The Green Bay Packers held a 23-14 lead early in the second half against the Denver Broncos. The Packers, playing on the road against the team with the best record in the NFL, looked every bit like the true Super Bowl contender General Manager Brian Gutekunst envisioned. 

Jordan Love was dicing up one of the league’s best defenses with 215 first-half passing yards. Micah Parsons forced a fumble on the game’s first possession, and constantly harassed quarterback Bo Nix, as he had done to all passers this season. Josh Jacobs just ripped a 40-yard touchdown run behind dominant run blocking. The defense, fast and aggressive as ever, forced a three-and-out after the Jacobs run.

Then, in the matter of 12 game minutes and seemingly 12 hours in real time, the trajectory for the game, and the season, turned drastically for the worse. 

Love, seeking an early knockout, launched a one-on-one deep shot to the team’s most important receiver, Christian Watson. Love challenged reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II on the play, and the cornerback proved his merit with an impressive diving interception. In doing so, Surtain II landed on Watson which knocked him out of the game with a chest injury, and reportedly sent him to the hospital. 

Mercilessly, the X/Twitter medical reports were only just beginning. 

With less than a minute to go in the quarter, Parsons generated an instant pressure on Nix to flush him from the pocket. The premier pass rusher then planted his left foot out in front as he tried to change direction. He hobbled, grabbed his left knee, and crumpled to the ground. Non-contact. Immediate wave for help to the Green Bay sideline. Players from both teams gave him a head tap before he limped into the locker room. The reported “fear” of an ACL tear felt all but confirmed after the game. 

The injuries nearly bookended a third quarter from Hell, which saw the Broncos erase the nine-point deficit en route to a 34-26 win. 

“Yea it doesn’t look good,” coach Matt LaFleur said via packers.com when asked about an ACL tear. “That’s obviously a really tough night in a lot of ways in regards to losing the football game . . . it was also a double-whammy for us losing pieces that are critical for our success.” 

Zach Tom and Evan Williams filled out the injury reports with knee injuries of their own, though LaFleur said he didn’t think they would be long-term. Nate Hobbs also left the game late, but official word was not provided regarding his injury.

The game matched its inter-conference, powerhouse build-up in the first half as the teams traded scores in a surprisingly offensive affair. The Packers scored on all four of their first-half drives, but settled for field goals on two of them. The Broncos scored twice, both touchdowns, for a 16-14 halftime score. Green Bay scored on its first second-half drive – five straight scoring drives to start the game – to jump out to the 23-14 lead. 

The injuries understandably impacted Packers’ play – the Broncos outscored them 20-3 after Watson went down. Nix found continued success attacking Packer cornerbacks Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine to retake a lead. With a new gamescript and banged up offense, the vaunted Denver pass rush cranked up the heat on Love and sacked him three times in the second half.

“We knew this was one of the best pass rushes in the league, and you could feel that at the end of the game,” LaFleur said. “Whether it was their ability to get Jordan off the spot or get to him, we had plenty of opportunities and didn’t get it done.” 

Green Bay’s offense had three chances to tie the game in the fourth quarter, trailing by eight. First, Love left a pass to an open Dontayvion Wicks high and slightly behind. Wicks got his hands on the ball, but couldn’t catch it reaching back. He tipped the ball up for a second Broncos interception. A fourth-down sack ended the Packers’ next attempt, and their last series consisted of four incompletions and a false start penalty. Green Bay committed 10 penalties for 72 yards. 

Nix finished 23-of-34 passing for 302 yards, and four touchdowns to four different receivers. Courtland Sutton racked up 113 yards receiving and a touchdown on seven catches; Troy Franklin tallied six catches for 85 yards and a score. 

Jacobs was the brightest spot for the Packers Sunday. Despite his own knee injury keeping him out for much of practice this week, he gained 73 yards on 12 carries and the score. Jacobs also added a terrific touchdown catch over Dre’ Greenlaw in the first half. 

Love completed 17-of-22 passing for 215 yards and a touchdown in the first half, but finished a mere 24-of-40 for 276 with two interceptions and just the one touchdown. 

Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, and Luke Musgrave, tallied 55, 55, and 52 yards receiving, respectively. 

The loss moves Green Bay back to second place in the division behind Chicago. The Packers will face the Bears for the second time in as many weeks Saturday night at Soldier Field.