Winners and losers of the Denver Broncos’ 27-2 win over the Green Bay Packers

The Denver Broncos improved their preseason record to 2-0 after defeating the Green Bay Packers 27-2. The Broncos dominated the Packers in this game and the only points they scored came on a safety by Zach Wilson. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix started in this game and led two more scoring drives, including a touchdown pass to Tim Patrick. He seems to have secured the job as starting quarterback.

There were a few other standouts, including some players who made this list for the second week in a row. However, there were also a few players in this game who stood out for all the wrong reasons.

With all that said, here are the winners and losers from the Broncos’ 27-2 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Winner – QB Bo Nix

The big winner of the night and of the preseason so far for the Broncos was rookie quarterback Bo Nix. He had an impressive performance in the preseason opener against the Colts last week, performed very well in joint practice against the Packers on Friday and carried all the momentum into this game.

Nix started for the Broncos and completed 8-9, 90 yards and 1 touchdown pass to wide receiver Tim Patrick. He should have had a second touchdown pass, but he was barely over the line of scrimmage, so the pass was taken back. He controlled the offense, was accurate, avoided sacks and turnovers, and looked like a starting quarterback.

Throughout the preseason, Nix has completed 23 of his 30 pass attempts for 205 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions and has a quarterback rating of 116.7. He might have four touchdown passes if Josh Reynolds had run a pass through his hands and he hadn’t crossed the line of scrimmage, but it’s still an impressive feat.

Nix should be named the starter at some point this week, and he deserves it. He led the Broncos to points on every drive he had, except for the one that ended on a play because of a Lucas Krull fumble. He didn’t take a sack or lose the ball while looking composed and playing like a veteran quarterback.

Sure, he hasn’t started yet, but Nix is ​​showing in his first preseason that he can be a capable NFL quarterback. I’m excited to see how he does as the season progresses and what progress he makes throughout the year.

Winner – WR Tim Patrick

Before training camp, some had Tim Patrick on the fence. However, the veteran, who has missed the last two seasons with serious injuries, is healthy and showing he still has it. He started last week against the Colts and we saw him start again this week.

Patrick finished the game with four catches for 30 yards and a touchdown. The veteran wide receiver, who is well-liked by his teammates and coaches, has secured a spot on the roster and should be a key contributor to this team next season.

Winners – EDGE Nik Bonitto and Jonah Elliss

Rookie edge rusher Jonah Ellis had a sack last week and carried that momentum into this game, where he recorded another sack, but this time it was a strip sack. Both he and Nik Bonitto came flying off the edges and connected at the quarterback, where Elliss was able to rip the ball out.

Both players shined throughout the game, but this was the highlight of the night for both of them. With Baron Browning and Jonathon Cooper as starters, the Broncos have two fast rushers in Bonitto and Elliss that they can switch in to bolster their pass rush on passing attempts.

Winner – TE Greg Dulcich

The Broncos’ oft-injured tight end has made it through training camp without injury and is now heading into preseason games with no issues. In this game, we saw the explosive tight end catch two passes for 27 yards, but one came on a third-and-long pass where he was able to outwit a defender and slash his way to a first down.

This was just one example of the benefits Dulcich provides to the Broncos offense if he stays healthy. He is a playmaker at the position and if he stays healthy he can give the Broncos a dynamic they have been lacking for some time. It is encouraging that he has not had any setbacks throughout training camp and the preseason and I am excited to see what Sean Payton will do with him during the regular season.

Winner – S Keidron Smith

The preseason is all about players standing out from the reserve list and making a name for themselves in order to make the 53-man roster. That’s exactly what reserve safety Keidron Smith did, making an interception in two consecutive weeks.

Last week against the Colts, Smith had a pass thrown directly to him, but he made the play and set up Bo Nix for his two-minute drive at the end of the first half. This play, however, was a little more difficult. He jumped the route, intercepted the ball, and then brought it forward to set up the offense in their own territory.

Smith is competing for a roster spot and is more of a practice squad candidate, but if an interception occurs in two consecutive weeks, the coaches will think twice about whether or not to put you on the roster.

Loser – Backup Offensive Line

It wasn’t all great for the Broncos. When you win 27-2, the positives far outweigh the negatives, but the Broncos had some problems in this game. Mainly with their second and third lines of attack.

Backup guard/tackle Alex Palczewski received a holding penalty and a false start penalty, guard/center Alex Forsyth received two holding penalties, and backup tackle Demontrey Jacobs received a chop block later in the game. Additionally, Will Sherman missed a block that led to a safety by Zach Wilson that gave the Packers their only points of the game.

The Broncos’ offensive line isn’t the best, and we saw that in this game. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see some reinforcements to this unit during the cutback period. Their starting offensive line has the potential to be very good, but their depth is lackluster at best.

Other notable winners and losers

• Quarterbacks Jarrett Stidham and Zach Wilson – not exactly overwhelming: After Bo Nix left the game, the Broncos quarterback’s play was lackluster at best. We saw Jarrett Stidham have another unfortunate interception, his second of the preseason. He also took a few sacks and had a few poor throws. He did manage a touchdown, but overall it wasn’t a good performance for him. As for Wilson, he was sacked multiple times, missed a few passes, and had a safety. He threw a touchdown pass to Tyler Badie, but it wasn’t the performance some were hoping for. The QB2 battle between these two will continue until the preseason finale.
• CB Riley Moss – Winner: The second-year cornerback started with Pat Surtain and Ja’Quan McMillian and played well, appearing to have secured a spot as a starting cornerback while his competitor Damarri Mathis played until the fourth quarter.
• RB Tyler Badie – Winner: I don’t know if Badie will make the team, but he scored touchdowns in two consecutive weeks and showed more than the other reserve backs on the roster. He’s probably a practice squad candidate, but he’s been strong this preseason.
• RB Audric Estime – Pass Block Winner: I have him here purely because of the pass block he had during this game. He found the open rusher and blocked him so the quarterback could complete the pass upfield. This ability will get him on the field on third downs and expand his role on offense if he can do it more consistently.
• Broncos Defense – Winners: They dominated the entire game, which was to be expected. The Packers have a pretty weak backup quarterback group, and it showed tonight. Still, it’s always encouraging when your defense plays well.
• RB Samaje Perine – Loser: He didn’t do anything bad in this game, but he didn’t do anything really remarkable to help his cause either. He finished the game with 5 carries for 16 yards and is probably on the verge of being eliminated.