The Green Bay Packers got off to a leisurely start against the Denver Broncos, struggling on offense and falling 27-2 in their preseason game at EmPower Field at Mile High on Sunday night.
Matt LaFleur’s team surrendered two consecutive scoring drives to rookie Bo Nix and found itself down 10-0 early. It took a safety — a sack by Zach Morton in the third quarter — to keep the Packers from getting shutouted in the preseason.
Here are three players whose stocks are rising and three players whose stocks are falling after Sunday’s preseason loss to the Broncos:
Three up
Defensive Line Leader Kristian Welch: On a night when so many prospects for the 53-man roster struggled, Welch shined. On one play in the second quarter, he caught a tight end in a hole and picked off a running back on a low gain. He rushed right twice and stopped him. He also was in position to throw an interception, the defense’s only gain. Welch played like his hair was on fire and contributed 13 plays on special teams. If the Packers want to keep six linebackers, Welch has improved his chances.
FROM Brenton Cox Jr.: The sophomore defensive end impressed again, making a sack — the result of excellent arm play and speed — and a team-high five pressures, according to PFF. On one play, Cox broke a double team with an inside spin move and created a rush. He played with urgency and energy, chasing plays. The pass-rushing talent seems to be there.
WR Malik Heath: He caught only three balls for 22 yards, but the stats mask a generally good game. Heath was open downfield and would have had a long catch inside the 5-yard line (or a touchdown) if Sean Clifford had thrown a better ball on the first series. He won deep later, and Michael Pratt missed him by a mile. Along the way, Heath had a tough run after the catch against Patrick Surtain II and converted a third-down pass into a good route. It was very close to a standout performance.
Three down
(Photo: Tyler Schank/Getty Images)
Reserve quarterbacks: The Packers didn’t run the ball well, and their pass protection was inconsistent, which complicates quarterback evaluations. But there’s no denying that Sean Clifford or Michael Pratt played well in an significant spot in the quarterback competition. Clifford was a little faulty downfield, fumbled the ball and threw an interception. Pratt barely attempted a pass downfield, was pressured and lost the ball. The two linebackers combined for 12 carries, had fewer than 100 passing yards and didn’t enter the red zone or create a score. The Packers have a lot of question marks about Jordan Love entering the final week of the preseason.
TE Tyler Davis: His night was a nightmare. In fact, Davis’ struggles as a run blocker should have landed him on the roster bubble. Despite playing in 10 run-blocking plays, Davis managed to get a holding penalty and — by our count — missed five different run-blocking attempts. His failure to hold and finish blocks was a huge reason the Packers’ run game couldn’t get going in the first half.
K Greg Joseph: He got his first chance to kick and missed. The snap was good, the holding was good, and 47 yards is not a challenging distance in Denver. Joseph’s kick sailed wide right. In an increasingly disturbing kicking contest, Joseph missed an opportunity to take the lead.
This performance deserved an extra “minus”, so here’s the fourth:
OL Royce Newman: He started and played all 59 offensive snaps. From start to finish, Newman was frustratingly inconsistent. He succumbed to third-down pressure on his first series, got blown up trying to lead a block on a screen, succumbed to pressure that resulted in a sack and didn’t punt on a failed fourth-down attempt. Considering Newman was still in the game in the fourth quarter, it’s clear he’s fighting for a spot in the lineup. And he may end up losing that battle.
We actually need a fifth one:
CB Kalen King: A tough night for the seventh-round rookie. He threw a touchdown pass to Tim Patrick while trying to break through traffic in man-on-man coverage, failed to complete a tackle in the open field on a 3rd-and-17 conversion and allowed a first-down catch and failed to complete another tackle on his third pass in man-in-the-slot coverage. In a tight battle at cornerback, King could have lost a lot of ground Sunday night.
