DENVER — The Democratic National Convention kicks off here on Monday, and on Thursday, Barack Obama will accept the Democratic Party's presidential nomination at Invesco Field.

Whatever differences might remain from the ultra-competitive primary season will be set aside, Hillary Clinton supporters will — theoretically, anyway — throw their support behind Obama, and the party will rally around its chosen leader at what will amount to a giant pep rally at the football stadium.

The more important political referendum, at least as far as the Green Bay Packers and their constituents in Packer Nation are concerned, surround their new party leader, quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

In Friday night's 27-24 exhibition victory over the Denver Broncos, Rodgers and the Packers might have successfully won over at least some of the legion of Brett Favre loyalists that remain.

At least until the Sept. 8 regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

"He was a leader today," veteran wide receiver Donald Driver said of his new starting quarterback. "He showed that."

Playing into the third quarter for his most extensive action of the preseason, Rodgers completed 18 of 22 passes (81.8 percent) for 193 yards and one touchdown, with no interceptions and one sack for a 118.4 passer rating. Rodgers led the offense to four scores — two touchdowns, two field goals — in five series.

Rodgers' four incompletions were a throw-away in the general direction of Greg Jennings on the first drive, a drop by James Jones, an overthrow to Jennings in the end zone and a deep ball that Jones caught in the end zone but stepped out of bounds with his second foot.

"I really wanted to focus on making good decisions. Last week, I don't think I took the checkdowns as much as I should have, so I just wanted to take what the defensive gave me," said Rodgers, who was sacked four times in a 34-6 loss at San Francisco. "As we watched the film, (I realized) I've got to get the ball out of my hand quickly. That's one thing that Brett has done incredibly well throughout his career.

"After last week, and getting the kind of time that we did tonight, we needed to really take a step forward, and I think we did that."

With the victory, the Packers avoided starting the exhibition season 0-3 after their first 0-2 start since 1993, and they go into Thursday night's preseason finale against Tennessee at Lambeau Field knowing they won't go winless in the preseason for the first time since going 0-4 in 1987. The Broncos fell to 1-2.

"We didn't play very well last week, and we played a lot better this week and won the football game," coach Mike McCarthy said. "Anytime you win a game it's important to recognize that."

After a solid debut against Cincinnati in the opener and struggling against the 49ers, Rodgers led the Packers on a touchdown drive on their opening possession, getting things started with a 35-yard completion to tight end Tory Humphrey and a 17-yard strike to Jennings.

He then converted a third-and-1 with a 2-yard sneak — one of three sneaks he ran in the game — before hitting Driver across the middle on third-and-3 for a 10-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Packers lead. Rodgers was 4-for-5 for 69 yards on the drive.

The Packers' next possession ended in a punt when right tackle Mark Tauscher was beaten by Elvis Dumervil for an 8-yard sack, and Rodgers' third-and-16 pass to Jennings netted just 6 yards.

Rodgers' next drive began promisingly enough but stalled when he was called for a false start on second-and-5 from the Denver 20, and a wide-open Jones dropped what would've been a first down on the next play, forcing the Packers to settle for a 44-yard field goal by Mason Crosby.

Just before halftime, Rodgers hit Driver for 23 yards on the first play from scrimmage after Brandon Marshall's touchdown, then hit Jones for 9 yards on second-and-7 to keep the drive going before Crosby's 46-yarder at the gun cut Denver's lead to 17-13.

McCarthy stuck with most of his offensive starters for the opening series of the second half — Denver, meanwhile, went to its second-stringers defensively — and Rodgers hit Jones on the first play, a 14-yard pickup. A 24-yard pass interference penalty then set up Rodgers' 1-yard TD sneak on third-and-goal for a 20-17 lead.

The backups on defense made a goal-line stand — complete with a fourth-and-1 incompletion on the first play of the fourth quarter — to preserve that lead, and while they gave up that lead midway through the fourth quarter, linebacker Tracy White's interception set up Kregg Lumpkin's 1-yard TD run on fourth-and-goal with 3:15 left to provide the winning margin.

"We played hard, and some good things happened to us and some things (happened) that we've got to correct," general manager Ted Thompson said. "All in all, I thought it was OK."