Updated Aug. 22, 2026, 6:35 p.m. MT

The Denver Broncos‘ preseason winning streak ended at eight against the Green Bay Packers on Friday night. The loss wasn’t a close one; the final score ended up at 33-13.

We take a look at the five big takeaways from the game, heading into the final week of the preseason.

1. Bo Nix hasn’t lost a step

Nix was probably the biggest winner of Week 2 of the preseason. He looked sharp in his first game action since his ankle injury in January. Two throws stand out from Nix’s 6-of-9, 76-yard, one touchdown performance which should excite Broncos fans: his 35-yard completion to wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, and his touchdown pass to RJ Harvey. Understandably, it is preseason, but the headline is: Bo is back!

2. Riley Moss’ injury is a massive concern

Moss came out of the game after only two plays, holding his rib cage. The injury forced backup Jahdae Barron into service, and although he played well, Moss is the second-best corner on the team. The defense struggled mightily without Moss in the lineup. Hopefully he recovers in time for the regular season.

Your fantasy edge starts here Sync your league for custom roster advice, projections, and tools to win your matchups every week.3. Kolbe Katsis is a man on the rise

Aside from Nix, undrafted wide receiver Kolbe Katsis had himself a day, possibly solidifying a place on the Broncos‘ roster in a returner role. Katsis had 134 return yards on five returns, with action on punts and kickoffs. His biggest return was a 40-yarder on a kickoff. If wide receiver Marvin Mims is going to have a bigger role on offense with Davis Webb calling plays, it may be useful to have Katsis as a backup.

4. The backup quarterback role is a shaky one

After impressing in Week 1 of the preseason, Jarrett Stidham had a rough outing against Green Bay. In essentially two quarters of work, Stidham went 9-of-15 for 82 yards, one interception and a bad center-QB exchange that nearly led to a turnover. Sam Ehlinger was only out in the fourth quarter, finishing 2-of-2 for 10 yards, but also taking two sacks for 13 lost yards. Although this disparity may seem like the backup role is clearly in Stidham’s grasp, it was not an inspiring performance from either quarterback.

5. It’s only preseason

Although a win would have been great, Denver had won eight preseason contests in a row until Friday night. It’s better a loss happens in the preseason than in the regular season. There were clearly some areas of improvement needed for the team on display on Friday, but that is what the preseason is for. Improvement needs to happen at all three phases of on-field play, as well as coaching. This will be a game the Broncos revisit a lot in their game plan, and they will learn from it. Let’s hope they get better from it as well.

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