The Denver Broncos are staring at a rough follow-up to their Week 1 blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and ESPN’s Pamela Maldonado sees the trouble continuing in Week 2.
Maldonado is predicting a Jaguars win in Denver, a result that would drop the Broncos to 0-2 and immediately put their 2026 season in a dangerous spot. After getting thumped by Kansas City to open the year, Denver now faces a Jacksonville team that has been rolling for a while.
“Denver's offense hasn't shown enough to justify laying points. The Broncos produced only 176 yards and 3.6 yards per play in their Week 1 loss to the Chiefs,” Maldonado writes.
"... Defense makes the Broncos the favorite, but the Jaguars have the more trustworthy offense to win outright."
That matchup is what makes this one so uncomfortable for Denver. The Broncos may still be favored at home, and one ugly Week 1 showing could always be an outlier. But Jacksonville looked sharp in its opener, demolishing the Cleveland Browns while the Jaguars’ defense mostly kept Cleveland quiet, aside from a long garbage-time touchdown that accounted for the Browns’ lone score.
If Denver’s offense again sputters the way it did against the Chiefs, the Jaguars have the kind of attack that can take advantage. A second straight loss would leave plenty of questions hanging over the Broncos, from Bo Nix and the defense to Jaylen Waddle, Davis Webb, Sean Payton, and the entire front office.
The season would still be young, but an 0-2 start after a near Super Bowl trip would be a brutal place for Denver to be. With a difficult schedule ahead, Maldonado’s prediction would leave the Broncos with very little room to breathe.
In Other News...
Broncos Face A Risky Special Teams Test With Marvin Mims Out
Marvin Mims foot injury leaves the Broncos heading into their matchup with Jacksonville with a familiar special-teams puzzle to solve. Mims has been central to Denvers return game, and his absence opens the door for a different look in both punt and kick return roles, with reserve cornerback Kris Abrams-Draine expected to step in on punts.
On kick returns, the Broncos may lean on running backs RJ Harvey and Jonah Coleman, though Harveys hamstring issue adds another layer of uncertainty. Special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi said the unit has to be ready to adjust when injuries hit, and this week could be a test of how much depth Denver really has in a phase of the game that can swing field position in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Have No Excuse To Let This Home Bounce-Back Spot Slip
After a frustrating opening weekend, the Broncos get a chance to reset quickly with a Week 2 home date against the Jaguars, a matchup that looks more manageable on paper than the opener did. Denver is back in front of its own crowd with the chance to turn an 0-1 start into something steadier, and the contrast in roster strength makes this feel like the kind of spot a team trying to establish itself is expected to take advantage of.
Jacksonville arrives with some momentum of its own, riding a winning streak and still working through the early stages of a new regime, but that does not change the basic math for Denver. The Broncos have the more proven personnel group overall, and with the season still young, this is the sort of game that can say a lot about where they stand if they handle it the way a team with higher ambitions should. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Lean On Sean Payton Familiarity As Week 2 Roster Gets Tested
The Broncos are leaning on familiarity as they get ready for their Week 2 home game against the Jaguars, and that starts with two practice-squad promotions that should help stabilize the roster. Fullback Adam Prentice and long snapper Mitch Fraboni were elevated to the active roster after both already saw action in the opener against the Chiefs, a sign Denver is staying close to the options it knows best as early-season injuries and game-day demands begin to stack up.
Marvin Mims absence is forcing the Broncos to be creative with return duties, so the staff is turning to existing roster pieces rather than reaching far outside the building. It is another example of how Sean Payton and his staff are managing the first stretch of the season, using players who have already been in the mix while waiting to see how long the special teams shuffle has to last. [Read more 🡒]