The Broncos came out of Week 1 with little to feel good about after getting blown out by the Chiefs, and now they’re staring at another tough test with the Jaguars coming to Denver for the home opener.
On paper, Jacksonville arrives with momentum after its own blowout win, but that result came against the Browns, a team the source describes as perhaps the worst in the sport. That matters when the stage changes from Cleveland at home to Denver on the road.
Even so, there is one part of the Broncos’ operation that may have a chance to clean itself up quickly: the offensive line.
Week 1 was rough across the board, but the pass protection stood out for all the wrong reasons. Bo Nix was constantly on the move and never looked comfortable with what was happening in front of him. The run game had some success, but the passing operation was a mess, and the protection plan, or lack thereof, left the offense in a bad spot.
That’s why Week 2 could be a better setup than it looks at first glance. The Jaguars’ pass rush hasn’t exactly been a monster.
In 2025, Jacksonville finished with just 32 sacks, the fourth-lowest total in the league. The defense was strong against the run last season, but it didn’t bring much heat off the edge, and that may have carried into this year.
The Browns’ Deshaun Watson also gave a clue about what kind of pressure Jacksonville may or may not have generated in Week 1. Watson averaged 3.2 seconds to throw, which ranked fifth-longest in the NFL, and he still took five sacks. The source notes that longer throw times usually say something about both the quarterback and the defense across from him: the ball is coming out late, but the pass rush isn’t always winning quickly either.
That’s where the Broncos might see a path forward. If Jacksonville isn’t consistently collapsing the pocket, Denver’s line could have a much cleaner afternoon than it did against Kansas City. That would give Nix a chance to operate in a steadier pocket and, in turn, give the offense a shot to look more functional through the air.
It won’t be simple, and the Jaguars still present a serious challenge. But after how badly things went in Week 1, the Broncos’ offensive line may have a rare opportunity to turn the page in a hurry.
In Other News...
Broncos Run Game Just Lost A Piece Sean Payton Needed
RJ Harveys hamstring injury is lining up to keep him out of the Broncos upcoming game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, a setback for a run game that had already been managing his workload. Harvey was limited in the previous game and then missed practices late in the week, leaving Denver to adjust on the fly at a spot Sean Payton was counting on for more stability.
J.K. Dobbins is now positioned to carry the load in Harveys absence, which puts more pressure on the veteran back to steady an offense that wanted more balance on the ground. For Denver, the concern is not just this one matchup, but how long the Broncos will be without a piece they clearly hoped to have available as the season moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Land In Another Chiefs Flashpoint After Mahomes Hit
A divisional game against Kansas City has a way of turning even routine plays into talking points, and Nik Bonittos hit on Patrick Mahomes became one of them after the NFL took a closer look. Mahomes was struck around the head and neck just after getting rid of a short throw, but the league decided the contact was legal and did not issue a roughing-the-passer penalty or a fine for the Denver pass rusher.
The Broncos still came out of the game with a slice of the officiating and discipline chatter that tends to follow this rivalry, even if Bonitto avoided punishment. Kansas City won the game, while Chiefs guard Trey Smith and Denver linebacker Alex Singleton were among the other players fined for separate infractions, keeping the postgame focus on a matchup that rarely stays quiet once the final whistle sounds. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Suddenly Face Pressure To Fix More Than Just The Offense
The Broncos lopsided loss to the Chiefs did more than expose the offenses familiar issues. It also put a spotlight on how much work remains across the rest of the roster, with the gap between Denver and Kansas City looking wider than one shaky game plan or one bad stretch of quarterback play. Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post broke down several ways the Broncos can tighten things up, and the list goes well beyond the passing game.
Better play from Russell Nix, more commitment to the run, cleaner defense on first downs and sharper tackling all came up as part of the broader fix. The coaching staffs comments and the game tape point to a team that does not just need answers under center, but a more complete response on both sides of the ball if it wants to keep from letting losses like this turn into a bigger pattern. [Read more 🡒]