The Jacksonville Jaguars are taking on the Denver Broncos in Week 2, after a decisive victory over the Cleveland Browns to start off the season. The game against the Broncos will be considerably more difficult.
Denver was humiliated by the Kansas City Chiefs in its Week 1 matchup and will be looking for redemption, as well as to avoid an 0-2 start for the third time in four seasons. Add in that Jacksonville pulled off a major upset last season at Mile High Stadium, and the Broncos are a team that has no shortage of reasons to be extremely motivated heading into the game.
Experts are largely split about who will emerge victorious on Sunday. Here are five keys to the game that can help the Jaguars win.
Stay committed to the run
Denver has a good defense, but they struggled
against the run last week, when the Chiefs' Kenneth Walker III ran — literally — all over the Broncos. Altogether, Kansas City racked up 220 rushing yards, and Jacksonville will need to similarly attack Denver on the ground.
Even if Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez aren't able to put up numbers as flashy as Walker's, focusing on the run game is important. The Broncos have a lethal pass rush, and running consistently and effectively will go a long way towards neutralizing the defense.
Pressure Bo Nix without using the blitz
The Chiefs kept constant pressure on Nix in Week 1; he was sacked four times, fumbled the ball three times, and threw an interception. He was pressured on nearly half of his dropbacks, but Kansas City did so using just three or four defenders. Jacksonville will need to do the same.
The Jaguars need to generate pressure with Josh Hines-Allen, Travon Walker, and the front, while allowing the rest of the defense to focus on attacking Evan Engram, Jaylen Waddle, and Courtland Sutton.
Win the turnover battle
As mentioned, Nix was pressured into multiple turnovers in Week 1, while Trevor Lawrence had none. The Jacksonville defense was able to force the Cleveland offense, meanwhile, into two. Repeating that will be vital for the Jaguars.
On offense, Jacksonville needs to minimize turnovers as much as possible, while the defense pressures Nix and the Denver offense into constant interceptions and fumbles.
Minimize Jaylen Waddle's impact
The Broncos have a serious weapon in Waddle, and yet, he was targeted just three times in the Week 1 game. It is extremely likely that he will see more action against the Jaguars, and the defense needs to be prepared. Waddle has elite speed and acceleration, can change direction on a dime, and is able to turn short catches into huge, explosive plays.
Waddle was extremely underutilized against the Chiefs, and experts are predicting he will be a much bigger focus on the offense this week. Denver has several strong receivers to keep an eye on, but Waddle is likely the biggest x-factor for the Broncos-Jaguars rematch.
Make the Denver offense one-dimensional
The Broncos aren't just struggling against the run; they're struggling to get it going on offense, too. Jacksonville had the best run defense in the league in 2025, and it needs to be on full display during this game to force Nix and the offense to rely on passing.
Jacksonville forced Nix to attempt 47 passes in last season’s win over Denver, while the entire team was collectively only able to get 100 rushing yards, meaning the Broncos' offense was almost entirely one-dimensional. The Jaguars should look to recreate that formula by limiting Denver’s rushing attack and forcing Nix to carry the offense through the air.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: 5 keys to a Jaguars victory over the Broncos in Week 2
