The Denver Broncos host the Jacksonville Jaguars for their Week 2 matchup. After a blowout loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, the Broncos are looking to rebound quickly and avoid going 0-2 to begin the 2026 regular season.
Last year, the Jaguars were just one of three teams to hand the Broncos a loss. They will certainly be a tough opponent for Denver on Sunday. It won’t be easy, but here are a few ways they can achieve a much-needed victory.
The Broncos can’t let Trevor Lawrence have another big game
Last week, I was concerned about how Denver would
perform against the Chiefs revamped rushing attack. Kenneth Walker II ended up having a field day against the Broncos’ defense. This week, I’ve got my eye zoned in on Jacksonville’s aerial attack.
There were a lot of quarterbacks who impressed in Week 1. One of best was Trevor Lawrence who went 18-of-23 for 238 yards and had 4 touchdowns against the Cleveland Browns. In last year’s matchup, the Broncos were able to sack Lawrence five times. However, they weren’t able to create any turnovers he scored four total touchdowns in the Jaguars’ 34-20 victory against Denver last December.
The Broncos’ secondary must find a way to limit his impact. One key area of focus will be on third down. Jacksonville converted eight of fifteen opportunities against Vance Joseph’s defense in ‘25. The defense absolutely has to get off the field on third down—especially if their offense continues to struggle converting them and extending drives.
It’ll be tough, but the Broncos have to establish the run
In last year’s loss to the Jaguars, quarterback Bo Nix aired out the ball 47 times. That was the second most attempts in a game last year trailing the miraculous comeback victory against the New York Giants in Week 7.
Last season, Denver notched 101 yards on the ground on 17 attempts in their loss to Jacksonville. However, over half of those yards were on just three carries. On Monday Night Football, Denver failed to establish the run. We all saw what happened due to that. No excuses this weekend. They have to do their best to do that on Sunday.
Unfortunately, the Jaguars sported the NFL’s best run defense in 2025 and is poised to fare well with that in ‘26 as well. It’s important to note Denver’s offense was without J.K. Dobbins for last year’s matchup. With him back in the lineup and the addition of Jonah Coleman, I do expect Denver’s rushing game to be more successful this time around.
But that means they have to be committed to the run. Offensive Coordinator Davis Webb can’t ignore making the run game a focal point of their offensive gameplan. Nix’s play in the season opener wasn’t up to par. He has to be better, but he also needs a run game to help take the pressure off his shoulders.
The Broncos can’t be their own worst enemy
Everyone across Broncos Country saw how outclassed Denver was by Kansas City on Monday Night Football. Kudos to Andy Reid and his coaching staff for a dominant gameplan. Shame on the Broncos for consistently shooting themselves in the foot.
It’s been a while since Denver suffered such a humbling defeat. It should be a wakeup call for the team. What we witnessed on Monday certainly didn’t meet the high standard the Broncos themselves this offseason.
The execution on offense just wasn’t there. Several of their top playmakers, including Jaylen Waddle, were absolutely invisible. On defense, they couldn’t find a way to stop the run or tackle. Numerous missed tackles resulted in multiple touchdowns for the Chiefs.
It’s mind-boggling they looked that unprepared out the game. And those penalties? Yikes. The Broncos had their struggles with them last year and this preseason. Sadly, it looks like that bad trend is showing up early this season. They’ve got to put a stop to it and play more disciplined.
