The Packers stumbled the last time they faced an elite Denver defense.
It wasn’t all that long ago that a Packers team with Super Bowl aspirations faced a Denver Broncos team with an elite defense.
The year was 2015. Despite the preseason loss of Jordy Nelson, the Packers opened the season with a sprint to a 6-0 start, putting up at least 27 points in four of those six wins. Then they had a bye. Then the Broncos took them apart.
Boasting a truly great defense, the Broncos solved the Packers’ offense completely, and in doing so showed the rest of the league how they could be beaten. By the end of November, the Packers were 7-4 and had to scratch and claw to make it to 10-6 on the year.
It’s overly reductionist to say that the Broncos really ruined the Packers that thoroughly. There were plenty of other factors in the Packers’ decline. Nelson’s absence was significant, and elsewhere in the receiving corps, Randall Cobb and second-year man Davante Adams were both banged up as well. Running back Eddie Lacy was similarly nicked up (in addition to struggling with weight issues), and only one player on the offensive line started all 16 games.
But the Broncos certainly didn’t help, and it’s not a stretch to say they played a big role in ruining the Packers’ season. There is a very clear “before Denver” and “after Denver” demarcation in the 2015 Packers’ season.
This year’s Packers team is not without its issues, but it seems better positioned to handle a blitz from Denver than the 2015 unit. Still, it’s hard to forget how big of an impact a single game can have, and with a narrow margin for error, the Packers would be wise to remember the lessons of 2015.
The story of the Denver Broncos is their defense, and the Packers are well aware.
The Packers have plenty to talk about on their own defense, including safety Evan Williams.
The absent strength has been yards after the catch, but Christian Watson’s emergence has brought that back to an extent.
Speaking of strength, Anthony Belton has shown plenty of it during his work as a starting lineman for the Packers.
Jordan Love comes out looking pretty good in this conversation.
I’m far from the first to make this kind of joke, but I was led to believe that quicksand was going to be a much bigger issue than it turned out to be. But then there’s this guy!
