The Green Bay Packers rallied to take a 17-16 lead over the Denver Broncos midway through the fourth quarter but then crumbled, allowing a field goal to give up the lead before self-destructing near field goal range to finish off a 19-17 loss on Sunday at Empower Field in Denver.
The Packers are now 2-4 and have lost three straight games and four of the last five.
Matt LaFleur’s team trailed 9-0 at half and 16-3 at one point in the third quarter, but Jordan Love led back-to-back scoring drives and actually gave the Packers the lead with a ridiculous ricochet touchdown pass to Jayden Reed with 8:31 left in the fourth quarter.
The chance at securing another incredible comeback win was lost when the Broncos drove 41 yards to set up Will Lutz’s go-ahead 52-yard field goal and Love was intercepted on 3rd-and-20 with the Packers at the 46-yard line with 1:40 left.
The Packers have lost consecutive games to the Detroit Lions, Las Vegas Raiders and Broncos.
Trailing 9-0 at half time meant the Packers have been outscored 63-6 over the last four games in the first half.
An inspired effort in the second half — featuring a 64-yard drive for a field goal, a 75-yard drive for a touchdown and a 76-yard drive for the go-ahead touchdown — wasn’t enough.
A brutal sequence ended the Packers’ final push. Elgton Jenkins was called for holding, wiping out a Love run into Broncos territory. On 2nd-and-20, Christian Watson was injured on a pass thrown behind him. And Love was picked off on third down, essentially ending the game.
The reeling Packers will return home next week to face the Minnesota Vikings, who play the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night. As of Sunday, the Packers and Vikings are both 2-4.
