Broncos 21, Jaguars 17: Game Balls

Each week during the 2022 season, we will take a quick post-game look at which Jacksonville Jaguars stood out the most.

Win or lose, rain or shine, we will hand out game balls to an offensive, defensive and special teams player.

In this edition, we take a look at the Jaguars' 21-17 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 8 and which players stood out in big ways.

Offense: Travis Etienne

For what seems like the fourth week in a row, the Jaguars' offense was at its best when the ball was in Travis Etienne's hands. The second-year running back set a career high in rushing yards with 156 yards on a career-high 24 carries (6.5 yards per carry), along with a touchdown run. It was Etienne's second game in a row with 100 yards rushing and a score on the ground, and his fourth game in a row with at least 100 yards from scrimmage.

Whenever the Jaguars were in negative situations on Sunday, Etienne was the remedy. His instant acceleration and ability to turn short gains into eight- and nine-yard runs was the only thing the offense had going for them throughout the entire day on Sunday. As things stand today, he is their best offensive player.

Defense: Arden Key

It wasn't a great day for the Jaguars' defense considering how bad the Broncos' offense had been playing entering the day. The Broncos only scored more than 20 points in one other game this season and had routinely been the worst red-zone offense in the league, but the Jaguars allowed them to go 3-of-3 in the red-zone and even put together a 98-yard touchdown drive.

But for all of the plays the Jaguars' defense didn't make on Sunday, there was one player who was a consistent presence. Backup defensive lineman Arden Key had his best game of the day, recording a third-down sack of Russell Wilson on one drive, nearly sacking him on another third-down, and then providing the quarterback hit that helped for an incompletion on a third-down in the game's final quarter. Add in a pass-breakup that he nearly picked off and it was a good performance from the veteran pass-rusher.

Special teams: Logan Cooke

Logan Cooke has consistently been a bright spot for the Jaguars' special teams unit and this was again the case in Week 8, with Cooke landing the Broncos within their own 10-yard line on two different occasions. He got helped by some short fields after the Jaguars were forced to punt following multiple first downs, but ultimately he averaged 47.8 yards per punt and had a 63-yarder on the day. It was a good day at the office for the veteran punter.