The Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t just snap the Denver Broncos’ 11-game winning streak on Sunday-they sent a message. And while the scoreboard told one story, the real subplot unfolded in the days leading up to kickoff, when a seemingly innocuous comment from Broncos head coach Sean Payton lit a fire under the Jaguars.
Earlier in the week, Payton referred to Jacksonville as a “small market” team. On the surface, it wasn’t a jab-more of a passing observation during a press conference where he praised the Jaguars’ play.
But Jaguars head coach Liam Coen didn’t let the moment slip by. He tucked it away, and after his team walked into Mile High and walked out with a win, Coen made sure to bring it back up.
“A small market team like us can come into Mile High and get it done,” Coen said postgame, echoing Payton’s words with a purpose.
Now, to be clear, Payton wasn’t throwing shade. After the game, he clarified that his comments were meant to highlight how under-the-radar Jacksonville’s success has been this season.
“My press conference was very complimentary,” Payton said. “Those guys are playing outstanding football.
The point was, not enough of the country has seen how good these guys are.”
Payton even acknowledged the coaching chess match at play, giving Coen credit for turning the quote into a rallying cry. “That was a good job by Liam,” he said.
“He was looking for a rallying point. I spent 16 years in a small market.
I get it.”
Still, the Jaguars clearly took the “small market” tag personally. Tight end Brenton Strange leaned into it after the win, and it’s clear this group is embracing the underdog energy. Whether the comment was meant as fuel or not, Jacksonville turned it into just that-and it worked.
This game might be remembered as more than just the end of Denver’s streak. It could be the beginning of a budding rivalry.
These teams are both firmly in the playoff hunt, and there’s a decent chance they’ll cross paths again in January. If that happens, expect the energy to be just as high-and the bulletin board material to be monitored even more closely.
For now, the Jaguars have every reason to feel confident. They walked into one of the toughest environments in football and came away with a statement win. And whether it was about market size or mindset, they made it clear: Jacksonville isn’t just showing up-they’re showing out.