The Denver Broncos follow up their Week 1 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs by hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The Jaguars were just one of three teams to deliver the Broncos a defeat last season. In a way, this matchup has the allure of a revenge game. Most importantly, the opportunity to get back on track and avoid going 0-2 to start off the 2026 season. Here are three storylines I’m going to keep a close eye on throughout the game.
Will the Broncos show signs of life on offense?
I figured there would always be a little bit of a learning
curve for Offensive Coordinator Davis Webb and the Broncos’ offense this season. That happens with change. However, I didn’t expect them to be as flat as they were on Monday Night Football versus the Chiefs.
There was no dedication to the run. Their passing attack was a joke. It’s almost impossible to win a football game when both phases on offense look that bad.
In last year’s defeat to the Jaguars, Bo Nix had to throw 47 times. That’s a recipe for failure and can’t happen if Denver wants to win on Sunday. The Broncos went just 5-of-14 on third down and were 1-of-3 on fourth down conversions in that matchup, on top of turning the ball over twice.
They need to establish the run. Feed J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey, and give Jonah Coleman an opportunity to shine. Nix and the wide receivers need to be on the same page. Jacksonville’s defense is quite opportunistic and winning the turnover battle will be an absolute must to get to 1-1 on the season.
Can the defense embark on a drastic turnaround on a short week?
The defense gave up numerous big plays that resulted in touchdowns for the Chiefs. Kenneth Walker II had one of the best games of his career and the defense looked like they completely had forgotten how to tackle. It was certainly embarrassing to watch, but not as bad as the 70-point shellacking the Miami Dolphins gave Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph and his players in 2023.
Last December, the Jaguars put up 34 points on the scoreboard—the most of any opponent in ’25. That loss, just like the Chiefs, was humbling for Denver. Jacksonville converted over 50-percent of their third downs and had several long touchdown drives. Whether it was on the ground or through the air, Liam Coen’s gameplan against the Broncos’ defense in key situations was virtually flawless.
On a short week, Joseph and the defense don’t have a lot of time to fix things. Going up against Trevor Lawrence, who is playing some of the best football of his career, poses a significant challenge for them. They will have to be at their best to limit his top-tier playmaking ability.
Great teams rebound and respond to adversity: Will Denver do that?
One game isn’t indicative of how the remaining sixteen will play out. That being said, I’m concerned about what’s to come and the team’s potential this season after their disastrous showing at Arrowhead on MNF.
The Broncos won fourteen games last year. And in some ways, I think they may have overachieved. Your mileage may vary. All things considered, I certainly didn’t expect them to win that much in ‘26. They’ve got a first-place schedule and a lot of teams got better over the course of the offseason.
Regression, in some fashion, happens quite often in the NFL. The Jaguars will be a formidable foe for Denver. In the weeks to come, the Broncos will go up against a bunch of quality teams. Sure, the Broncos have started off slow in Head Coach Sean Payton’s time with the team, but this certainly isn’t the time to do that.
To be the best, you have to beat the best. To be a Super Bowl competitor, you have to win against good teams. And that’s what the Jaguars are—a really good football team. Will Denver rise to the occasion and get back to a .500 ball club or will they fall into a two-game hole to start the season. We will find out on Sunday.
