Packers Roll Past Broncos 33-13: Jordan Love Sharp, Jarrett Stidham Struggles

Green Bay beat Denver 33-13 in Week 2 of the preseason, a game built on six combined Trey Smack and Wil Lutz field goals and three different touchdown passes. The quarterback story ran in opposite directions for each team: Green Bay's starter looked sharp in a short cameo while its backup struggled with volume, and Denver's backup QB battle went badly for the guy who played the most.

Jordan Love's cameo was sharp, and Kyle McCord's extended audition wasn't

Love went 5 of 7 for 56 yards and a touchdown to MarShawn Lloyd, a 134.5 rating, in a brief, efficient appearance. Kyle McCord took on the bulk of the workload behind him and was far less sharp: 12 of 19 for 118 yards, no touchdowns, sacked once, an 80.6 rating. Tyrod Taylor closed it out with a short touchdown pass of his own in mop-up duty (4 of 8, 17 yards).

Denver's real QB2 battle went badly for Jarrett Stidham

Bo Nix's own cameo was clean: 6 of 9 for 76 yards and a touchdown to RJ Harvey, a 129.9 rating. Jarrett Stidham got the extended run behind him and didn't produce: 9 of 15 for 82 yards with an interception, a 47.1 rating — exactly the kind of outing that doesn't answer any questions about Denver's QB2 spot. Sam Ehlinger closed the game out but was sacked twice on his own two completions.

RJ Harvey scored as a receiver, and Pierre Strong Jr. led Green Bay's ground game

Harvey caught two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown on just two targets, flashing as a receiver out of the backfield in a way worth tracking into the regular season. On the other side, Pierre Strong Jr. led all Green Bay rushers with eight carries for 37 yards, a 4.6 average, ahead of Jaden Nixon's shorter touchdown run (four carries, 20 yards) and MarShawn Lloyd's quiet six-carry, 17-yard night.

What to do with this

Jordan Love's cameo and Bo Nix's cameo were both exactly what you want from your projected Week 1 starters this late in August — clean and uneventful. The real news is that neither Kyle McCord nor Jarrett Stidham did anything to lock down a backup job. Check the rookie rankings to see where RJ Harvey currently sits, and use the best ball tool to see how Green Bay's crowded backfield is being valued right now. Full box score: ESPN.