The Broncos walked off the field with a 20-13 comeback win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, but the story was bigger than the final score. Denver got a needed defensive response, a promising burst from Jonah Coleman, a strong home debut from Jaylen Waddle and a fourth-quarter rescue from Bo Nix. At the same time, the offense still looked uneven for long stretches.
Start with the defense, because that unit answered the bell after a rough opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Vance Joseph’s group held Jacksonville to 95 rushing yards and made Trevor Lawrence uncomfortable all afternoon.
Lawrence took two sacks and threw one interception, and Denver also had a strip-sack wiped away by a penalty. There were more chances too, with several near-interceptions going to the turf.
After what happened in Week 1, that was the kind of bounce-back the Broncos needed.
Coleman gave Denver another bright spot, and he did it in a big spot. He finished with 13 touches for 58 yards and scored his first career touchdown.
The Mile High Salute after that score was a nice touch for Broncos fans, and he later showed the kind of awareness coaches love by sliding down in bounds after a late first down in the fourth quarter. That helped Denver drain the clock.
His rise matters even more now with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey both dealing with hamstring injuries.
Waddle’s first game at Empower Field at Mile High looked like exactly what Denver had in mind when it traded multiple draft picks to the Miami Dolphins this spring. After a quiet road debut in Week 1, he erupted for eight catches and 138 yards.
His 49-yard grab set the Broncos up at the one-yard line, though what came next was another matter. Still, the home debut was the kind of performance Denver was hoping to get.
Nix had a rocky beginning, and the mistake was a bad one. He threw a red zone interception while needlessly backpedaling, a play that stalled the offense and put the Broncos behind the eight ball.
But he steadied himself, and with Tim Tebow watching, he helped deliver another fourth-quarter comeback, the ninth of his career. Nix finished 22 of 31 for 288 yards with one touchdown, one turnover and no sacks.
If he can open games the way he closed this one, Denver’s offense will look a lot cleaner.
Even with the win, the Broncos’ offense still left plenty on the table. Denver converted just 4 of 11 third downs, went 2 of 5 in the red zone, averaged 3.7 yards per carry and was flagged for several sloppy penalties.
The unit managed only six points through three quarters. The comeback counted, but against tougher opponents ahead, the Broncos will need a sharper start and a more consistent operation.
Denver hosts the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football in Week 3.
In Other News...
Jaguars Loss Just Sparked A Travis Hunter Debate Fans Feared
The Jaguars 20-13 loss to the Broncos in Week 2 did more than drop Jacksonville into an early hole. It also put Travis Hunter right back at the center of the conversation about how the team is using its most unique player, with the rookie spending most of his time on defense at cornerback while seeing only limited work on offense.
Hunters day included a costly pass interference penalty, and coach Liam Coen went to bat for him afterward. Coen defended Hunter and voiced his frustration over the unsportsmanlike conduct flag he drew, a sequence that only sharpened the debate over how much the Jaguars should ask of him and how quickly they should lean into his two-way promise. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Hunter Conversation Just Got More Personal For Jaguars Fans
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Leanna Hunter also weighed in on how coach Liam Coen used Travis Hunter during the game, adding a more personal edge to what had already become a talking point for Jacksonville fans. She had only recently marked Hunters second season with the team on social media, so the connection is becoming increasingly visible beyond the field as the Jaguars sort through how to maximize one of their most watched players. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Suddenly Have A Defensive Problem They Cant Ignore
The Jaguars pass rush looked like a strength one week and a problem the next, which is exactly why the early-season picture on defense feels so unsettled. After piling up five sacks and steady pressure in their win over the Browns, Jacksonville had a much harder time getting home against Denver, where the rush produced fewer disruptions and left the defense asking more of its coverage and tackling behind it.
Defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile started with a four-man rush against the Broncos, but had to lean on extra rushers as the game wore on, a sign the front was not consistently winning on its own. Josh Hines-Allen, held without a sack, acknowledged he needs to be better, and for a defense built to affect the quarterback, that kind of drop-off is the sort of issue the Jaguars cannot afford to let linger. [Read more 🡒]