The NFL comes at you fast. One minute, you have a nine-point lead on the road against a title contender with a chance to deliver a third-quarter dagger on a deep shot to your best receiver. The next, you watch that receiver wobble to the locker room, and then see your title hopes collapse when your defensive superstar tears up his knee.
Man, what a devastating, season-altering second half that was in Denver. The Green Bay Packers entered the day with a chance to deliver a statement on the road against the NFL’s hottest team and stay on track for the top seed in the playoffs. When they got on the plane to head home, they faced the reality that their 2025 Super Bowl window had been essentially slammed in their face.
As I write this, we await confirmation that Micah Parsons tore his ACL; he’ll face a long, tough road to try to be ready near the start of next season, joining Tucker Kraft as probably two of the three most valuable and explosive players on the team dealing with long offseason recoveries.
The Packers defense cannot recover from the loss of Parsons. Yes, it’s an opportunity for young guys like Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, and Barryn Sorrell to step up. But let’s not kid ourselves — look what Bo Nix did after Parsons exited. He looked like the second coming of John Elway.
The Packers lost three other guys on Sunday who would all be considered among their 10 best and most important players, on this fateful afternoon in the Mile High City. Christian Watson, Zach Tom, and Evan Williams all look like they’ll miss some time, and with the division title on the line in Chicago on Saturday night, it seems clear the team’s season is on the brink.
What a tale of two halves. Jordan Love was brilliant in the first 30 minutes: 17 of 21 for 215 yards and a score as the offense piled up 251 yards against Denver’s vaunted defense. But everything changed when Watson left the game with a chest injury.
Suddenly, there was no deep threat. With Tom also in the locker room, the Denver pass rush heated up, and Green Bay found air yards far more difficult to come by. Love’s second-half numbers: seven of 19, 61 yards, and two picks.
Nix deserves a lot of credit. He’s played several games this season where he’s looked nothing like a guy ready to lead a talent-laden roster on a deep playoff run. He was outstanding against the Pack, showing his athleticism and accuracy outside the pocket, and finishing drives in the end zone. The Broncos were four for four in the red zone; the Packers were one for four. Nix wasn’t sacked and didn’t turn the ball over.
The Packers offered little resistance. It was a rough day for the cornerback group, who made Denver’s average receiving corps look like All-Pros. Ten penalties didn’t help matters; it felt like half were on the defense and half were on Rasheed Walker, whose time in Green Bay is nearly up. I’m ready to see what Jordan Morgan, the heir apparent at left tackle, has to offer for the remainder of the season.
What the rest of the season looks like is a mystery. A chance at the top seed in the NFC is a distant memory. One win in the final three weeks will likely assure the team a place in the postseason, but those Super Bowl dreams faded to black on Sunday, the moment Parsons was gingerly helped off the field.
