The Denver Broncos suffered a tough 20-point loss to the Green Bay Packers in their second preseason game and had some issues exposed.
The Denver Broncos didn’t fare well in their second preseason bout against the Green Bay Packers, suffering a 33-13 loss this past Friday.
Nix completed six of nine passes for 76 yards, including a 21-yard strike to running back RJ Harvey for a touchdown to tie the game at 7 in the first quarter. He looked smooth in his drop-back and had clean footwork, a very encouraging sign that the QB is ready to go for the regular season.
Denver’s defense didn’t have a great game, though, and problems at safety and inside linebacker may have been exposed. On MarShawn Lloyd’s touchdown to open the scoring, linebacker Dondrea Tillman was beat badly on a simple route and received no help from the secondary.
The play was a mess for the Broncos and was a sign of things to come. Cornerback Jahdae Barron was beat on an out route to the pylon on Will Sheppard’s impressive touchdown catch. It was a struggle all night for Denver’s defensive units, and their depth will be tested this season, especially if safety Brandon Jones goes down again.
Adding veteran Taylor Rapp will help, but there are questions looming beyond his addition.
“Among the reserve safeties, Devon Key -- an All-Pro special teams selection last season -- has been the most consistent in game/practice snaps on defense,” ESPN’s Jeff Legwold wrote Saturday.
“Two of the other backups -- JL Skinner and Tycen Anderson -- project as largely special teams players and haven't been nearly as consistent. And some of the defense's issues that happened when Jones was out of the lineup last season are still fresh in the coaches' minds.”
There was a lack of stability and communication down the stretch last season, largely because Jones played so many snaps and was one of the defensive leaders. He excelled at tackling and was great in coverage, and that part of Denver’s game suffered without him.
The Broncos will need certain fringe players to step up in their secondary and make an impact this season, especially with Jones and cornerbacks Ja’Quan McMillian and Riley Moss set to hit the open market in 2027, although Denver is expected to retain at least one of McMillian or Moss.
Denver’s preseason finale is on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. MDT against the Minnesota Vikings on NFL Network.
