The Denver Broncos clinched a spot in the NFL playoffs on Sunday with a 34-26 win over the Green Bay Packers at home. Denver improved to 12-2 with the victory and Green Bay dropped to 9-4-1.
The game was heated even before kickoff as the two sides got into a pregame dust-up (it didn’t last long). Denver’s offense started with the ball first and drove just beyond midfield before Micah Parsons forced an RJ Harvey fumble that Green Bay’s defense recovered. Following that turnover, the Packers took a 3-0 lead with a 53-yard Brandon McManus field goal. Green Bay added another field goal early in the second quarter to make it 6-0.
Later in the second quarter, Bo Nix led a 10-play, 70-yard drive that was capped off with a 20-yard touchdown pass to receiver Michael Bandy to take a 7-6 lead. Bandy was just elevated from the practice squad on Saturday, and the score marked the first touchdown of his NFL career.
The Packers matched that score when Jordan Love threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to running back Josh Jacobs to make it 13-7. The Broncos went 72 yards on six plays on their ensuing drive and after Troy Franklin was robbed of a touchdown with an early whistle, Nix threw a five-yard strike to Lil’Jordan Humphrey to retake a 14-13 lead. Green Bay added a McManus field goal after that to take a 16-14 lead into halftime.
Early in the third quarter, Broncos cornerback Riley Moss was the victim of a questionable 25-yard pass interference penalty. One play later, Jacobs scored on a 40-yard touchdown run to make it 23-14. Following a Denver punt, the Broncos got the ball back on a Pat Surtain interception:
Following that takeaway, Denver went 71 yards on seven plays and Nix threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton to reduce the deficit to 23-21.
Later, on the final play of the third quarter, Nix threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Troy Franklin to make it 27-23 (the team’s ensuing two-point conversion attempt failed).
McManus added a fourth field goal on the Packers’ ensuing drive to make it 27-26. Ten plays later, the Broncos extended their lead to 34-26 with a four-yard touchdown run from Harvey:
On Green Bay’s next drive, Riley Moss intercepted a Love pass to give the ball back to Denver’s offense:
That takeaway did not lead to a Broncos score, but it did stop a Packers drive and helped Denver eat more time off the clock. The Broncos went on to win 34-26, clinching consecutive postseason berths for the first time since the Peyton Manning era.
On the injury front, linebacker Justin Strnad suffered an ankle injury in the first quarter and wide receiver Marvin Mims left to be evaluated for a possible concussion in the second quarter. Mims cleared the concussion check and returned in the third quarter after a stinger. Denver running back RJ Harvey also left in the fourth quarter with a rib injury.
Up next on the Broncos’ schedule is a home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 21.
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