Packers vs. Broncos Preseason Preview 2026: Time, TV and What to Watch

Football Nation
7 hours ago
3 min read

Green Bay visits Denver on Friday night for a preseason game with unusual value near the top of both depth charts. The Broncos plan to give Bo Nix roughly 14 snaps in his first game action of the preseason, while the Packers expect Jordan Love and other starters to play. That creates a short but useful look at two offenses trying to establish regular season rhythm.

Denver arrives after controlling the line of scrimmage against Atlanta. Green Bay arrives with a more urgent correction list after Pittsburgh produced too many efficient completions and explosive gains. The first quarter should be more revealing than a normal preseason opening stretch.

Game information

Detail	Information
Kickoff	Friday, August 21 at 8 p.m. Central
Venue	Empower Field at Mile High, Denver
TV	Packers TV Network and 9NEWS in Denver
Stream	NFL+ for eligible out of market viewers

Preseason snapshot

Team	Opening result	Numbers that matter
Packers	Lost 28 to 9 at Pittsburgh	Kyle McCord: 12 of 16, 102 yards
Broncos	Won 27 to 7 vs. Atlanta	162 rushing yards, two interceptions, 59 rushing yards allowed

Bo Nix and Jaylen Waddle offer the first major test

Denver wants a clean opening operation with Nix and new offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Camp already produced a 60 yard touchdown connection from Nix to Jaylen Waddle. Waddle changes spacing because he can threaten vertically and turn a short completion into a field position swing. Green Bay must communicate cleanly and keep leverage after Pittsburgh quarterbacks combined to complete 27 of 33 passes for 333 yards.

The result of 14 snaps is less important than the details. Watch whether Denver avoids wasted motion, gets the protection set quickly and creates an early easy completion before asking Nix to attack downfield.

Jordan Love needs efficient work, not volume

Love completed three of five passes for 18 yards on one drive in the opener. Friday gives Green Bay a chance to stack better early downs and finish a possession. Denver held Atlanta to 59 rushing yards and 2.6 yards per carry, so the Packers cannot count on soft preseason run fronts to keep the offense on schedule.

If Green Bay reaches third down, the important questions are protection recognition and whether the receivers separate on time. A touchdown would be welcome, but a clean drive with no penalty, sack or communication error would be just as valuable.

Three players and units to watch

Packers reserve secondary: Pittsburgh found too many completions and finished with 333 passing yards. Green Bay needs tighter spacing and better tackling after the catch against Denver's speed.

Trey Smack: The Green Bay kicker made official attempts from 37, 58 and 38 yards, plus another 58 yard kick that was erased. His range gives the Packers a legitimate evaluation story every time a drive crosses midfield.

Denver's defensive depth: The Broncos forced two interceptions in the opener, including Jahdae Barron's 97 yard return. Kyle McCord and the Packers reserves must protect the ball once the starting units leave.

Football Nation read

Denver has the stronger opening game profile, but Green Bay has more opportunity for a visible response. The most useful sequence will be Love against Denver's first unit, followed by McCord trying to sustain drives against a defense that already showed takeaway ability. If the Packers limit explosive passes and Denver gets Nix out cleanly, both staffs can leave with progress regardless of the score.