Green Bay suffered a major blow to its defense as star pass rusher Micah Parsons went down with a non-contact knee injury in the Packers’ 34-26 defeat to the Broncos in Denver on Dec. 14.
Late in the third quarter of the game, Parsons was in pursuit of Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, when Nix side-stepped. This caused Parsons to plant with his left leg and go down to the ground clutching his knee.
“Yeah, it does not look good,” said Packers head coach Matt LaFleur, regarding a question about Parsons’ knee.
Parsons was not the only player to go down in this game, as the Packers saw wide receiver Christian Watson leave the game with a chest injury, and both offensive lineman Zach Tom and defensive back Evan Williams leave the game with knee injuries that are not expected to be long-term injuries.
“Losing a game like this is tough. It was a battle,” said LaFleur. “I think we did some good things, and there are some things that we have to clean up that just weren’t good enough, and speaking on some of the injuries, we will see what happens and what the reports are when we get back, but it is tough. Anytime you lose guys during the game, especially some of your best players, it’s tough.”
Even with the numerous injuries suffered during the game, the Packers found themselves in position to tie the game with 1:07 remaining in the fourth quarter after Denver failed to convert on a fourth-and-1 that would have sealed the game.
During the final drive, Packers quarterback Jordan Love saw a heavy pass rush from the NFL’s defense with the most sacks this season. The heavy pass rush resulted in four straight incompletions, ending Green Bay’s shot at a comeback.
Through the first half of the game, Love dominated the elite Denver defense, as he completed 17-of-22 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown, leading the Packers to a 16-14 lead.
Love kept that momentum moving through the first drive of the third quarter, as Green Bay’s offense moved down the field quickly thanks in part to a defensive pass interference call. That penalty was immediately followed up by a Josh Jacobs 40-yard rushing touchdown, giving Green Bay a 23-14 lead.
Things quickly changed though, as after Denver was forced to punt on its next possession, Love took a deep shot on the first play of the drive intended for Watson. Broncos defensive back and former defensive player of the year Patrick Surtain made a diving interception, getting the ball back to the Broncos while Watson was subsequently injured on the play.
“A bunch of plays, I mean we went down and we scored, we got a three-and-out and then took a shot, got the coverage we wanted and Suratin made a hell of a play,” said LaFleur, on how the game changed in the third quarter. “Give him a lot of credit, he is one of the best in the business.”
From that point, the Broncos went on a 20-3 run to end the game.
Love finished the game completing 24-of-40 passes for 276 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Matthew Golden and Jayden Reed were the leaders in the clubhouse when it came to receiving as the rookie caught three passes for 55 yards, while Reed totaled 55 yards on five receptions. Luke Musgrave caught four passes for 52 yards, Romeo Doubs caught two passes for 36 yards, Watson caught three passes for 29 yards and Josh Jacobs caught two passes for 19 yards, including Love’s lone touchdown.
After coming into this game with an injury designation all week, Jacobs started the game for Green Bay but was certainly limited. He finished the game with 73 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Chris Brooks and Emanuel Wilson both totaled two carries for a combined 13 yards.
For Denver, Nix had one of the better games in his young career as he completed 23-of-34 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns. Courtland Sutton was the leading receiver for Denver, as he totaled 113 yards and touchdown on seven receptions. Troy Franklin added 85 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Michael Bandy completed the quartet of Nix’s touchdown passes.
Rookie R.J. Harvey paced the backfield for the Broncos, totaling 65 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
The loss drops the Packers down to a 9-4-1 record, which is good for the second place in the NFC North and a playoff spot. With the Bears looming on the schedule next week, Green Bay has an opportunity to get back on top of the NFC North and in position to host a playoff game with a victory at Chicago. The Packers currently have an 88% chance to make the playoffs.
