Packers Collapse in Denver: A Second-Half Meltdown That Could Haunt Green Bay
The Green Bay Packers didn’t fall to the Denver Broncos because they were outclassed. They fell because when adversity hit, they couldn’t hold the line-literally and figuratively. What started as a confident, composed road performance unraveled into a 34-26 loss that exposed just how fragile things can get in December when execution, health, and composure all take a nosedive.
Let’s be clear: this one stings. Green Bay had a nine-point lead in the second half.
They were in control. Then the wheels came off.
A Game of Two Halves-and Two Very Different Jordan Loves
For two quarters, Jordan Love looked like the quarterback Packers fans have been hoping to see. He stood tall in the pocket, stared down pressure, and delivered on-time throws that kept the offense humming. Green Bay’s 16 first-half points could’ve easily been more if not for a few self-inflicted wounds.
But the tide turned early in the third quarter. Up 23-14, Love took a deep shot to Christian Watson with pressure in his face.
He was trying to make a play-give his top guy a chance. Instead, Patrick Surtain II jumped the route and flipped the script.
Not only did the interception swing momentum, but Watson was injured on the play, removing Love’s primary vertical threat.
From there, everything unraveled. Love threw another interception in the fourth quarter-this one to Riley Moss-and was sacked three times after halftime.
The rhythm was gone. The poise from the first half?
Nowhere to be found. Green Bay managed just three points the rest of the way, and on three separate fourth-quarter drives with a chance to tie it up, they came up empty.
One bad quarter can undo a full afternoon of solid football, especially against a team on a 10-game heater. That’s exactly what happened.
Offensive Line Cracks Under Pressure
The Packers’ offensive line, which had held up reasonably well early, simply couldn’t withstand Denver’s second-half surge. The fourth quarter was a mess up front.
Love was sacked twice in quick succession on one drive, killing any hope of a comeback. On the next possession, a false start by Anthony Belton set the tone for another stalled series.
Rasheed Walker had a particularly rough outing. He was flagged four times-each one a drive-killer.
A false start led to a field goal instead of a touchdown. An ineligible man downfield wiped out a big gain.
A holding penalty near the goal line nearly cost Green Bay points altogether. And another false start pushed the offense into long-yardage territory, setting up a sack that ended the drive.
In a game decided by inches and momentum swings, those mistakes weren’t just costly-they were decisive.
Special Teams Miscues Continue to Haunt
It’s been a recurring theme all season, and it showed up again in Denver: Green Bay’s special teams just can’t get out of their own way.
Early in the game, they gave up a 37-yard kick return that set up Denver with great field position. Then Kingsley Enagbare added fuel to the fire with an unnecessary roughness penalty after contacting the punter.
Right before halftime, Emanuel Wilson muffed a kickoff in the end zone, limiting the return to just 14 yards. The Packers still got a field goal out of it, but with better field position, that could’ve been a touchdown drive.
In the second half, Isaiah McDuffie was flagged for holding on a punt return. That penalty gave Denver a short field, and they cashed it in with a touchdown.
Momentum? Gone.
Control? Gone.
The Packers never got it back.
The Parsons Injury Changed Everything
Micah Parsons’ non-contact knee injury late in the third quarter was a gut punch-and the defense never recovered. Up to that point, the Packers had been bending but not breaking. Once Parsons left, Denver started dictating terms.
The secondary, already under pressure, completely unraveled. Carrington Valentine had a tough afternoon, getting picked on repeatedly. He missed tackles, gave up key first downs, and dropped what could’ve been a game-changing interception.
Keisean Nixon didn’t fare much better. He was beaten badly by Courtland Sutton for a 42-yard gain that led to a score, and later gave up a touchdown. Denver identified the weak spots and attacked them with surgical precision.
Without Parsons anchoring the front, Green Bay couldn’t generate pressure, and their corners were left on an island. The Broncos took full advantage.
A Team-Wide Breakdown
There’s no shame in losing on the road to a red-hot team. But the way the Packers lost? That’s the concern.
They didn’t just get edged out-they collapsed. Once Parsons went down, leadership wavered, execution faltered, and discipline disappeared.
The quarterback made critical mistakes. The offensive line lost control.
Special teams handed the Broncos prime field position. The secondary couldn’t hold up under fire.
This was a test of resilience, and Green Bay failed it.
Now sitting at 9-4-1 and clinging to the NFC’s seventh seed, the Packers are still in the playoff hunt. But with injuries mounting and confidence shaken, they’ve got more questions than answers heading into the final stretch.
One thing’s clear: if they want to make noise in January, they’ll need to find a way to respond when the pressure’s highest-because this week, when it mattered most, they didn’t.