3 Questions the Jaguars Will Have to Answer vs. the Broncos in Week 2

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are onto Week 2.

The Jaguars will face off with the Denver Broncos in a rematch of last year's 34-20 win over the Broncos in Week 16, which made the Jaguars the only road team to win in Denver in the regular-season. The Jaguars' 34 points were also the most scored against Denver last year, and it is clear the Broncos will be ready for their second shot at Duval.

So, what are the questions facing the Jaguars that they must answer in the Week 2 matchup? We break it down below.

Can the Defense Continue to Get After the QB?

Sep 13, 2026; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) reacts after a sack in the first quarter against the Cleveland Browns at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars certainly had no issues getting after Deshaun Watson and the Browns' offensive line in Week 1, and that is what it will take to win against the Browns. The Jaguars rank first in the NFL in sacks and second in pressures after Week 1, with the likes of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker each having some of the best pass-rush metrics of any edge rushers after Week 1. But can they keep it up against a significantly better offensive line?

The Broncos have one of the best offensive lines in football, even if it struggled to protect Bo Nix in Week 1. Nix was pressured on over 45% of his snaps against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the book on him has always been that he crumbles under pressure. If the Jaguars can force him off his spot like they did against the Browns in Watson in Week 1, they could quickly prove to be a thorn in Denver's side.

Will Parker Washington torch the Broncos again?

Remember last year's Parker Washington performance against the Broncos? It was his coming out party, with Washington having arguably the best game of his entire career with his six-catch, 145-yard day. He also added a touchdown, and simply proved to be too much for Riley Moss and the rest of the non-Patrick Surtain cornerbacks to cover on any given down.

According to NFL's NextGenStats, Washington gained 90 yards after the catch against Denver last season the 4th-most by a Jaguars player since 2016, and +70 yards after catch over expected, the most by any Jacksonville pass catcher in that span and most by any player in the NFL in 2025. Washington caught 5 passes outside the numbers for 140 yards as well, the most by any player in a game in 2025.

In short, he dominated before and after the catch and did so at different levels of the field. If the Jaguars can get Washington going against Denver a second time, it could prove to make all the difference. Washington was fantastic for the Jaguars in Week 1 and has momentum on his side entering Week 2 as well.

How Will the Jaguars Deploy Their Secondary Against Jaylen Waddle?

There were not many bigger Week 1 flops than Jaylen Waddle's performance vs. the Chiefs, though this seems like it had much more to do with Bo Nix than anything else. It appeared the Broncos were designing several plays to get the ball into Waddle's hands, but Nix failed to properly pull the trigger, and he ended the night with minimal impact.

"Waddle's debut in Denver was lackluster to say the least, catching just one pass for two yards – his second-lowest yardage total in a game he has started and finished," NextGenStats said. "Despite running a team-high 27 routes, he was targeted just three times, while fellow WRs Pat Bryant and Courtland Sutton combined for 11 targets, six catches and 53 yards. His 11.1% target rate was the fifth-lowest of his career, and he didn't receive a single deep target."

The Broncos will likely look to push the issue a bit with Waddle and try to get him going early in Week 2. Jacksonville has limited tape on Waddle in the offense, but they will still have to have their secondary ready for any of the ways he may gey deployed.

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