Packers Quarterbacks Will Take Center Stage vs. Broncos

Jordan Love, Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt will face big tests when the Green Bay Packers square off against the Denver Broncos for a joint practice on Friday and preseason game on Sunday.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Michael Pratt (17) runs through a drill at training camp on Wednesday. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ three quarterbacks have something to prove during this week’s matchups at the Denver Broncos.

With starting quarterback Jordan Love not expected to play in Sunday night’s preseason game, his big day will be Friday’s joint practice.

Denver was one of Love’s houses of horrors last season. Coming off the bye after back-to-back losses, Love suffered through another dismal outing. He was 21-of-31 passing with two touchdown passes – all decent numbers – but threw for only 180 yards, his second-lowest total of the season.

With the Packers trailing 19-17 in the final moments, Love’s 29-yard completion to AJ Dillon put them on the outskirts of scoring position but his bomb to Samori Toure resulted in the game-ending interception.

“We saw this defense last year,” Love said this week. “It will be good to go back and watch last year’s game, get a feel for what they were running again. Obviously, didn’t play great against them, so just be able to go back there and go against the scheme again will be good.”

Love has had a good training camp, but he hasn’t been the dynamic passer that he was during last year’s dominant stretch run. The Broncos’ defense is led by elite cornerback Patrick Surtain and safety P.J. Locke, who had the interception against Love.

“It’s good to be able to see new looks,” said Love, who went 2-for-2 with a 65-yard touchdown pass last week at Cleveland. “We’ve been going against our defense every day, so just to be able to get a new on defense is always good.”

Assuming Love gets the night off, second-year quarterback Sean Clifford will get the start.

He’s had a wild training camp, with big plays but big mistakes. While he was sharp on Family Night and again at Cleveland, two interceptions at practice on Tuesday appear to have opened the door for rookie Michael Pratt to serve as Love’s backup.

“I feel really good,” Clifford said after Wednesday’s practice, in which he took most of the No. 2 reps. “I thought today was one of my best days here in terms of having fun, feeling good. Yesterday, I was a little sluggish. I think it was the two days off and it was a hot, hot day. I didn’t feel as good yesterday.

“(On Wednesday) I came out with a really, really good attitude. Was excited to attack it. Kind of a self-check there and thought that we made a lot of play on offense. That’s the name of the game is being able to move the ball, and I thought we did that very efficiently.”

Both quarterbacks moved the ball well against the Browns. Clifford’s game was highlighted by a big-time 2-minute completion to Grant DuBose for 23 yards. Pratt’s best pass was a downfield strike to Julian Hicks that also gained 23 yards.

Clifford directed five drives, with the last three resulting in a touchdown, field goal and field goal. He went 10-of-19 passing; with two drops turned into completions and three clock-dictated throwaways ignored, he would have been 12-of-16.

Pratt had three drives, with the first providing a field goal. He didn’t get many opportunities to throw the ball – the 11-play drive that ended the game included 10 runs – but would have finished 6-of-7 if not for a third-down drop by Bo Melton in the red zone.

“I think every week, every day, every rep, you kind of just get better and feel more comfortable,” Pratt said on Wednesday. “There’s things that people don't even think about, like working the huddle, working the clock, all those things are factors that are involved that you don't even think about.

“Just being in that position and going through the motions with it and operating it definitely gives you a little bit more confidence, just because you've been in that moment before so now practice has a little better relationship with it.”

As the backup battle enters the home stretch, the race appears to have tightened ahead of the practice and game against Denver and next week’s practice and game against the Baltimore Ravens.

While Clifford is the more experienced player and seems to play better under the lights – quarterbacks coach Tom Clemens compared him to one of Aaron Rodgers’ longtime backups, Matt Flynn, from that standpoint – Pratt has been the more consistent player on the practice field.

“He’s still growing and learning,” Clemens said. “At some point after you do it a number of times, the game slows down for you and you kind of see things in slow motion. I don’t think he’s quite there yet but he’s a hard worker, he studies hard and he did some good things out there.”

Which player will do more good things on Friday and Sunday to potentially seize control of the No. 2 spot?

Coach Matt LaFleur will give them ample opportunities to settle the job on the field.

“This is the greatest organization in the NFL,” Clifford said, “and I’m very proud of having the chance to start this Sunday.”

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