The Jacksonville Jaguars suffered a brutal loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 2, despite leading for most of the game.
The Jaguars fell apart in the fourth quarter, allowing the Broncos to score 17 unanswered points, which gave new ammunition to analysts who questioned Jacksonville's victory over the Cleveland Browns in Week 1.
Last week's power rankings saw the Jaguars rise into the top 10 or higher. How will the loss to Denver affect their status in Week 3? Read on.
Nate Davis, USA Today: #11 (-3)
Hate to continue belaboring the point, but if you think CB/WR Travis Hunter has basically been invisible through two weeks … yeah.
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: #10 (-8)
Their lines got beat up in the loss to the Broncos. They have to be better on both sides of the ball.
Conor Orr, SI.com: #11 (-2)
Thirty-seven snaps on defense and seven snaps on offense
for Travis Hunter in a critical game against the Broncos. I feel deeply for the Jaguars’ coaching staff that has to shoulder the burden of this experiment. I think often about how much better this team could have been with a top-tier defensive tackle in the 2025 draft.
Ralph Vacchiano, Fox Sports: #12 (-1)
I want to put the Jaguars in the top 10. I really do. Putting up an offensive dud against the Broncos while the defense wilted in the second half, though, hinders me from doing that.
Chad Graff and Josh Kendall, The Athletic: #14 (-1)
The tight end whom the Jaguars got a bunch of heat for taking in the second round is a starter but has only one catch, not a big surprise considering his emphasis on run blocking. Boerkircher is one of 10 draft picks in Jacksonville’s class. Third-round guard Emmanuel Pregnon is starting, and sixth-round wide receiver Josh Cameron is contributing in the passing and return game.
Michael DiRocco, ESPN: #13
The difference is stark for Lawrence this season. When he's not under pressure, he's completing 76.9% of his passes (11th in the NFL) for three touchdowns to one interception. When he's under pressure, he's completing only 38.5% of his passes with one TD. Jacksonville's offensive line struggled against Denver, and if that becomes a seasonlong issue, Lawrence is going to have to be more efficient under pressure. He won't face easy defensive fronts over the next month, either.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: #8 (-2)
There's nothing wrong with losing on the road to a desperate Broncos team. It's tough in the altitude early in the season, and that might have played a factor in the Jaguars blowing a 13-3 second-half lead. Between last season and Week 1, the Jaguars have earned the benefit of the doubt that they're still a very good team despite one loss to a team that went 14-3 last season. One shining light is that receiver Parker Washington has carried over a strong finish from last season. Washington is second in the NFL in target share to only Jaxon Smith-Njigba, according to PFF. Washington is getting 37.5% of the targets despite some good receiver teammates around him. He has turned that into 18 catches for 181 yards through two games. Washington is a rising star.
Kris Knox, Bleacher Report: #10 (-5)
The Jacksonville Jaguars looked like one of the NFL's top teams in Week 1 and for about half of Week 2. However, a second-half collapse exposed some issues for the Jags and dropped their record to 1-1.
Beating the Broncos in Denver is never easy, but Jacksonville seemed to have control of the game early in the second half with a 13-6 lead. However, Trevor Lawrence threw a pick that opened the door for Denver before a missed field goal and some big defensive breakdowns handed all of the momentum to the Broncos.
Jacksonville's pass protection and pass defense both became issues late in Week 2 and would appear to be the Jags' biggest question marks moving forward. Both will be tested when the New England Patriots visit Jacksonville next weekend in a game that will speak volumes about how seriously we should take the Jaguars as AFC contenders.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars fall in Week 3 power ranking following loss to Broncos
