The Broncos and Jaguars meet in Week 2 with both teams carrying playoff expectations, but it’s Jacksonville that looks a little sharper coming in.
Denver is back home after getting blown out on Monday night by the Kansas City Chiefs, a game in which Bo Nix struggled, the offense never found a rhythm and Davis Webb’s playcalling did little to spark anything. Nix had multiple turnovers, and Denver’s top two wideouts, Cortland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle, were quiet against a young Chiefs defense.
Jacksonville, meanwhile, rolled past the Cleveland Browns in Week 1 with Trevor Lawrence throwing four touchdowns in a dominant outing. The Jaguars are coming off a strong 2025 season in which they finished third in the AFC and won the AFC South, and they already handled Denver once last year, taking a 34-20 win in Week 16.
Lawrence was in complete control against Cleveland, finishing 18 of 23 for 245 yards and four scores while adding two carries for three yards. That performance only added to what he’s done since the second half of the 2025 season, when he started putting together a serious run. Over his last eight regular-season games, Lawrence has 22 passing touchdowns and just four interceptions.
He also has recent history against this defense. Last season, Lawrence carved up Denver for 279 yards and three touchdowns in a 14-point victory, and the Broncos’ Week 1 issues in stopping Kansas City don’t exactly inspire confidence. Denver gave up only 184 passing yards in that game, but it also missed 28 tackles and allowed 247 yards after those misses, the most yards allowed by any defense in a game since at least 2018.
That kind of tackling won’t hold up here, especially against a Jacksonville offense that looked dialed in against Cleveland. The Jaguars were also No. 8 in EPA/Play on defense in Week 1, which makes this feel like a tough spot for Denver if its offense stays stuck in neutral.
The Broncos were the No. 1 team in defensive success rate and No. 7 in defensive EPA/Play last season, but Week 1 showed plenty of cracks. And until Nix and Webb get on the same page, it’s hard to trust Denver’s passing game to suddenly turn things around.
Jacksonville looks capable of keeping this one tight, and the 2.5-point cushion makes the Jaguars the side to back on Sunday.
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