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Green Bay Packers head coach Matt Lafleur and Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton.
If you want to know the animosity and intensity between any 2 NFL teams, simply gauge how they treat each other during pregame warmups — a process that doesn’t invite itself to any kind of animosity.
If you see them talking smack or getting in a massive dustup like the one before the Denver Broncos hosted the Green Bay Packers in Week 15, you can be sure you’re about to see a battle.
Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw was in the middle of a huge pregame dustup before his teammates came over and separated him after being surrounded by a dozen or so Packers just 30 minutes before kickoff in Denver.
“Dre Greenlaw mixing it up a bit with the Packers pregame,” Sleeper Broncos wrote on its official X account. “This game setting up to be a intense one.”
The Broncos and Packers are both leading Super Bowl contenders. Denver enters the game with an 11-2 record and having won 10 consecutive games. The Packers are 9-3-1 having won 4 consecutive games.
CBS Sports showed a video right before kickoff which showed how the fight started — Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton shoved Packers defensive end Rashan Gary as the Packers ran onto the field and Gary ran by Singleton.
Gary returned to Singleton, grabbed his facemask, and Greenlaw quickly entered the fray.
“FIGHT ALERT,” ML Football wrote on its official X account. “A MASSIVE FIGHT BROKE OUT BETWEEN THE GREEN BAY PACKERS AND DENVER BRONCOS BEFORE TODAY’S GAME ON THE FIELD. THINGS HAVE GOTTEN EXTREMELY INTENSE.”
NFL Fans Love When Teams Fight in Pregame
The truth is NFL fans love when teams throw down in pregame — kind of a hockey mentality if we want to try and interpret the psychology. Doesn’t matter who they’re cheering for. They want violence followed by more violence.
“Dre Greenlaw setting the tone early,” Broncos 365 wrote on its official X account.
“It was Dre Greenlaw vs 20 Packers players,” Sleeper Broncos wrote on X. “Love seeing everyone at the end finding out what’s happening and heading over The boys are ready.”
“Here’s an angle of the pregame dust-up,” The Denver Post’s Luca Evans wrote on X. “Looks like it’s Dre Greenlaw in the middle of things here surrounded by a throng of Packers. Then Nik Bonitto comes back for more.”
“This is going to be a dogfight for the full 60 minutes,” Broncos fan Karsen wrote on X.
“Packers vs Broncos fight breaks out pregame!” Packers Fan Total Access wrote on its official X account. “This is gonna be a good one folks.”
Greenlaw Already Suspended For One Game
Both Singleton and Greenlaw could be headed toward NFL punishment from their pregame fracas.
Greenlaw was suspended for one game after briefly chasing NFL referee Brad Allen following a wild, 33-32 win over the New York Giants in Week 7, although video appeared to show what provoked Greenlaw’s initial involvement was Allen first shoved Broncos linebacker Justin Strnad.
In a field level video posted by The Denver Post’s Parker Gabriel on his official X account, Allen shoves Strnad as the Broncos rush the field following Wil Lutz’s game winning field goal. Greenlaw briefly ran after Allen before rookie edge rusher Que Robinson rushed over to step in, but not before Allen threw a flag in the air and ran toward Greenlaw, pointing at him.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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