Mile High Roundtable Delivers Predictions & Picks for Broncos-Jaguars

And just like that, the Denver Broncos are 0-1.

In the first game of the 2026 season, the Broncos turned in a performance at Arrowhead Stadium completely antithetical to what we've come to know and expect from this Sean Payton-coached team. It was ugly and, frankly, pathetic.

Now, the Broncos are faced with the task of gathering and galvanizing themselves in time to host the 1-0 Jacksonville Jaguars, one of only three teams to beat them last season. That 34-20 victory came in Week 16 at Mile High, ending the Broncos' previous 11-game winning streak.

That winning streak, and the ensuing playoff run, feels like ancient history in the wake of the Broncos' shockingly bad performance in the season opener, and it is. That was then; this is now.

Riding high off a blowout win over the Cleveland Browns, the Jaguars will look to kick the Broncos while they're down. Payton, meanwhile, will be focused on serving up some revenge for last season, especially with Jaguars head coach Liam Coen dunking on the Broncos after the game last December.

Will the Broncos balance the scales and get back to .500? Let's go around the table to see how the Denver Broncos On SI/Mile High Huddle staff see this one shaking out at Mile High.

Each staff writer's X handle is linked next to their name, so follow and connect with us for some great Broncos conversation and coverage this season.

James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 0-1: This is the type of game the Broncos should be winning if they want to make the playoffs. However, there is no sugar coating that woeful, inept "performance" — if you want to call it that — against the Chiefs. Denver simply looked underprepared and poorly coached. Way too many missed tackles and penalties, and this is not a game where the Broncos can afford any. In this one, Bhayshul Tuten, who forced seven missed tackles last week, keys another Jaguars win as the Broncos slip to a disappointing 0-2.

Pick: Jaguars 31, Broncos 17

Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 0-1: If the Broncos miss 28 tackles this week against the Jaguars, they will undoubtedly fall in the 0-2 hole. Vance Joseph needs to get his talented unit to knuckle down to some fundamentals and the pass rush needs to get after Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Luckily for the Broncos, things click back into place, and a late touchdown run from Bo Nix forces this one into overtime where Wil Lutz nails a 52-yard field goal to win it.

Pick: Broncos 30, Jaguars 27

Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 0-1: The Broncos have no time to sulk with maybe the hottest team in football coming to town this weekend. This is not a great matchup, but with a few days to sit on the embarrassment from last week, the Broncos bounce back, leaning heavily on the run game and using the home crowd to make life difficult for Lawrence. The Broncos win a close one with a last minute field goal.

Pick: Broncos 24, Jaguars 21

Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 0-1: Everything I thought I knew about this team was thrown out the window on Monday night. Considering the sample size, I'm inclined to lean on the 34 preceding games in which Sean Payton and Nix teamed up to deliver 24 regular-season wins as my compass, but I don't do so with confidence. Monday night was so inexplicably bad that I'd be remiss to give Denver a pass. The Broncos have to go above and beyond to earn back some trust. Beating Jacksonville in Week 2 — regardless of how — would do the trick. But do they have it in them? It's been a while since I've felt this unsure about the Broncos, but I'm erring on the side of the aforementioned track record, Payton's pettiness when it comes to exacting revenge on Coen, and Joseph's defense. Davis Webb and Nix, show us something. Anything.

Pick: Broncos 18, Jaguars 16

Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 0-1: It’s hard to trust the Broncos after what we saw on tape last week. Meanwhile, Lawrence looked like a potential MVP candidate against Cleveland and Denver was out there playing defense to the tune of Yakety Sax. It’s a more respectable game, but I think Denver loses close to a good team. Lawrence slings it and the Broncos offense can't keep up.

Pick: Jaguars 30, Broncos 27

Bo Nix and Trevor Lawrence meet at midfield. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 0-1: Unlike the ill-advised, I’m not ready to throw in the towel on the season after one game. But, come Sunday night, we will know a lot more about the 2026 iteration of the Broncos — what they’re made of, for better or worse. If only for pride’s sake, they must come out and respond to the Kansas City disaster in kind. The Jags are no slouches, so it won’t be easy, even at home. However, clutch Bo Nix makes his debut and does enough to get the job done. Hopefully the home team remembers how to tackle.

Pick: Broncos 20, Jaguars 19

Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 0-1: After taking one on the chin, the Broncos need to show they are a better team than their Week 1 loss suggests. Here's to hoping the Broncos are focused on the task at hand, that the defense cleans up the tackling issues, and the offense gets into a rhythm for a close win.

Pick: Broncos 23, Jaguars 20

Lance Sanderson (@LanceS_MHH) 0-1: This isn't a "must-win" for the Broncos, but it's definitely a "gotta have it" game. The Broncos gotta have better operations from top to bottom, they gotta have a belief in the run game, better tackling, better integrity — and more. If they don't, the Jaguars could make it a very long game. I think the Broncos clean it up on both sides of the ball and come out swinging to prove they are who we think they are.

Pick: Broncos 23, Jaguars 21

Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 0-1: The Broncos have a lot to work on after their pitiful showing against the Chiefs. On a short week, and with how much needs to improve, the Broncos drop one to the Jaguars but show they are getting the ship back on track as they keep the game close until a Lawrence game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter.

Pick: Jaguars 27, Broncos 24

Dylan Von Arx (@DylanVonArxMHH) 0-1: The Broncos were embarrassed last week and will look to get back on track versus the red-hot Jaguars. Jacksonville's offense has been humming with Coen and Lawrence at the helm and Tuten forcing several missed tackles, which makes me shudder after the Broncos' defensive performance on Monday night. Denver will look better than it did last week, but September just isn't this team's month, so I have them taking another loss to a Jaguars team that is much more dialed in at this point.

Pick: Jaguars 24, Broncos 20

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