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For me, pre-season game #3 is the most important of the pre-season. The starters are likely to play 3 quarters, which excites me because the first stringers have been playing well on both sides of the ball. Jay Cutler is playing some of the best football I've seen from #6, and the rookies are showing signs that they are going to make a huge impact in 2008.
The Packers are finally putting the Brett Favre situation behind them, though being embarrassed by the 49'ers 34-6 this past weekend won't help the fans move on. The Quest this year is a bit of a reckoning, of sorts. We all remember the Monday Night Favre Love-Fest, then the painful OT loss thanks the Favre. Like the Cowboys last week, who we paid a bit of revenge to for last year's beatdown, we have a little somethin' - somethin' for the Packers as well. And yea, we'll catch up with Favre a bit later.
First Stringers Are Getting It Done
Through the first quarter of their opening two preseason games, the Broncos have outscored their opponents 14-3 and out gained them 179-108 yards while posting an 18:47-11:13 time-of-possession lead. In the first half, Denver owns a 394-266 (+128) yardage advantage and a 38:12-21:48 (+16:24) time-of-possession lead.
Cutler ranks second in the NFL in passer rating (110.7) and has completed 24-of-30 (80.0%) passes for 237 yards with one touchdown. Second-year kicker Matt Prater (21 pts.) leads the league in scoring while rookie free agent linebacker Wesley Woodyard is tied for fifth in the NFL in tackles (13).
Last Five(3-2) Pre-Season Meetings With The Pack
at GREEN BAY 22, DENVER 7 (Aug. 20, 2001)
Denver allowed 16 points in the third quarter to drop a 22-7 contest against Green Bay at Lambeau Field... Broncos QB Brian Griese posted a 93.3 passer rating, completing 8-of-10 passes for 79 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown toss to Patrick Hape in the second quarter... Denver WR Rod Smith led all receivers with five catches for 59 yards while RB Mike Anderson totaled 56 rushing yards on 14 carries.
at DENVER 26, GREEN BAY 20 (Aug. 13, 2000)
The Broncos scored 10 points in each of the second and third quarters en route to their 26-20 win over Green Bay at Mile High Stadium... The Broncos’ passing tandem of Brian Griese and Gus Frerotte combined for 309 gross passing yards, completing 23-of- 36 passes... Denver RB Olandis Gary led all rushers with 94 yards with one touchdown on 22 carries... WR Rod Smith paced the receivers with six catches for 73 yards while WR Ed McCaffrey turned a 61-yard grab on Denver’s first offensive play... Denver K Jason Elam connected on all four of his field goal attempts.
at GREEN BAY 27, DENVER 12 (Aug. 23, 1999)
Green Bay opened a 24-3 lead by halftime and took a 27-12 decision over Denver at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisc.... Broncos QB Brian Griese connected on 16-of-28 attempts for 176 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions... Broncos RB Terrell Davis averaged 4.8 yards per rush as he registered 24 yards on five attempts while Denver RB Leeland McElroy added 12 carries for 56 yards (4.7 avg.)... Broncos S George Coghill and S Brad Trout recorded interceptions... The game started auspiciously for the Packers when Brett Favre jammed a finger on John Mobley’s helmet on the first play of Green Bay’s second possession.
at DENVER 34, Green Bay 31 (Aug. 24, 1998)
In a game that featured an interception returned for a touchdown (Green Bay’s LeRoy Butler, 30 yds.), a fumble returned for a touchdown (Denver’s Tyrone Braxton, 7 yds.), a punt returned for a touchdown (Denver’s Darrien Gordon, 65 yds.) and a kickoff returned for a touchdown (Green Bay’s Roell Preston, 99 yds.), it was Jason Elam’s 49-yard field goal with 3:10 remaining in the fourth quarter that provided the difference in a 34-31 Broncos victory over the Green Bay Packers at Mile High Stadium... Broncos QB John Elway completed 13-of-22 passes for 179 yards, including an 80-yard scoring strike to WR Rod Smith.
at DENVER 20, GREEN BAY 14 (Aug. 15, 1987)
Denver used two touchdown passes from QB John Elway to earn a 20-14 win over Green Bay at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz....Elway finished the game connecting on 7-of-12 passes for 107 yards with a pair of scores... Denver RB Sammy Winder gained 36 yards on eight carries (4.5 avg.)... DB Bruce Plummer and S Tony Lilly each posted an interception for the Broncos defense.