Green Bay Packers vs. Denver Broncos: Denver Grades, Notes and Quotes

In a battle of undefeated teams, it was the Denver Broncos who dominated the Green Bay Packers on a national stage on Sunday night.

Denver played a nearly perfect game on defense and also got a strong game out of the offense, leading to a 29-10 victory over the Packers. The result may come as a bit of a surprise, but it is also one that Denver could turn into even bigger things.

"Lucky" and "fortunate" are terms you may have heard when others were describing the Broncos and the 6-0 start the team had gotten off to. But with this victory, they will have to be looked at as serious contenders.

The Broncos completely slowed down the offense of Green Bay, regarded as one of the best in the NFL. The defense frustrated Aaron Rodgers, pressuring him and forcing him into tough throws all night.

On top of that, Peyton Manning played his best game of the season, throwing for 340 yards. The Broncos also rushed for 161 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

With the win, the Broncos improve to 7-0 on the season and will now prepare for a road game against the Indianapolis Colts. But first, let's take a closer look at this game. Read on for grades for each positional unit and some notes from Sunday night's game.

Positional Grades

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Position                                                                               Grade

QB	A-
RB	A
WR	B
TE	A
OL	A
DL	B+
LB	A
DB	A
Special Teams	A
Coaching	A-

Quarterback: Manning played a great game, completing 21 of 29 passes. His only mistake was an interception that the Packers weren't able to turn it into points. Manning threw the ball much better in this game than he has all season and seemed more decisive than he has been, as well.

Running Back: Ronnie Hillman got the start in this game and rushed for two touchdowns, but C.J. Anderson finally put forth a productive effort as well. Anderson ran for 101 yards and a touchdown on the night, easily his best game of the season.

Wide Receiver: It's amazing that the Broncos continue to win games without having a receiver aside from Demaryius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders step forward to give Manning another option in the passing game. Thomas caught eight passes for 168 yards against Green Bay.

Tight End: Perhaps the most encouraging aspect of this game for Denver was the way the team was able to get the tight ends involved in the passing game. It is something that has certainly been missing. Coming into the game, Denver had completed just 17 passes to tight ends all season. Against Green Bay, the combination of Owen Daniels and Virgil Green had six receptions for 105 yards.

Offensive Line: The Broncos have been forced to put together a makeshift offensive line due to injuries, but the unit stepped up on Sunday night. They opened holes in the running game and gave Manning more time to throw the ball than he has been used to this season. There were some bad penalties against rookie Max Garcia, who struggles in pass protection, but that was the only blemish for this unit. 

Defensive Line: Green Bay was able to find success running the ball right at the Broncos early with Eddie Lacy, who accounted for the Packers' only touchdown of the night, but the Broncos were able to slow him down in the second half. Derek Wolfe was instrumental in that department, as he led the team with seven tackles. DeMarcus Ware and Antonio Smith each had a sack in the game, and Ware was able to force a fumble of Rodgers, leading to a safety for the Broncos.

Linebackers: Brandon Marshall is such a difference-maker for the defense. He is all over the field and is strong in run support and in coverage. He was able to make several tackles in open space in this game. The Broncos did get a scare when Von Miller left the game with an injury, but he returned to the field and had a sack. 

Defensive Backs: It's hard to argue that the Broncos don't have the best secondary in the league. David Bruton and T.J. Ward both committed penalties on third down that allowed drives to extend, but the trio of Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Bradley Roby was excellent. Rodgers completed just eight passes to wide receivers in this game.

Special Teams: Brandon McManus kicked two more field goals in this game, continuing his terrific season. Britton Colquitt averaged 40 yards on his three punts and Denver gave up little in the return game. 

Coaching: The bye week clearly allowed time for Gary Kubiak and Manning to get the offense together. If the Broncos can rack up yardage on offense like they did in this game, they'll be able to compete with anyone. Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips also called a great game in this one. It's rare to see Rodgers and his offense rattled like they were in this game.

Important Note No. 1: Manning Ties Record for Career Wins at Quarterback

Brennan Linsley/Associated Press

It seems like every time the Broncos play, Manning is breaking one of the records set by legendary quarterback Brett Favre. After this victory, he's tied him for another.

With the win on Sunday, Manning has tied the record for most wins by a starting quarterback in NFL history with 186. ESPN Stats & Info noted the milestone in this tweet.

If you're doing the math, that's an average of about 10 wins per season, which is pretty impressive. It's also another positive note in the midst of a season that has been tough for the 39-year-old quarterback.

While this record is another great accolade in Manning's career, fans in Denver are really just concerned with him getting a win in the biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl. If he fails to do that, the 186 career wins is really just a number.

Important Note No. 2: Denver Defense Holds Aaron Rodgers to 77 Yards Passing

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

It was a frustrating night for Rodgers, but would you believe it was one of the worst of his career? If you look at every game Rodgers has started since 2008, he has never thrown for fewer than 77 yards in a game in which he played all four quarters. He has thrown for fewer than 77 yards twice since 2008, but he left both of those games due to injury.

Rodgers is one of the best quarterbacks in the league and usually throws the ball on his opponents at will. This makes the performance by the Denver defense all the more impressive.

While the Broncos put pressure on Rodgers, his offensive line provided him plenty of time to find receivers down the field. The problem was, no one was open. The secondary deserves a ton of credit for its part in helping Denver earn this victory.

On many occasions, the Denver defensive backs had to stick with the Green Bay wide receivers for several seconds down the field and were able to do so. Many teams around the league will now try to emulate what Denver did when they face the Packers, but the odds of Rodgers throwing for fewer than 77 yards in a game again won't be very good. 

Important Note No. 3: Denver Starts 7-0 for First Time Since 1998

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

At 7-0, the Broncos are one of four remaining undefeated teams in the league, along with the New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals and Carolina Panthers.

As Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com notes, it is the first time the team has started a season with seven straight wins since 1998. That season, the Broncos won their second of back-to-back Super Bowls.

There is still plenty of work to be done in order for the Broncos to accomplish that feat again, but they have the inside track on another AFC West division title and perhaps home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Currently, Denver holds a three-game lead over the Oakland Raiders in the division.

Quote No. 1: Peyton Manning Talks About the Improvements on Offense

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

During his postgame press conference, via the team's official website, Manning was asked about the offensive explosion the Broncos ignited on Sunday. It's a fair question considering the fact that a unit that had been inept through six games suddenly came up with 500 yards of offense.

"

Our execution was better. We studied some things during the bye week and I think we applied some of those things tonight. That doesn't guarantee the rest of the season, but I thought we did focus on some of the things that we did well in the first six games and maybe eliminated some of the things we weren't doing quite as well, and added a couple of things. I thought we applied the bye week... I thought we used the week well and it made us better and I think that kind of showed up tonight.

"

It appears the bye week came at a great time for the Broncos. The Broncos have needed some time to get the offense together, and they may have begun to do that. If the offense can keep up this kind of pace, combined with the quality of the defense, the Broncos can compete with any team in the league.

Quote No. 2: DeMarcus Ware Addresses the Team's Defensive Effort

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Addressing the media following the game, via the team's official website, Ware was asked about the defense being able to slow down one of the league's top offenses.

"

We knew coming into this week that this was going to be a big measuring stick for us. They've got an elusive quarterback, they've got a really good run defense and run offense. So, I just think that it was a big measuring stick for the whole team. Everybody really took that to heart and stepped up to the challenge, especially the offense, to get up on the opponent and score some points and us being able to slow that offense down.

"

In his statement, Ware does a good job to point out that this was a total team effort, but he also makes a good point in saying that the Broncos got up early and that may have changed the complexion of the game.

Being up by scores of 17-0, 24-10 and 29-10, the Broncos were allowed to turn up the pressure on Rodgers, sending blitzing defenders at him from all angles. With players like Ware and Miller on the defense, the Broncos will be an extremely dangerous team to face when they get a big lead on an opponent, particularly late in the game. It will allow Phillips to turn his pass-rushers loose, sending serious pressure at the opposing quarterback.

Quote No. 3: Gary Kubiak Talks About Getting the Tight Ends Involved

Jack Dempsey/Associated Press

Following the game, Kubiak addressed the media for about seven minutes, via the team's official website. One of the questions he was asked was how the team was able to get more focus on the tight end position, something that had been sorely lacking through the first six games.

"

The biggest thing, and you guys noticed, we played in some two-tight end stuff tonight, we played some base offense instead of all three wides and four wides, which we'd kind of been stuck with in the two-tight end situation. We were able to expand on some of the things we were doing because of getting a third tight end on our roster and working with him for a couple of weeks. That had something to do with it.

"

Like Manning, the head coach also cited the bye week as being crucial to the development of this offense. Kubiak has always been widely known for his use of the tight end, so to see the Broncos near the bottom of the league with just 17 receptions to tight ends coming into this game was surprising.

If Daniels and Green can become viable options for Manning going forward, it can help make up for the fact that the Broncos can't seem to find a consistent No. 3 wide receiver. Having Green and Daniels post over 100 yards receiving together on Sunday is a great sign for the team.