The Green Bay Packers escaped their House of Horrors mostly unscathed. Road trips to Denver have often ended in tears for the Packers, but they have plenty to celebrate on the way home from their emphatic 33-13 preseason victory.
It was an excellent performance from Matt LaFleur's team, especially considering the Broncos began the game with their starters and then kept their second-teamers out there deep into the contest. Preseason games don't count in the standings, but the Packers can take confidence from the way they played against one of the league's most talented and deepest rosters.
What did we learn? Who were the biggest winners and losers for the Packers? Let's break it down.
Biggest winners and losers for the Packers after big preseason win over Broncos
Winner: Trey Smack
It's amazing what a little bit of momentum and confidence can do for a kicker.
There was never any doubt that Trey Smack has cheat-code-like abilities with his right leg. His power to comfortably hit from any distance is borderline ridiculous. The only question that kept coming up early in training camp was his worrying lack of consistency.
At Florida last season, Smack was far better from long range than within 40 yards, and that trend continued into the NFL at the Packers' OTAs, minicamp, and the start of training camp.
But once the rookie played in front of Lambeau Field, everything changed. He was almost perfect at Family Night, and now he has been perfect in two preseason games.
Trey smack!!! Wtf!! 🧀🧀🔥
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) August 22, 2026
Smack booted four field goals and three PATs in Denver, with a long of 59 yards and another from 51. He made it look easy. Just absurd.
The rookie hit the bullseye on each kick. There was no doubt. They went dead center through the uprights and had the power to have converted from even farther out.
Including a kick that technically didn't count last week (although the penalty was on the Pittsburgh Steelers and didn't stop him from clearing the uprights, so it should count), Smack is a perfect 8/8 on field goals and 3/3 on PATs in two preseason games. He has converted from 59 yards, twice from 58, and from 51. That'll do.
Winner: Pierre Strong Jr.
Pierre Strong Jr. starred throughout the game and may have given Brian Gutekunst a difficult decision. Can the Packers make room for a fourth running back?
Strong turned eight carries into 37 yards with a healthy 4.6 yards per attempt, but his performance goes beyond the numbers. He displayed vision, explosiveness, and some real speed. A 2022 fourth-round pick by the New England Patriots, Strong is making the most of his opportunities this summer.
I've buried the lede somewhat, though, as Strong's best play was an electric 68-yard kick return. That should have Gutekunst's attention.
Winner: MarShawn Lloyd
It's so cool to see MarShawn Lloyd finally out there and playing meaningful snaps. He got the start again with Josh Jacobs sidelined and once again reminded us why he was a third-round pick.
Running against the Broncos' fierce defense was an uphill battle, and Lloyd didn't get much push from the offensive line (what's new?), which is why his pedestrian 17 yards on six carries don't stand out. What we did see was Lloyd's game-changing speed. His acceleration. The ability to bounce outside and make defenders miss.
Lloyd's biggest impact came through the air when he made the Broncos pay for covering him with edge-rusher Dondrea Tillman, getting wide open for an 11-yard touchdown catch. The breakout season is coming.
Winner: Kamal Hadden
Kamal Hadden is going to make the 53-man roster. Book it.
And credit to him. Hadden had shown some promise in limited action last season but suffered a significant ankle injury that kept him out until the middle of training camp. But he's making up for lost time.
Hadden lined up in the slot against the Broncos, an experiment that keeps working. He received the Packers' third-best Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 77.3, allowing two catches for just four yards.
Green Bay needed a backup slot corner after waiving/injured Johnathan Baldwin. Hadden is now the clear choice.
Winner: Cam Achord
The post-Rich Bisaccia era is off to a fast start. New special teams coordinator Cam Achord is already making an impact.
It was a great night for Green Bay's special teams. Not only was Smack perfect on field goals, but he excelled on kickoffs, pinning the Broncos deep and forcing them to return it from within their own 10-yard line.
Pierre Strong Jr. returned a kick for 68 yards. Skyy Moore took another 30 yards, and he also returned a punt for 16 yards.
It's really happening. Say it quietly, but the Packers are making plays on special teams.
Winner: Jonathan Ford
Jonathan Ford looks like a completely different player than he did during his previous stint with the Packers. A two-year stay with the Chicago Bears has seemingly helped him rejuvenate his career. Perhaps playing for the Bears made him realize how much he missed the Packers?
Whatever the reason, it's working. PFF credited Ford with a team-best three pressures on just nine pass-rush snaps. He earned an elite 93.0 pass-rush grade. Notably, Ford started with the first-team defense, a potential sign he will make the roster ahead of Nazir Stackhouse and Anthony Campbell.
Loser: Tyrod Taylor
We don't have a quarterback competition, do we? Surely not? Tyrod Taylor has no business losing the backup job that never seemed to be on the line, but we may need to have a conversation.
While Kyle McCord is quietly performing well, even if he's not exactly lighting it up, Taylor has looked lost in the preseason. The offense was moving at ease while Jordan Love was in the game, but the Packers hit a wall once Taylor took the reins. He completed just four of eight passes for 17 yards, although he did connect with Will Sheppard for an impressive 2-yard touchdown.
Taylor extended some plays in the pocket but his accuracy was all over the place. The veteran was firing the ball over his receivers' heads. Per PFF, he had an adjusted completion percentage of just 44.4 percent while averaging an awful 1.9 yards per attempt.
Could Taylor really lose the job to McCord?
Loser: The pass rush
It's important not to have too many complaints about the pass rush. After all, the Packers took out many of their starters early in the game even when the Broncos kept theirs out there. That created some mismatches.
The concern is what happened when Green Bay's first-team defense was out there.
Bo Nix led a six-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that lasted only two-and-a-half minutes, and then another nine-play drive that resulted in a field goal. The Packers could barely lay a glove on him.
Lukas Van Ness and Barryn Sorrell went pressure-less. Consistency remains a major concern, and the Packers will need to somehow find a way to make it work until Micah Parsons returns.
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