The Denver Broncos put together their most complete game of the 2023 season and though it got shaky towards the end, managed to get their second victory of the season by beating the Green Bay Packers 19-17 on Sunday.
With the win, the Broncos improved to 2-5 on the season and did so by pounding the run and playing mistake-free football. It marked the Broncos' first home win since beating the Los Angeles Chargers in the season finale last year.
Who shined, and who didn't? Here are the winners and losers from the Week 7 contest.
Winner: Broncos' running game
The Broncos were very balanced on offense in this game but coming into the contest, the Packers had been run on more than any other team in the league. The Broncos had clearly taken note of that as attacking with the run was a big part of the game plan.
Running on early downs set the team up with several advantageous down-and-distances in the game and allowed Sean Payton to be more comfortable with his play calls.
The Broncos rushed for 145 yards on the day and averaged nearly six yards per carry. Javonte Williams had 82 yards rushing and he is starting to look like the player fans remember before he tore ligaments in his knee last season.
Jaleel McLaughlin continued to do what he has done throughout his rookie season, gaining nine yards per carry.
Loser: Marvin Mims
Marvin Mims doesn't land on the bad list for his performance, but rather the fact that he is just lost in this team's approach. It seems that if the ball is not being thrown to Courtland Sutton or Jerry Jeudy, it gets checked down to a running back.
There is nothing for Mims.
He was given the ball on a run play, something Payton continues to insist on calling and though this time it didn't result in a turnover, it went for a loss of 11 yards. Kindly stop calling these end arounds and reverse plays to Mims, at least for awhile.
Aside from that, he touched the ball on a punt return that went for 11 yards and was targeted once in the passing game. Mims just doesn't get enough offensive snaps to ever get into the flow of a game and with how thin the Broncos are at the wide receiver position, it simply makes no sense.
Winner: Wil Lutz
It's easy to put the kicker on the bad list when they miss kicks, so they need to be recognized when they go out and do their job well too.
Wil Lutz, who got off to a rough start this season with the Broncos, made four field goals in this game, including one from 52 yards out with just under four minutes to play that ended up being the game-winner.
Lutz missed the first field goal he kicked with the Broncos though that was from 55 yards in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He also missed an extra point in that game. Since then, he has been absolutely perfect with his kicks and is now a true weapon for the Broncos, who settle for far too many field goals with this offense.
Winner: Courtland Sutton
Sutton had a nice day for the team, catching six passes for 76 yards and the team's only touchdown of the day. That came on a perfectly executed wheel route that gave the Broncos a 16-3 league.
The Broncos need their wide receivers to step up and although it would be nice to have a third option emerge out of the wide receiver room, Sutton was Russell Wilson's go-to guy in this game and he was able to make some plays.
Loser: Kareem Jackson
Kareem Jackson has had a horrible year for the Broncos, mainly because he can't seem to make a tackle without drawing a penalty that leads to a fine. That was the case again Sunday due to this hit on Packers tight end Luke Musgrave.
After reviewing the play, Jackson was ejected for the second time this season. He will almost certainly be fined again and the league will likely take a hard look at suspending him for at least the team's next game.
Though this hit wasn't as egregious as the one against Washington Commanders tight end Logan Thomas in Week 2, it still went against current rules and somehow, Jackson needs to figure out to play within those.
Winner: P.J. Locke
Jackson's reason for being on the good list led directly to P.J. Locke making the good list. Forced to take over after Jackson was sent to the locker room early, Locke came up with the biggest play in the game.
With the Packers trailing by two points and driving for the game-winning points, Jordan Love put the ball up on 3rd-and-20, looking deep for Samari Toure. But Locke came over from his safety spot, stepping right in front for the interception with 1:40 to play.
That basically put the game on ice, allowing the Broncos to get their second win of the year.