Week 2’s national TV discussion has plenty of worthy options, but one matchup jumps out because of how much is on the line for both teams: Jacksonville at Denver.
The Jaguars head to Empower Stadium at Mile High on Sunday, Sept. 20, with kickoff set for 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS.
Jacksonville arrives after one of the sharpest Week 1 performances on the slate, piling up 34 points in only three quarters. Trevor Lawrence looked every bit like a legitimate MVP candidate, and he’s doing it with help from a strong group of weapons, including Parker Washington and Brian Thomas Jr.
Denver, meanwhile, is already looking for a response at home after Kansas City beat them in the AFC West matchup. Patrick Mahomes’ return exposed plenty of vulnerability in the Broncos defense, which stood out because it’s not what people usually expect from that unit.
The bigger concern may be on the other side of the ball. Bo Nix and the Denver offense never really found a rhythm in Kansas City, and that’s a problem after the Broncos’ deep playoff run a season ago and the arrival of Jaylen Waddle.
Sean Payton and the Broncos made a major investment in the former Miami Dolphins receiver, but the opener didn’t deliver much return. Waddle finished with one catch for two yards from Nix in the loss.
There are other nationally relevant games in Week 2, too. Cincinnati meets Houston on Sept. 20 at 1 p.m.
ET, Minnesota faces Chicago at 1 p.m. ET, Arizona takes on Seattle at 4:25 p.m.
ET, and Pittsburgh visits New England at 1 p.m. ET.
Still, Jacksonville-Denver feels like the one that deserves the biggest spotlight. The Jaguars are coming in hot, the Broncos need to stabilize fast, and both sides have real questions that should make this one worth watching from the opening whistle.
In Other News...
Jaguars Just Claimed A Surprising New Rooting Interest
The Jaguars have found an unusual offseason rooting interest in Tyler Cameron, the Florida contractor and reality TV personality who headed into the debut of Dancing with the Stars season 35 with public support from Jacksonville. Cameron, who has connections to the area, stepped onto the ballroom stage Monday night with partner Sharna Burgess and immediately made a solid first impression, landing the third-highest score on the premiere.
For a team fan base that is always quick to latch onto familiar Florida faces, Camerons run gives Jacksonville something a little different to follow on TV while the football calendar keeps turning. The show airs weekly, with eliminations part of the early-season drama, so the Jaguars will at least have a fresh parallel storyline to track as Cameron tries to keep building momentum. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Rookies Are Already Creating A Week 1 Divide
The Jaguars rookie class already came with some early-week sorting in the opener against Cleveland, with the coaching staff showing right away which first-year players were ready to be part of the game plan and which ones would have to wait. Josh Cameron got a real taste of it in his debut, seeing the field and finishing with a touchdown catch, while other rookies were dressed but never got into the game as the team worked through its depth chart and injury-related decisions.
Wesley Williams, Tanner Koziol and Jalen Huskey were among the newcomers who did not play, a reminder that making the roster is only the first step for first-year players on a team still figuring out how to use its pieces. Jacksonville also had to adjust by elevating Bryan Thomas Jr. after BJ Greens injury, another sign that the rookie groups roles may keep shifting as the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Just Forced A Bigger Week 2 Debate Than Fans Expected
The Jaguars did what good opening-week teams are supposed to do: they took care of business, beat the Browns decisively, and left enough of an impression that the national conversation shifted almost immediately. In the first wave of postgame power rankings, Jacksonville kept climbing as analysts rewarded the kind of complete showing that can make an early September win feel more meaningful than the final score alone.
Now the bigger question is how quickly that momentum turns into a real test of where this team belongs. The rankings bump says plenty about the way Jacksonville looked in Week 1, but the next stretch will tell the more important story, because the Jaguars now have to prove that one strong outing was the start of something, not just a polished first step. [Read more 🡒]