NFL

Rodgers bounces back as Packers beat Broncos

Favre’s replacement recovers from bad game to complete 18 of 22 passes

Jack Dempsey / AP

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers led four scoring drives in his five possessions against Denver on Friday. The Packers went on to win the preseason game 27-24.

updated 12:33 a.m. ET Aug. 23, 2008

DENVER - Aaron Rodgers went from pathetic one week to just about perfect the next.

Brett Favre’s replacement as Green Bay’s quarterback bounced back from a bad game at San Francisco to complete 18 of 22 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown in the Packers’ 27-24 win over Denver on Friday night.

Rodgers led four scoring drives in his five possessions and was 16-for-19 for 178 yards against the Broncos’ starters, including a 10-yard touchdown to Donald Driver on the game’s opening drive.

He added a 1-yard sneak for a score against the Broncos’ reserves to open the second half before giving way to rookie Brian Brohm.

“I think Aaron Rodgers has done everything right from a focus standpoint,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “He was put in a situation that’s different. He’s done a very good job of focusing through that. And at the end of the day you need to focus on playing quarterback and I thought he did that very well tonight.”

The Packers (1-2) sorely needed this kind of night from Rodgers in the last true tuneup for the regular season. He was 9-for-18 for 58 yards last week against San Francisco and failed to get the Packers into the end zone in one half of action.

“I saw a difference in Aaron,” Driver said. “He was more assertive in the huddle.”

Rodgers said he got the ball off quickly this time and didn’t hesitate to go to his check-downs.

“I am getting more comfortable,” Rodgers said. “It has been a good preseason so far. A lot of growing as a player and I think tonight was a good step for our offense. After last week, and to get the kind of time I got tonight, we really needed to take a step forward and I think we did that.”

Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler was pleased to see his counterpart play so well.

“I’m happy for him. He’s in a tough spot over there. He needed this outing,” Cutler said. “He looked sharp. Their offense looked good. So, I think they’re going to be pretty good.”

Cutler was effective if not as accurate, leading Denver (1-2) to scores on all three of its first-half possessions. One was a 99-yard touchdown march that chewed up most of the second quarter, and another was an 80-yard drive in all of 16 seconds.

After completing his first dozen passes against Dallas a week ago, Cutler was wild against the Packers, completing just 6 of 13 throws for 115 yards. But he was precise when it mattered most.

Cutler split defensive backs Al Harris and Aaron Rouse with a rope to tight end Nate Jackson that gave Denver a 10-7 lead and capped a 16-play drive that covered 99 yards and 8½ minutes.

Later in the quarter, Brandon Marshall drew a 31-yard pass interference penalty on cornerback Tramon Williams, then beat Williams on the next play for a juggling, 49-yard TD catch.

“I wanted to kiss him, man,” teammate Andre Hall said. “He’s amazing man. Brandon’s the guy.”

Marshall, who caught two passes for 71 yards, showed yet again the flashes of brilliance the Broncos will miss during his suspension to start the season for violating the league’s personal conduct code.

Marshall said he was supposed to run a 10-yard route, but “we audibled to just a go-route because it was press and there was no safety over the top and there was a young guy in front of me.”

He said the Packers actually missed a chance to go after Williams earlier, when cornerback Charles Woodson went to the sideline after getting shaken up.

“When he first came in there, I was like, ’Jay, when you see that 38 in there, you’ve got to throw it up,”’ Marshall recounted. “ So we didn’t miss it the second time around.”

CONTINUED : Several players injured

1 | 2 | Next >