denver, and I think they earn their second win on Sunday.
The victory would further bolster the Packers’ case as a Super Bowl favorite and put added pressure on the rest of the NFC.
