Broncos vs. Packers: Week 7 Bold Predictions & Picks
This week is the Denver Broncos' last opportunity to maybe, just maybe, turn the 2023 ship around. At 1-5, it's highly unlikely anything playoff-worthy can be made of this season, but if Sean Payton's club is going to make a credible stab at it, the Broncos have to beat the Green Bay Packers at home this week.
The Broncos are at risk of opening the season 0-4 at home, which has never happened before. Let's go around the table to see how the Mile High Huddle staff predicts Week 7 unfolding for the Broncos.
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 4-2: The Broncos are the perfect tonic for any team in a slump. Therefore, Jordan Love shreds a Broncos defense in disarray, with Aaron Jones racking up significant yardage on the ground against a defense that is allergic to physicality. The Packers defense does enough to keep Russell Wilson at bay, generating pressures and negative plays and keeping the Broncos out of the red zone for the most part. This one figures to be close for a while until star cornerback Jaire Alexander, although limited in practice on Thursday, seals the deal with a game-breaking pick-six. However, the annual MHH Meet and Greet in Lot E at 11.00 a.m. figures to be a perfect way to begin this game, and hopefully, there will be some moments of cheer in this one for the good guys.
Pick: Packers 24, Broncos 10
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 3-3: It's getting hard to watch the current incarnation of the Broncos. Just maybe the Packers are an opportunity to get a win under their belts, but quarterbacks tend to feast on the porous Denver defense. Nothing suggests the Broncos will win this one; they do, however, play it close and cough up loss No. 6 in overtime.
Pick: Packers 23, Broncos 20
Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 3-3: The mini-bye week should help the Broncos be prepared for the beginning of this game. I expect the Broncos to score early on with a play-action pass getting Jerry Jeudy his first touchdown of the season and maybe driving up his value in a trade later on. As we have seen this year, though, the Broncos struggle to find consistency once the scripted plays are done. Green Bay fights back into the game with a couple of big touchdown plays in the second half. This will be a close one, but in the end, the Packers come out on top leading to the Broncos becoming big sellers at the trade deadline.
Pick: Packers 24, Broncos 21
Mike Evans (@MHHEvans) 3-3: This Sunday's contest between the stumbling 1-5 Broncos against the somewhat less tragic 2-3 Packers should be called the Desperation Bowl. Can anyone in Broncos Country remember the last time they tasted victory at Empower Field? For Denver, this game's recipe for success is simpler than a two-ingredient cookbook: 1. Stop Aaron Jones. 2. Exploit the Packers' offensive line. 3. For Pete's sake, Sean Payton, let Wilson do what he's paid to do — chuck the rock!
Pick: Broncos 24, Packers 20
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 5-1: The Broncos are a bad football team without good enough leadership to turn the ship around. There is no way to pick them to win a game the rest of the season, especially as they seem content to continue on without correcting any of the issues that have plagued the team in the first six games. Another home loss awaits the diehard Broncos fans this Sunday.
Pick: Packers 24, Broncos 23
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 2-4: The Broncos are undefeated when the Mile High Huddle community is out in force for a Meet and Greet at the stadium. If the Broncos don't snap this horrid home losing streak, and win this game, I don't foresee picking them to win again this season.
Pick: Broncos 24, Packers 20
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 3-3: I'd love to believe the Broncos win this game. I'd love to believe they'll respond to a tough loss — especially on offense — by taking out their frustrations on a Packers team that lacks bite sans Aaron Rodgers. I'd love to believe the Broncos will score their first home victory of the season. I'd love to believe they'll put together a complete effort for all four quarters. But until they give me a reason to believe, I simply can't.
Pick: Packers 22, Broncos 19
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 4-2: The Broncos are not good. But neither are the Packers. The Packers' defensive front is the best unit on the field in this matchup. With Wilson struggling to get through his reads in a timely manner, hanging his O-line out to dry, the Packers will likely get plenty of hits on the QB this weekend.
Pick: Packers 27, Broncos 24
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 3-3: The Packers are a mediocre team, but needless to say, the Broncos are a bad team. If it’s not the defense letting opponents score at will, it’s the offense failing to finish drives or do better than a three-and-out. On paper, this should be a game in which the Broncos have a chance to win. But thus far, the Broncos have not had a game in which they have executed well in all three phases of the game throughout. I have no idea whether the offense or the defense fails to show up this week, but either way, I’m not expecting a Broncos win here. I don’t think the Broncos will make the Packers look like world-beaters, but the home team will still fail to get the job done.
Pick: Packers 20, Broncos 13
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 4-2: The Broncos have become the get-right game for opposing teams that are struggling to gain momentum six weeks into the season. That will be the case this Sunday in Denver as Love will get Green Bay’s offense back on track against Vance Joseph’s pathetic defense. Keep an eye on tight end Luke Musgrave as a viable target for Love, as the rookie could have a breakout game. The boo birds and paper bags come out for this one as the Broncos remain winless at home. The good news is that we can lament together about the upcoming game at the MHH Meet and Greet.
Pick: Packers 31, Broncos 23
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH) 3-3: It's hard to pick the Broncos in any game right now, but this might be a chance for them to turn things around. Love isn't playing good football at quarterback, and he shudders at the sight of pressure. His offensive tackles aren't playing well, and Nik Bonitto has a great matchup against Packers right tackle Zack Tom. If Bonitto can keep his streak of pressures up, there's a chance that Denver could win its first game at home this season.
Pick: Broncos 20, Packers 17
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 3-3: The Broncos want to avoid going 0-4 at home for the first time in franchise history. The Broncos get a struggling Packers offense with a good passing defense and a bad run defense. The Broncos have been a get-right game multiple times this season and are once again for Love and the Packers offense. The Broncos' passing offense struggles against the good passing defense of the Packers, and they don't stick to a successful running game against the opponent's bad run defense. Both teams turn the ball over multiple times, but the Packers put enough scoring drives together to win. It makes the Broncos 0-4 at home and 2-1 during the MHH Meet and Greet week.
Pick: Packers 27, Broncos 16
Dylan Von Arx (@arx_d) 3-3: Green Bay comes to town in a matchup that could easily go either way. Love hasn't played great football the past few games, but going up against Denver's defense, he could very well have a bounce-back game. Until the Broncos defense can bring the fight as consistently as it did to Kansas City, I don't feel comfortable picking them to win.
Pick: Packers 20, Broncos 13
Ron White (@RonWhiteNFL) 3-3: The Broncos are a bad football team. There's no way of getting around it. This will be a perfect game for Love and the Packers to get back on track. Although Love has not played well in a few of his previous games, he will right the ship in this matchup. Expect the Broncos defense to make a concerted effort to limit Jones. There will be opportunities in coverage for Love to exploit. The Broncos offense will score. However, it will not be enough to outlast the Packers.
Pick: Packers 30, Broncos 20
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