The Jacksonville Jaguars are taking on the Denver Broncos in Week 2, in an away game that could further prove that the Jaguars are legitimate playoff contenders.
Jacksonville is fresh off a dominant victory over the Cleveland Browns, while Denver lost embarrassingly to the Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams need a victory Sunday -- will the Jaguars walk away with a 2-0 start, or will the Broncos escape another 0-2 start for the third season in four years?
Here are key matchups to watch.
Jaguars WRs vs. the Denver secondary
The Jacksonville offense looked explosive against Cleveland, with multiple receivers — Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Josh Cameron — putting in good performances. And while the Browns are overall not a strong team, their defense is still a good one.
The Broncos' defense, and the secondary in particular, is better. The Week 2 game will almost certainly pose a tougher test for the Jaguars' wide receiver room.
Patrick Surtain II is one of the best shutdown cornerbacks in the league, and he leads a unit which also includes Riley Moss and Ja'Quan McMillian. If Jacksonville's wide receivers can still pull off a strong performance against the Denver secondary, it will show that this offense is truly explosive. If they cannot, however, it will raise questions.
Jaguars offensive line vs. Denver pass rush
Jacksonville has been dealing with injuries on the offensive line through the offseason, though the unit turned in a capable enough performance against Cleveland. Once again, Denver will pose a more significant threat.
Nik Bonitto had 14 sacks last season and had among the league's best pass-rush win rates. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence can scramble and make plays with his legs when necessary, but this will be a huge test for the offensive line, who will need to make sure Lawrence isn't constantly under pressure on Sunday.
Jaguars pass rush vs. Bo Nix
Conversely, there is the issue of Jacksonville's pass rush unit. Led by Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, the pass rush was incredibly successful against Cleveland, racking up five sacks. Will they be able to do the same against Denver?
Bo Nix was under constant pressure against Kansas City. However, the Jaguars should not assume one poor game means they can easily defeat the Broncos' offensive line -- it is among the best in the league. Can Hines-Allen and Walker break through and keep Nix on his toes again?
Jaguars RBs vs. Broncos run defense
Denver has a good defense, but a weakness last week was their play against the run. Jacksonville, meanwhile, is looking to prove that its running back room is still a threat without Travis Etienne, which has been frequently questioned and criticized through the offseason.
Kenneth Walker III ran for an impressive 173 yards alone against the Broncos. Even if not at that level of production, if the Jaguars' run game can find steady success, that will open up the playbook for Liam Coen and opportunities in the pass game for Lawrence. In that scenario, an already dangerous Jaguars' offense becomes even more difficult to defend.
Jaguars linebackers/safeties vs. Evan Engram
The Jacksonville alum was the only member of the Broncos to score a touchdown against Kansas City. Engram is a fast, athletic tight end who particularly excels at receiving. The Jaguars, meanwhile, are looking to prove their linebacker room is adequate without Devin Lloyd. Engram is also known to run routes like a wide receiver, so their safeties will likely be called on to keep him covered.
Because Engram is so fast, he will be a challenge for Foyesade Oluokun and Ventrell Miller, so they will need to be disruptive, both at the line of scrimmage and in passing lanes. Safeties Antonio Johnson and Eric Murray will meanwhile need to utilize their own athleticism, particularly Johnson's size and length, to defend Engram and keep him from making plays.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 5 key matchups to watch in Jaguars vs. Broncos in Week 2
