Broncos and Packers Trade First-Quarter TDs in NFL Preseason Week 2 as Bo Nix Debuts and Riley Moss Exits with Rib Injury

On Friday, August 21, 2026, the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers traded first-quarter touchdowns in a 7-7 tie through the opening frame at Empower Field at Mile High in NFL Preseason Week 2, a nationally televised matchup on NFL Network that delivered two early storylines: quarterback Bo Nix making his preseason debut at home with a touchdown pass to RJ Harvey, and cornerback Riley Moss leaving the game on the opening drive with a rib injury. Jordan Love answered for Green Bay with a 11-yard scoring strike to MarShawn Lloyd on the Packers’ first possession.

Kickoff was 7:00 p.m. MT (9:00 p.m. ET). The Broncos entered at 1-0 after beating Atlanta 27-7 in Week 1 without Nix, extending a nine-game preseason win streak. The Packers were 0-1 following an opening exhibition loss and brought their starters to Denver after head coach Matt LaFleur said Jordan Love and the first unit would see action.

Editor’s note: This article draws on game data and reporting from ESPN, NFL.com, FOX Sports, Denver Broncos.com, Green Bay Packers.com, and Mile High Report, August 19–21, 2026.

Game at a glance

Detail	Information
Date	Friday, August 21, 2026
Venue	Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colo.
Week	NFL Preseason Week 2
Kickoff	7:00 p.m. MT / 9:00 p.m. ET
National TV	NFL Network
Score through first quarter	Packers 7, Broncos 7
Quarter lines	GB 7-0-0-0, DEN 7-0-0-0

How the scoring unfolded

Green Bay struck first. Jordan Love directed a drive that reached the Denver red zone, and he found MarShawn Lloyd on a short middle route for an 11-yard touchdown with 8:30 remaining in the first quarter. Trey Smack’s extra point gave the Packers a 7-0 lead.

Denver answered on Nix’s opening series. The third-year quarterback went 3-for-5 for 60 yards on his first preseason snaps of 2026, connecting with Jaylen Waddle on a 35-yard gain and finishing the drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass to rookie running back RJ Harvey. Wil Lutz tied the game at 7-7 with the extra point as the first quarter wound down.

Through the opening frame, Love finished 5-of-7 for 56 yards and one touchdown without an interception. Nix’s lone turnover-free series gave Sean Payton an early look at the offense with Davis Webb calling plays in game action for the first time.

Riley Moss exits early with rib injury

The Broncos’ defensive storyline turned grim minutes into the game. On Green Bay’s opening drive, Patrick Surtain II forced a fumble on wide receiver Christian Watson that Riley Moss recovered — but officials ruled Watson down by contact, nullifying the takeaway.

As the play ended, Moss was seen grimacing and holding his ribcage while leaving the field. He visited the blue medical tent and then returned to the locker room, ending his night early, per Mile High Report and multiple in-stadium reports. The team did not immediately disclose the severity of the injury.

Moss had been a bright spot in Denver’s Week 1 win at Atlanta, where he and fellow corner Jahdae Barron helped anchor a defense that forced punts on the Falcons’ first two possessions with starters on the field. Losing the No. 2 corner in the first quarter of a home exhibition — against a Packers offense featuring Love, Christian Watson, and Matthew Golden — raised immediate depth-chart questions for a secondary built around Surtain.

Bo Nix’s preseason debut at Mile High

Nix watched Denver’s Week 1 road win from the sideline while backups handled snaps in Atlanta. Payton said Wednesday that Nix would play roughly 14 snaps in the home opener and that the quarterback was “super excited” to return to game action at Mile High.

Friday delivered on the first part of that plan. Nix’s opening drive was efficient and explosive — a 35-yard connection to Waddle set up Harvey’s score and showed the vertical element Denver added in the offseason. Webb, promoted to offensive coordinator after a year as quarterbacks coach, got his first live reps calling plays for Nix, and Payton had asked for a “clean operation” with the starter under center.

Nix entered 2026 off a breakthrough second season and headlines built around new weapons including Waddle, Courtland Sutton, and Evan Engram. One series does not settle a season, but the touchdown in his Mile High preseason debut checked the box Payton wanted before the rotation likely turns to Jarrett Stidham and other reserves later in the night.

Packers starters test Denver’s defense

LaFleur’s decision to play Love and the first-team offense gave Denver a higher-caliber test than many preseason weeks provide. Love’s touchdown to Lloyd — the second-year back’s first notable highlight of the exhibition slate — came against a defense that had not allowed a first-quarter score in Week 1.

Love went 5-of-7 for 56 yards and a 134.5 passer rating through his early action. Matthew Golden and Christian Watson each caught passes in the opening frame, and Lloyd added 15 yards on five carries as Green Bay mixed run and pass.

For the Packers, the road trip was a chance to build on a shaky Week 1 and evaluate starters against a Broncos team that had dominated Atlanta. The early touchdown was a positive, but Moss’s injury and Denver’s immediate response kept the first quarter competitive.

Context and what comes next

Preseason scores do not carry into September, but Friday night offered both franchises meaningful evaluation tape.

For the Broncos, Nix’s touchdown and clean first drive supported Payton’s optimism about an offense that scored on its opening possession in Atlanta even without the starter. Moss’s rib injury is the larger concern — corner depth behind Surtain and Barron will draw scrutiny if Moss misses extended time, especially with the regular season approaching.

For the Packers, Love’s efficient opening series and Lloyd’s touchdown were encouraging signs for an offense that needs early rhythm. Backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor entered after Love’s rotation ended and went 0-for-2 through the early going, a reminder that depth behind Love remains a preseason talking point.

Denver continues its exhibition schedule looking to extend its long preseason win streak; Green Bay heads back to Wisconsin at 0-1 in exhibition play but with starters who got live reps against a playoff-caliber opponent. Both teams face roster cuts and Preseason Week 3 action before the regular season opens in September.

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Discussion

Friday at Mile High was about a Bo Nix debut and a Riley Moss scare as much as the scoreboard.

1. Moss left holding his ribcage on the first drive after a near-takeaway on Christian Watson. With Jahdae Barron emerging and Surtain still the anchor, how much does losing Moss — even briefly — shake Denver’s corner depth before roster cuts?

Payton’s defense looked sharp in Atlanta; an early injury to a starter is the kind of preseason plot twist that lingers into September.

2. Nix hit Waddle for 35 yards and found Harvey for a 21-yard touchdown on his opening series. Does one clean drive with Webb calling plays ease any lingering questions about Denver’s offense — or is it too early to read anything into preseason snaps?

Share your take on whether Moss’s exit or Nix’s touchdown told you more about the Broncos’ 2026 outlook.

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