The Broncos don’t need a miracle on Sunday so much as they need a cleaner plan - and a better execution of the basics - when they try to bounce back against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After getting embarrassed by the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, Denver spent the week trying to absorb the criticism and figure out how to stop the bleeding. Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post laid out four things the Broncos have to get right if they want to turn the page.
Start with Bo Nix, who looked lost against Kansas City. He appeared unsure of where pressure was coming from, and that confusion showed up in the throws he made - especially the opening-drive interception, when he lofted a pass over the middle and cornerback Mansoor Delane took it away.
Right after that mistake, Nix was seen saying, “I can’t believe I made that throw” on the bench, and he never really settled in. Denver’s one real offensive spark came on its lone touchdown drive, when Nix connected with Pat Bryant for three first downs and then found Evan Engram in the front corner of the end zone for the score.
Gabriel also pointed out that Jaylen Waddle was open multiple times but never got the ball enough, finishing with just one catch for two yards.
Another fix has to come in the run game. The Broncos talked all offseason about being more balanced, but J.K.
Dobbins got lost in the shuffle. It looked like offensive coordinator Davis Webb was so focused on trying to create big plays that the offense drifted away from the ground game and kept Denver in catch-up mode.
Sean Payton said he once saw the Pittsburgh Steelers get stuffed on three straight runs and basically abandon the effort for the night, but he also noted that Denver’s rushing attack wasn’t always sequenced well, which made it harder to use it to help Nix settle in.
On the other side of the ball, Gabriel said the Broncos have to win first down and tackle better. That last part didn’t need much explanation - it was obvious enough to make the list, even if it landed at the end for a little extra suspense.
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Broncos Facing Early Pressure After Brutal Week 2 Forecast
Denvers opening loss to Kansas City already put the Broncos in an uneasy spot, and the offenses rough showing did little to calm concerns about how quickly this season can get away from them. Now the conversation has shifted to Week 2, where the Jacksonville Jaguars come in after a convincing win over the Cleveland Browns and with enough momentum to make an early-season trip to Denver feel like a far tougher test than the schedule might suggest.
ESPN analyst Pamela Maldonado has already added to the pressure by projecting another Broncos loss, a forecast that would send Denver to 0-2 and turn the first two weeks into an urgent reset point. For a team trying to avoid digging too deep a hole this early, the matchup suddenly carries more weight than a typical September game, with the Broncos left to answer whether last week was a bad start or a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Have No Excuse To Let This Home Bounce-Back Spot Slip
After a Week 1 loss, Denver gets a quick chance to steady itself at home against a Jacksonville team that arrives with some momentum but also the early uncertainty that comes with a new regime. On paper, this is the kind of matchup the Broncos should be able to lean into. Their roster looks stronger overall, and a home opener after an opening-week setback is the sort of spot good teams use to get back on track.
The Jaguars have played well enough recently to make this more than a layup, so Denver cannot treat it like a routine rebound. Still, if the Broncos are going to live up to the talent on the roster, this is exactly the sort of game they need to handle. The opportunity is there, the setting is favorable, and the pressure now is on Denver to make sure a winnable home game does not turn into an early-season missed chance. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Week 1 Mess Leaves One Big Question For Jaguars
Denvers Week 1 showing against Kansas City left plenty for Sean Payton to clean up before the Broncos turn to Jacksonville in Week 2. The defense missed too many tackles, and the offense had its own problems under new coordinator Davis Webb, making the opener look more like a rough first draft than a finished product. Even so, there is still a belief around the league that Payton can steer this group back into form, especially with his track record as a play-caller and an early schedule that does the Broncos no favors.
Jacksonville is preparing for a version of Denver that should look sharper than the one that stumbled out of the gate Sunday. The Jaguars do not expect the tackling to stay that poor, which is part of what makes the matchup interesting: Denver has clear room to improve, and the urgency is already obvious. The bigger question is how quickly Webb can settle his unit down while Payton tries to keep the Broncos from letting one bad opener turn into an early-season trend. [Read more 🡒]