If Surtain is Right, 2024's Joint Practice With Packers Could Help Broncos

The Denver Broncos are looking to exploit any advantage they can find vs. the Green Bay Packers.

Oct 22, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) pulls in a touchdown past Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) and linebacker Alex Singleton (49) in the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

In the summer of 2024, the Denver Broncos held joint practice sessions with the Green Bay Packers. Entering Week 15's regular-season matchup with the Packers, the Broncos will be looking for any edge they can get, and the tape from last year's practices against them could offer a key.

And lest you think that too much water has passed under the bridge for those practices to be meaningful in December of 2025, take heed of what Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II said on Wednesday.

“It’s very helpful. We have some familiarity with their offense and how they operate," Surtain said of those joint practice sessions.

Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object

The Packers rank 13th in yards, 10th in scoring, and first and second in third-down and red-zone efficiency, respectively. Defensively, the Broncos rank third in yards, fourth in points, and first in third-down and red-zone efficiency.

The Packers have surrendered the fourth-fewest sacks this season, while the Broncos still lead the league with 55 quarterback takedowns. It's a proverbial case of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.

While some of the faces have changed, Surtain has observed in his study of the Packers that the offensive philosophy remains the same. And it's the same quarterback and head coach — Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur.

"I think they stay consistent. Obviously, with their room, they added some new guys offensively, but it’s still the same offensive philosophy," Surtain said of the Packers. "That’s a good thing. When I look back at that practice, I think it was very competitive. I feel like we brought the energy and brought the juice. We’re looking forward to bringing that same energy as we had.”

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Weapons Galore

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) stiff-arms Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt (29) on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 27-18. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Packers can attack opponents in a variety of ways, including on the ground with running back Josh Jacobs. Green Bay's collection of receiving weapons, led by this season by Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, finds ways to get open and create explosive plays, but the Broncos have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Surtain and one of the NFL's best secondaries.

“They have a variety of guys. They have a great rotation going on," Surtain said of Green Bay's skill positions. "They have a young receiver corps, too. So a lot of them make plays down the field, that’s what they’re big on. Christian Watson, Romeo, all of them boys, I feel like they consistently make big-time catches down the field. That’s what they’re known for."

Like all NFL offenses, stopping them begins with smothering the ground attack. That's not easy to do against a back as talented and experienced as Jacobs, but it will be the Broncos' first focus.

"I just think the offense as a whole, it starts with the run game, and it builds into the pass," Surtain said. "So I think it’s going to be a great battle for us, a great competitive battle.”

The Packers can be killers with the play-action game, especially if Jacobs is allowed to get rolling. The Broncos are hoping to have starting nose tackle D.J. Jones back this week, which would help in the effort to bottle up Jones.

The Takeaway

The Packers are favored in this game, despite the Broncos being undefeated at home this season and having a better record. Will those joint practice sessions from 18 months ago help the Broncos?

Let's not forget that the Sean Payton-led Broncos vanquished LaFleur's Packers in Week 7 of the 2023 season at Mile High. These two teams do have a history, though the last time they went head-to-head in a meaningful way, it was in practices before a preseason game a year and a half ago.

Any edge the Broncos may have gained from those practices could apply to the Packers as well, who have their own memory and tape of going against Vance Joseph's defense. Whichever team can exploit even a sliver of an advantage from that experience could be the one that comes out on top in Week 15.