Down 17-10, the Denver Broncos did get the ball to start the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They would being their drive from their own 27-yard line.
Jacksonville’s defense came out charged
up with a run stuff and then a tackle on Bo Nix for no gain when he took off on second down. However, a defensive holding penalty gave Denver the automatic first down. While the Broncos offense looked a bit off to start the half, a big penalty by the Jaguars on a personal foul on a completion to Lil’Jordan Humphrey quickly had the Broncos in fringe field goal range.
On the very next play, RJ Harvey would take an inside run for 39-yards and a touchdown to tie the game right back up.
Broncos 17, Jaguars 17.
A great special teams tackle forced the Jaguars to start their next drive from their own 25-yard line.
Their drive would be aided by another controversial call for “body weight” on a hit on Trevor Lawrence. Despite that penalty getting the Jaguars into fringe field goal range, the Broncos defense would again force them into a third and long. Lawrence would find a wide open Parker Washington even though they snapped the ball well after the play clock hit zero.
The poor officiating would continue with a defensive pass interference call that seemed like just normal coverage to give the Jaguars the ball at the one yard line where they would, you guessed it, score a touchdown.
Jaguars 24, Broncos 17.
The NFL has a massive officiating problem, but every fan already knows this.
Bo Nix came out and avoided pressure to find RJ Harvey open in the flat who was able to turn it upfield for 15 yards to midfield to start the Broncos next drive. A trick play almost results in a big play to Courtland Sutton, but the ball got knocked loose as Sutton hit the ground. It would have been a 45-yard gain.
That would kill their momentum and they’d be punting it back to Jacksonville three plays later.
Jacksonville began to put the game away with another big play from Parker Washington who ran for 63-yards down to the 10 yard line.
They would score on the very next play to go up two touchdowns.
Jaguars 31, Broncos 17.
With less than four minutes left in the third quarter, the Broncos offense needed to get a drive going if they were to try to mount a comeback in this game. That comeback attempt came to an end with a fumble by Nix who muffed the handoff to Jaleel McLaughlin.
Jacksonville would have a first and goal to start the fourth quarter after a big catch and run on third down by Parker Washington.
