The Jacksonville Jaguars had control, then watched it slip away.
Up 13-3 in the second half, they still walked out of Denver with a 20-13 loss after the Broncos ripped off 17 straight points to finish Week 2. Jacksonville had chances to settle the game, and instead the final stretch turned into a collapse on both sides of the ball.
The biggest problem on Sunday was Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, who kept finding space all game long. He finished with eight catches on 10 targets for 138 yards, and the damage came in chunks that all seemed to matter.
Waddle opened the door with a 49-yard gain that set up Denver’s first points, then added a 16-yard third-down catch in the third quarter to help position the Broncos for a field goal. He was back again on another third-down grab that led to the touchdown pass to Nate Adkins that tied the game, and he finished the Jaguars off with a 29-yard catch on 3rd-and-3 on the final drive.
What made it worse for Jacksonville was how easy it looked. Waddle beat Montaric Brown, Jarrian Jones, and Jourdan Lewis repeatedly.
The question of whether Travis Hunter should have been matched up on him comes naturally, though that is easier said than done with Waddle doing plenty of his work from the slot. Either way, the Jaguars never found the right answer.
Trevor Lawrence had his moments early. He guided a touchdown drive and then handled a two-minute drill to close the first half cleanly.
After that, though, the offense fell apart. Jacksonville’s opening drive of the second half ended with a field goal after 11 plays, but the final three possessions produced an interception, a missed field goal, and a punt.
Over those last three drives, the Jaguars managed just 54 yards on 17 plays, a mere 3.17 yards per snap. Lawrence threw a bad pick, missed a few open throws, and Brian Thomas Jr. had a costly drop.
Bhayshul Tuten also made his case to be the back the Jaguars lean on more heavily. He carried 13 times for 65 yards, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. had six carries for 13 yards.
Even with Tuten clearly giving the offense more juice, Jacksonville still gave 10 running back touches to someone other than him. Rodriguez had some solid moments in short-yardage situations, but Tuten kept looking like the most dangerous runner in the group.
Through two weeks, the backfield has tilted slightly his way. After this game, it should tilt even more.
The Broncos’ pass rush was another major problem. Jacksonville’s offensive line looked sharp in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, but this was a different level of stress.
Even without Jonathon Cooper, Denver still brought pressure with Nik Bonitto, Zach Allen, Jonah Elliss, and Que Robinson. Lawrence was hurried early and often, and plenty of the Jaguars’ offense came with him throwing through pressure or out of muddy pockets.
This was the first real test for that line, and it did not come out of it looking clean.
Denver’s offense, meanwhile, answered a rough Week 1 by looking far more dangerous. After failing to reach 180 total yards against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos nearly hit 400 against Jacksonville.
Their four second-half drives ended in a field goal, two touchdowns, and then a final possession that ended in victory formation. The Jaguars had some key stops in the first half, but they could not keep Denver off schedule once the game turned.
That part matters for the defense, too. Jacksonville did not sack Nix once, gave up explosive plays in the passing game, and allowed chunk gains on the ground in the second half. The offense left the defense hanging in a game where 20 points should have been enough to survive, but the defense still had its own share of breakdowns.
The Jaguars are going to face better passing games than this one, and they’ll also see more seasoned play-callers as the season goes on. But on Sunday, they never found the right buttons to push, never forced Nix into enough mistakes, and never closed the door when they had the chance. That was the difference.
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Jaguars Loss Just Sparked A Travis Hunter Debate Fans Feared
The Jaguars Week 2 loss to Denver did more than drop Jacksonville to 0-2, it reignited the conversation around Travis Hunters role and how the team is using its most talked-about newcomer. Hunter spent most of the afternoon on defense at cornerback, saw only limited work on offense, and still found himself in the middle of a pivotal moment when a pass interference flag went against him in a game the Jaguars could not afford to let slip away.
Liam Coen moved quickly to defend Hunter after the penalty, while also taking issue with the unsportsmanlike conduct call that followed. For a team still trying to settle its identity early in the season, the debate now is not just about one play, but about how Jacksonville balances Hunters two-way value with the need for cleaner execution in tight games. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Have A Defensive Problem They Cant Ignore
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Travis Hunter Conversation Just Got More Personal For Jaguars Fans
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The personal side of Hunters Jaguars journey has become part of the conversation around how he is being used, especially after Leanna Hunter voiced criticism of Liam Coens handling of Travis during the game. For Jacksonville fans, it adds another layer to a storyline that is no longer just about development and play selection, but also about how closely this new chapter is being watched beyond the sideline. [Read more 🡒]