A thrilling 14-point fourth quarter catapulted the Denver Broncos ahead of the Jacksonville Jaguars as both sides of the football dominated late to secure the victory for Denver.
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It didn’t seem possible early in the third quarter when Jacksonville added another field goal to take a double-digit lead. However, from then on out the Broncos offense and defense controlled the game. They scored 17-unanswered and with over four
minutes to go the offense controlled the clock and the downs to ensure Trevor Lawrence never saw the field again.
It was a great team win and rally to avoid an 0-2 start. There were many game ball options in this game, but there were only so many of us to go around. Here’s who we’re giving our game balls to:
Riley Moss
I had to start with the defense. The offense were stumbling around for 2.5 quarters and if the defense hadn’t shown up with fire in the bellies, this game could have gotten out of hand early. Instead, every time it seemed the Jaguars were going to step on their throats the defense stood up and made a play. In my mind, none was bigger than this one in the late third quarter by Riley Moss.
He’d already had himself a pretty good game with three passes defensed and two tackles, but with the Jaguars crossing midfield again up by a touchdown they couldn’t afford to let them add more points there. Riley Moss made a great play and turned the tide. Have a game ball, sir! – Tim Lynch
Zach Allen
Zach Allen didn’t do much that showed up on the stat sheet on Sunday. He finished the game with one tackle and one QB hit, but he was a disruptive force for most of the game. His pressure forced Trevor Lawrence off his spot multiple times and his disruption against the run allowed Malcolm Roach to get two TFL. Despite being double-teamed most of the game, Zach Allen had a dramatic impact that will go largely unnoticed on the stat sheet. For this he gets my game ball. – Joe Mahoney
Bo Nix
The Broncos quarterback showed some serious bounce back and resiliency in his play on Sunday. In the process, we saw the type of play we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from Nix. He was confident and making great decisions with his arm and legs. He was accurate. He and Jaylen Waddle showed the type of dangerous attack they can have. You could also see Nix and Davis Webb got into rhythm in the second half. Nix finished the game 22-for-31 passing for 288 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. This is the type of game and win that could propel Nix and the Broncos. – Ian St. Clair
Jonah Coleman
Jonah Coleman played a pivotal role in helping the Broncos to their first win of the season. His first opportunity to make a play as a running back resulted in the game winning touchdown. It was the first of his young career, but he wasn’t done yet. As time ran toward the 2 minute warning, Coleman made a veteran play. As he busted into the open field he found the first down marker and then immediately got down. A big heads up play to stay in bounds and essentially end the game. Big game ball for the rookie. – Adam Malnati
Jaylen Waddle
Now THAT is what we all expected when Denver traded a first round pick for Jaylen Waddle. After just three targets and one catch on Monday, seeing Waddle pick up 10 targets, 8 catches for 138 yards and look absolutely dominant was extremely refreshing.
Waddle showed what his full potential could be in this offense and the explosive element he brings with his 49 yard downfield catch.
I was really excited to see him used on deep crossers and shaking DBs out of their socks up the sideline.
This is just the beginning of a massive season for him and I’m sure the first of many gameballs. – Jeff Essary
Vance Joseph
We’ve talked about the players who performed well on defense, but shoutout to Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph. He gets my game ball for having a tremendous gameplan. Outside of a few busted plays, the players executed it tremendously. Everyone looked better prepared than what we witnessed versus the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1. Last year, the Broncos gave up 34 points to the Jaguars in December’s matchup. This time around it was only 13 and held them to less than 275 yards of total offense. Trevor Lawrence had a rough day completing less than 60-percent of his passes and throwing for under 200 yards. Limiting Lawrence’s impact was huge and Joseph’s coaching played a big role in that. – Chris Hart
