Jensen’s Judgment: Waddle’s Emergence Can’t Hide Sutton’s Disappearance

The sense of relief in the Mile High City is palpable.

Not only did the Denver Broncos get back in the win column, but they also defeated a playoff-caliber opponent in the Jacksonville Jaguars — the only team to beat them at Mile High last season. The win itself was a relief, but the Broncos signaling their bounce-back ability after Week 1's shockingly poor performance was the ultimate salve.

It was far from perfect against Jacksonville. The Broncos' offense still struggled for three quarters of the game, but the appearance of coaching incompetence and, potentially, quarterback regression was not seen against the Jaguars.

Bo Nix 'Can't Throw Deep' (LOL)

Nix didn't play as well in key situations like third down and the red zone as you'd like, but he still showed his playmaking ability and that trademark clutch-time execution. The Nix doubters who decry the supposed absence of deep throws didn't have much material to critique against Jacksonville.

When it comes to the Broncos' offense, the hallmark of Week 2's 20-13 comeback win over the Jaguars was Nix's penchant for the explosive play.

That was an element badly missing in Denver's offense over the past two seasons, which is why the Broncos gave up a first- and third-round draft pick to acquire wide receiver Jaylen Waddle via an offseason trade. Waddle was on the receiving end of multiple explosive plays on Sunday, including a long of 59 yards, finishing with eight receptions for 138 yards.

“Bo Nix doesn’t throw deep” pic.twitter.com/7HECIPadKI
— Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) September 20, 2026

It was Waddle's first regular-season home game in front of the Mile High Faithful, and all the fan excitement and anticipation was rewarded with a huge performance in his debut. As great as it was to see Nix and offensive coordinator Davis Webb make such great use of their new weapon, equally noteworthy was Courtland Sutton's relative disappearance.

What Happened to Sutton?

Courtland Sutton. — Courtland Sutton catches the ball. | Hector Acevedo / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Sutton led all receivers with 45 snaps, but was targeted only four times, finishing with just three catches for 25 yards. Nix tried to force a touchdown pass to Sutton, but the Jaguars fooled the third-year quarterback with a blitz and combination coverage, with nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis sinking back into the corner of the end zone to jump in front of the ball for the pick.

Jourdan Lewis jump ball INT in the end zone ‼️

JAXvsDEN on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/4Ot8gMmBp2
— NFL (@NFL) September 20, 2026

Sutton is a my-ball type of receiver, but he didn't have a good angle due to the throw and Lewis's positioning. Nix and Webb clearly tried to facilitate a Sutton touchdown, but they weren't able to execute.

Still, two weeks into the season, Sutton has totaled five receptions on nine targets for a measly 36 yards. It's the lowest two-game production Sutton has had at any point since Nix arrived as the quarterback in 2024.

I'm not a big believer in coincidence. Sutton's diminishing returns lining up with Waddle's emergence isn't happenstance, though that doesn't mean the Broncos planned it or that it's permanent.

Like Sutton, Waddle had a forgettable Week 1 stat line, with just one catch on three targets for two yards. In Week 2, though, Waddle exploded out of the gates with more single-game receiving yards than Sutton has ever had with Nix.

The Game Plan

Davis Webb calls the play. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Part of it was certainly the game plan, and Jacksonville's scheme played a role as the day evolved. Nix took what the Jaguars were giving him, and often that was Waddle.

Sometimes, that's just how the cookie is going to crumble, but Sutton is too good to suddenly be rendered the forgotten man. The idea was to provide Nix with two top-tier receivers with complementary skill sets to help him take a Year-3 leap and launch the Broncos' offense to the next level.

"You can never go broke taking a profit" — a maxim that quarterbacks are taught to hold dear. Credit to Nix for capitalizing on the opportunities the Jaguars gave him to connect with Waddle on so many big plays, but there was also a coaching push to get the Broncos' new receiver the ball.

In his study of the Jaguars' defense, Webb liked the opportunities he saw to utilize Waddle's speed and explosiveness. And it panned out perfectly.

That being said, we're yet to see Webb push to feed Sutton — beyond that one red-zone target that was picked off. It's a small sample size, though.

Two games are not enough to jump to any conclusions, but if the Broncos can't figure out how to maximize the considerable skill sets of both Waddle and Sutton, they're leaving money on the table, so to speak.

Sutton's Value to the Offense

Sutton is a team captain, coming off a Pro Bowl season and his second straight 1,000-yard campaign. The Broncos recently decided not to exercise the option bonus on his contract this year, carrying his full $24 million cap hit on the 2026 books.

That's a lot of money to pay a receiver, so surely these first two games have been anomalies. Perhaps we should chalk it up to the Broncos' penchant for being slow starters, or to these games being Nix's first since fracturing his ankle in the playoffs, or even to these being Webb's NFL debut as a play-caller.

Whatever the case may be, the Broncos need to figure out how to keep Sutton as involved in the game plan as Waddle. When the opponent starts shading coverage Waddle's way — BOOM — Nix should look to Sutton and vice versa.

Sutton has been an excellent possession receiver for Nix, able to use his big body to box out defensive backs. The veteran wideout often turns 50/50 balls into a 70/30 advantage for his young quarterback. And the pair have also developed a phenomenal chemistry, especially with back-shoulder fades.

As the season marches on and the games begin to slow down a bit for Nix and Webb, I'm optimistic that these issues will balance out. The novelty of a brand-new season often leads to outliers and anomalies, and that's even more true for a team like the Broncos that is breaking in a first-time offensive coordinator.

Waddle is another new element in the offense that Denver is still figuring out how to work in. Regardless of Sutton's relative lack of involvement, Waddle's big day against the Jaguars was more than encouraging.

Seeing Nix hit on so many downfield throws to Waddle was awesome. Over the course of the game, it helped loosen things up a bit in the box, allowing the Broncos' running game to find some purchase, but we're talking about one of the NFL's best defenses, too.

The Takeaway

The fact that Denver was able to produce so many explosive plays against the Jaguars' defense is downright exciting and bodes well for the 2026 season, but if I'm being honest, this awesome Week 2 development loses a tiny bit of its luster with Sutton effectively iced out.

If the Broncos can figure out how to work Sutton into the mix to capitalize on his Pro Bowl skill set and chemistry with Nix, it'll redound to everyone's benefit, including Waddle.

The jury is still out. We need a larger sample size to sink our teeth into, and we'll get it in time. With the Los Angeles Rams coming to Mile High this week for a Sunday Night Football throwdown, it'll be interesting to see how the Broncos attack Chris Shula's defense.

Factoring in tight end Evan Engram, the Broncos' young receivers behind Waddle and Sutton, and the new-look backfield, Nix has no shortage of weapons with which to assail opponents this year. The Broncos have built the nest around Nix and armed him to the teeth, but how it all comes together, as curated by Webb, remains to be seen.

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