3 Keys to a Broncos Bounce-Back Victory Over Jaguars

The Broncos absolutely CAN bounce back this week and defeat the Jaguars, but they'll have to check all three of these boxes.

Denver Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) hits Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16). | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Denver Broncos started off the 2026 season in the worst way possible.

The Broncos didn't just lose; they were blown out and embarrassed on the national stage by a hated division rival. And given their first-half-of-the-season schedule, Denver can ill afford to fall to 0-2.

The Jacksonville Jaguars come to town this week, riding high on their bombastic win over the Cleveland Browns. We all knew the Jaguars were probably going to be good again this year, but we don't yet know just how good, given the low-quality opponent they faced in Week 1.

However, the fact is that Jacksonville came into Mile High in late December and handed the Broncos their only home loss of the 2025 season. That was a very good team, a division winner, but the Jaguars lost two of their star contributors to free agency: linebacker Devin Lloyd and running back Travis Etienne.

Meanwhile, the Broncos lost defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers and backup safety P.J. Locke. The other big difference entering this rematch with Jacksonville is the Broncos' new offensive coordinator and play-caller, Davis Webb, whose first game with the headset was a shocking disappointment.

What will it take for the Broncos to defeat this quality opponent at home and exact a measure of revenge for last season's defeat at Mile High? Here are three keys to the Broncos winning this game and getting back to .500.

Identity Crisis: Broncos Must Decide Who They Are Offensively

Davis Webb and Bo Nix chop it up before kickoff. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Broncos' offense absolutely sucked last week. There's no way around it, and the magnitude of Denver's offensive incompetence called into question Sean Payton's decision to hand over the play-calling duties to Webb.

Bo Nix looked shaky and just... off. Granted, it was his first game back since breaking his ankle in the playoffs, so a slight benefit of the doubt is warranted, but Nix looked far from himself.

One of the NFL's most negative-play-averse quarterbacks, Nix threw a bad interception on the Broncos' third snap from scrimmage last week, fumbled the ball three times (losing only one), and was sacked four times. Only one quarterback has been sacked fewer times than Nix since he entered the league in 2024, and entering Week 1, he had just seven career fumbles.

Nix almost halfed his career fumble number in the first game of this season. Adding insult to injury, Courtland Sutton and Jaylen Waddle combined for just three receptions for 13 yards.

Webb's game plan contributed greatly to Nix's ugly showing, especially the oblivious way the Broncos kept putting him in shotgun with multiple receivers spread out wide, telegraphing to legendary Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to do what he does best:send the blitz from the nickel and dime sub-packages. Webb's initial game plan was exposed as foolhardy, and that's going to happen from time to time, but he showed no ability to adjust and counterpunch.

The smart move, in the face of the Chiefs' tactics, would have been to put Nix back under center, go with some heavy personnel groupings, and run the ball. Nope. Denver finished with just 15 rushes, only 10 of which were by running backs, while Webb just kept exposing Nix to the Kansas City firing squad.

The utter lack of understanding and presence of mind is what was so shocking about Webb's debut as the play-caller. Nix and his offensive teammates could have executed much better, but they were set up to fail by their coach. The worst thing about it was that Payton signed off on the game plan.

Against the Jaguars, running the spread and putting Nix in the shotgun 90% of the time would be another recipe for disaster. The Jaguars can pressure with their front seven even without sending the blitz, and Josh Hines-Allen is champing at the bit for a shot to tee off on Nix like the Chiefs did last week.

If the Broncos are going to win this game, Webb has to find an identity. We saw the beginnings of an identity forming in training camp and the preseason, with the Broncos running multiple tight end sets centered around a physical running game that created plenty of down-the-field passing options through play-action.

J.K. Dobbins, RJ Harvey (if healthy), and Jonah Coleman need to be fed this week. If the Broncos' running backs combine for 20-plus carries, I know this team will be in position to win the game.

Sticking doggedly to the run can be the basis for some absolutely explosive plays downfield, with Sutton and Waddle getting involved and the Broncos using tight end Evan Engram as the mismatch weapon he is. We saw a flash of such understanding on the Broncos' second possession last week, but it was all too fleeting.

We can only hope that Webb's baptism by fire last week sparked an epiphany — not only on his part, but on Payton's, too. The Broncos' head coach obviously needs to take a more hands-on approach to this offense until Webb can show that he's got a good feel and command for the play-calling game.

Dark Night of the Soul: Find the Spiritual Want-To to Tackle

Parker Washington picks up a huge gain after two Broncos miss a tackle. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Last week, the Broncos missed a whopping 28 tackles against the Chiefs. Kenneth Walker III looked like a one-man wrecking crew in a bad rerun of The Keystone Cops.

Defensive leaders like linebacker Alex Singleton dismissed the panic after Monday night's shellacking, assuring fans that Denver will quickly right the ship. I want to believe that Denver's tackling comedy of errors was an anomaly, but the Jaguars will put that belief to the test with running back Bhayshul Tuten, who finished with the NFL's second-most missed tackles forced in Week 1.

In Jacksonville's 34-20 win over the Broncos last year, tackling was a problem. Several of the Jaguars' big plays came off of missed tackles, but the Broncos, at that late point in the season, seemed to have grown weary of carrying the pressure of their 11-game winning streak. They just looked tired.

Cornerback Patrick Surtain II pointed to effort as the culprit for the Broncos' tackling woes last week; to me, it's more of a spiritual issue. If the Broncos can show the want-to, the players' years of tackling technique and discipline will show up again competently.

“I think it just all goes in towards effort," Surtain said on Thursday. "Tackling is one of those things where you have to be intentional with it. You have to bring pads, feet, and you have to wrap your arms. I just feel like we were assuming that the ball carrier was going to go down at the moment rather than finishing at the end of the day.”

You could say that again, PS2. A ball-carrier won't just go down because you breathe on him. He must be acted upon with great purpose, and to quote Surtain, intentionality. Here's the thing: we know the Broncos are a great defense.

The secondary executed well in coverage against Patrick Mahomes, limiting him to a subpar day at the office even with the breakdowns in discipline. Outside of the poor tackling, which was a feature on the Chiefs' longest passing play of the game when Travis Kelce made multiple Broncos miss amid a 59-yard catch-and-run, Joseph's unit held the Chiefs' aerial attack in check.

Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars will test the Broncos' tackling wherewithal early with short passes to receivers and running backs out of the backfield. Jacksonville's plan will be to scheme in some high-percentage completions where the receiver just has to make one man miss to pick up chunk yardage.

If the Broncos' linebackers and defensive backs tackle well on the perimeter, I like their chances of limiting Lawrence and the Jaguars. Stopping Tuten and wide receiver Parker Washington will be key this week.

Acquaint Lawrence With the Mile High Turf

Que Robinson plants Trevor Lawrence on the turf. | Dustin Bradford / IMAGO / Icon Sportswire

Getting after Lawrence in this game will start with the Broncos actually stopping the run. That works symbiotically with the previous key about tackling.

If the Broncos can win on first and second down and force the Jaguars into third-and-long situations, that's where this final key to victory will come into play. Last week, the Broncos finished with just two sacks on Mahomes, and both were of the clean-up/coverage variety.

Credit to Zach Allen's motor for notching both sacks, but the Chiefs were able to neutralize the Broncos' pass rush by protecting well and getting the ball out fast. That tactic preyed further on the Broncos' tackling woes, and the Chiefs were able to move the chains on 53% of their attempts.

The Broncos must anticipate that Lawrence will be looking to get the ball out quickly, even in third-and-long situations. Joseph has to have the presence of mind to play press coverage in those situations — no eight-yard cushions, as we saw so often last week.

Press the receivers off the line and disrupt the timing of Jacksonville's passing attack. If the Broncos can do that, it should allow the pass rush to affect the game.

Nik Bonitto and his fellow rush linebackers were shut out in the sack department last week. He finished with just two pressures, while Jonah Elliss and Que Robinson had three apiece.

That's not going to be good enough against the Jaguars. Bonitto has to win his one-on-one matchups with Jaguars left tackle Anton Harrison.

Again, Joseph can help improve Bonitto's matchup outlook by pressing the Jaguars' receivers off the line and playing tight, sticky coverage, which keeps the ball in Lawrence's hands longer. But Bonitto, Elliss, and Robinson have to win a few of their one-on-ones and acquaint Lawrence with the finely cultivated turf of Empower Field at Mile High.

The Broncos sacked Lawrence five times last year. It can be done again, and then some.

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