Dope Sheet: Packers go on the road to play the Broncos

The Green Bay Packers travel west to face the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

• It is the third time in the last four trips to Denver that the game has been in October.
• The Packers have won four of the last five matchups.
• Green Bay leads the regular-season series, 7-6-1 (.536).
• The Packers' only win in Denver came in 2007.
• Green Bay played at Denver following the bye week during the 2007 and 2015 seasons. The Packers won an overtime thriller, 19-13, on an 82-yard touchdown pass from QB Brett Favre to WR Greg Jennings in OT in 2007, and lost the matchup in 2015.
• Five of the last six matchups have been decided by double digits, including four games by 19-plus points.
• The Packers are 12-7 (.632) against AFC teams under Head Coach Matt LaFleur, tied with Seattle (12-7, .632) for the top winning percentage by an NFC team over that span (2019-23).
• The last time Green Bay played a road game heading into the bye and coming out of the bye was 2011, winning at the Minnesota Vikings in Week 7 and at the San Diego Chargers in Week 9.

WITH THE CALL

CBS will broadcast the game with play-by-play man Kevin Harlan and analyst Trent Green in the booth with Melanie Collins reporting from the sidelines

• Compass Media Networks will be broadcasting on radio to a national audience with Bill Rosinski (play-by-play) and Steve Beuerlein (analyst) on the call and Jeff Biggs hosting pregame and halftime shows.
• The game is also available through NFL Sunday Ticket by YouTube.
• All Packers games can be heard on the Packers Radio Network, which is made up of 51 stations in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and North and South Dakota. 97.3 The Game – WRNW-Milwaukee begins its second season as the flagship station of the Packers Radio Network. For a map and full listing of radio affiliates, go to packers.com/video/radio-network.Wayne Larrivee (play-by-play) and two-time Packers Pro Bowler Larry McCarren (analyst) call the action. McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995 and enters his 29th season calling Packers games. After originally being paired together in 1999, McCarren and Larrivee enter their 25th season of broadcasts together. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
• The broadcast is also available on Sirius Satellite Radio (Packers Radio Network feed).

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE DOPE ON THIS WEEK'S OPPONENT:

Packers at Denver:

• All-time, regular season: 7-6-1
• All-time, postseason: 0-1
• All-time, at Denver (regular season): 1-6
• Streaks: Green Bay has won four of the last five matchups. 
• Last meeting, regular season: Sept. 22, 2019, Lambeau Field, Packers won, 27-16

COACHES CAPSULES

• Matt LaFleur: 49-22-0, .700; (2-3 postseason); 5th NFL season
• Sean Payton: 153-94-0, .619; (9-8 postseason); 16th NFL season
• Head to Head: LaFleur 1-1 vs. Payton
• vs. Opponent: LaFleur 1-0 vs. Broncos; Payton 5-2 vs. Packers

MATT LaFLEUR…In his fifth season as the Packers' 15th head coach.

• Enters his 15th season in the NFL, having previously served as an offensive coordinator for two seasons (Los Angeles Rams, 2017; Tennessee Titans, 2018), a quarterbacks coach for six seasons (Washington Redskins, 2010-13; Atlanta Falcons, 2015-16), and an offensive assistant for two seasons (Houston Texans, 2008-09).
• In his first four seasons leading the Packers, has authored one of the greatest starts to a head-coaching career in NFL history. Per the Elias Sports Bureau, his 47 wins are the second most in league history by a head coach in his first four seasons in the NFL, trailing only George Seifert (52 in 1989-92). Green Bay's 47-19 regular-season record since 2019 ranks No. 3 in the NFL and No. 1 in the NFC.
• Became the first coach in NFL history to post 13-plus wins in three straight seasons and his 39 wins from 2019-21 passed Seifert (38) for the most wins by an NFL head coach in his first three seasons in the league (Elias). His 39 wins are also tied for the second most by a coach over any three-season span in league history, trailing only Andy Reid's 40 wins with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2020-22 and Mike Ditka's 40 wins with the Chicago Bears from 1985-87 (Elias).
• Guided the Packers to a 27-6 record (.818) in the regular season from 2019-22 at Lambeau Field, the top home mark in the NFL since 2019. His .750 win percentage (18-6 record) against NFC North opponents in his first four seasons also ranks as the best in the history of the NFC North/Central (min. 10 games).
• In his first season leading the Packers in 2019, became the first coach in club history to lead the team to the playoffs in his debut season. Also led the largest one-year win improvement in team history (plus-seven wins).

SEAN PAYTON…In his first season as the Broncos' 20th head coach.

• Spent 15 seasons as head coach of the New Orleans Saints (2006-11, '13-21), and led the franchise to its first Super Bowl championship (Super Bowl XLIV) during the 2009 season.
• Owns the Saints' top win total and winning percentage, and his 153 regular-season wins rank sixth among active head coaches, trailing only Bill Belichick (299), Andy Reid (252), Mike Tomlin (166), Pete Carroll (164) and Mike McCarthy (159).
• Produced nine seasons with 10-plus wins and led New Orleans to the No. 1 seed in the NFC on two occasions (2009, '18).
• The Saints led the league in net yards six times (2006, '08-09, '11, '14, '16) and registered the top scoring offense in back-to-back years (2008-09).

This is an abbreviated version of the Dope Sheet. Read the full version here (PDF).

THE PACKERS-BRONCOS SERIES

• Green Bay and Denver first met in 1971, and the Packers defeated the Broncos, 34-13, in the inaugural game of the series.
• One of the most iconic games in the series was the Super Bowl XXXII matchup that pitted Packers QB Brett Favre against Broncos QB John Elway. Denver, loser of four previous Super Bowls, beat Green Bay, 31-24, to give the franchise its first Super Bowl victory.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Packers K Anders Carlson is from Colorado Springs, Colo., and attended The Classical Academy High School…Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry attended Fairview (Boulder, Colo.) High School…Packers assistant quarterbacks coach Connor Lewis is from Littleton, Colo., and attended Chatfield High School…Packers national scout Sam Seale was a four-year letterman at Western State College in Gunnison, Colo., where he was elected to the Western State College Hall of Fame in 2002…Packers LB Justin Hollins was drafted by the Broncos in the fifth round (No. 156 overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft…Packers strength and conditioning coordinator Chris Gizzi entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Broncos in 1998…Gizzi also played collegiately at Air Force…Packers offensive quality control coach Rob Grosso started his NFL career with the Broncos as a training-camp operations intern in 2015-16, an operations intern in 2017 and an assistant to the head coach in 2018…Grosso was the assistant to Broncos current defensive coordinator Vance Joseph who served as Denver's head coach in 2017-18…Packers passing game coordinator (defense) Greg Williams was a defensive backs coach for the Broncos in 2018…Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi is the grandson of former Packers head coach Vince Lombardi…Broncos assistant special teams coach Chris Banjo was a safety for Green Bay from 2013-16…Banjo was also on the roster for the Cardinals in 2019-22 when Joseph and Williams were on the coaching staff for Arizona…Broncos NT Tyler Lancaster entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Packers in 2018 and spent four seasons in Green Bay…Broncos CB Tremon Smith played one season with Green Bay (2019)…Broncos assistant strength and conditioning coach Korey Jones was a linebacker for the Packers during the 2014 preseason…Broncos defensive backs coach Christian Parker served as a defensive quality control coach for Green Bay in 2019-20…Broncos senior defensive assistant Joe Vitt coached defensive backs for the Packers in 1999…Broncos QB Russell Wilson played one season at the University of Wisconsin in 2011…Broncos DE Matt Henningsen is from Menomonee Falls, Wis., and played collegiately at Wisconsin…Broncos G/C Quinn Meinerz is from Hartford, Wis., and played collegiately at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater…Broncos assistant strength and conditioning coach Shaun Snee spent eight seasons (2015-22) at Wisconsin, serving as the director of football strength and conditioning for his final two years…Broncos assistant to head coach Paul Kelly was on the staff in Tampa Bay with Packers assistant head coach/special teams Rich Bisaccia and Barry, and in Washington with Barry, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti…Bisaccia coached on the Raiders' staff with Broncos pass game coordinator John Morton (2019-21), Broncos assistant offensive line coach Austin King (2020-21) and Broncos defensive quality control coach Addison Lynch (2021)…Bisaccia and Williams coached with Broncos inside linebackers coach Greg Manusky with the San Diego Chargers…Tom Clements and Vitt coached on the staff together in Kansas City in 2000…Packers defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery played for the Colorado Crush of the Arena Football League…Packers vice president of communications Jason Wahlers began his NFL career as a PR intern with the Broncos in 2001-02…Packers tight ends coach John Dunn was an offensive assistant with Chicago when Broncos FB Michael Burton played for the Bears (2017)…Packers offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich was on San Francisco's coaching staff when Broncos T Mike McGlinchey and DT D.J. Jones were players with the 49ers…Olivadotti was on the coaching staff for Washington when Packers LB Preston Smith, Broncos CB Fabian Moreau and RB Samaje Perine played for the team…Packers senior analyst Tim Lester and pass rush specialist Jason Rebrovich were both on the coaching staff during Broncos P Riley Dixon's collegiate career at Syracuse…Packers TE Luke Musgrave's uncle, Bill Musgrave, played quarterback for the Broncos in 1995-96…Packers DL T.J. Slaton, Broncos WR Brandon Johnson and CB Patrick Surtain II were teammates at American Heritage (Fla.) High School…Former college teammates include: Packers RB AJ Dillon, LB Isaiah McDuffie and Broncos DE Zach Allen (Boston College); Packers OL Zach Tom and Broncos ILB Justin Strnad (Wake Forest); Packers C/G Josh Myers and Broncos OLB Jonathon Cooper (Ohio State); Packers LB Justin Hollins and Broncos C Alex Forsyth (Oregon); Packers K Anders Carlson and QB Jarrett Stidham (Auburn); Packers LB Lukas Van Ness, LB Kristian Welch and Broncos CB Riley Moss (Iowa); Packers DL Kenny Clark and Broncos CB Fabian Moreau (UCLA).