3 Overreactions After Jaguars Week 2 Loss to Broncos: The Travis Hunter Debate

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars will need to figure out where things went wrong in Week 2, because there is plenty to fix.

The Jacksonville Jaguars got off to a fast start against the Denver Broncos in Week 2 but ultimately struggled to hold on for the win, blowing a 10-point second-half lead and losing 20-13 to drop to 1-1.

“I thought you know we played complementary enough in the first half, and that was what was disappointing was the complementary football, specifically in the second half," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said after the game.

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen on the sidelines against the Denver Broncos during the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"As we really went to the fourth quarter, was when you needed a drive, right? You needed a stop. You needed a catch. You needed a play. We just, didn't do it, right? We just didn't make it. We got to go watch and see how we can put these guys in a better position to be successful, and we got to make some more plays. When we get one-on-one opportunities, whether it's in the pass rush or in a block or a catch, whatever that is, we got to make some plays.”

While it was just one game, there was enough bad to go around in the second-half that it may be worth taking a look at which overreactions might actually have some merit. Here are three worth considering.

The Travis Hunter Role Needs Some Adjusting

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) is introduced before an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Browns 34-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When the Jaguars made it clear at the start of the offseason that Hunter would see more and more snaps at cornerback, it made a lot of sense. It still does make sense when you consider the Jaguars' need for help in the secondary and their depth at wide receiver. But what has been hard to make much sense of is the fact that even with Hunter plauing more of his snaps at cornerback, he has been playing less overall. Hunter averaged around 69 snaps a game in seven games as a rookie, and so far in 2026 he is averaging just 38.5 snaps a game through two weeks.

Hunter is of course still rounding back into form after missing time as a rookie due to his season-ending knee injury last November. He was healthy for all of training camp but these two games have been his first since Week 7 of the 2025 season. Still, he has played fewer total snaps in each of the last two weeks than he did in any of his seven games as a rookie, and that should change much sooner rather than later.

Week	Offensive Snaps	Offensive Snap %	Defensive Snaps	Defensive Snap %	Total Snaps
Week 1 (2025)	42	63.6%	6	9.4%	48
Week 2 (2025)	42	59.2%	43	62.3%	85
Week 3 (2025)	37	52.9%	43	68.3%	80
Week 4 (2025)	38	55.9%	9	13.6%	47
Week 5 (2025)	39	67.2%	25	39.1%	64
Week 6 (2025)	59	77.6%	22	40.0%	81
Week 7 (2025)	67	87.0%	14	20.0%	81
Week 1 (2026)	4	7.0%	29	56.9%	33
Week 2 (2026)	6	10.02%	37	59.7%	44 (1 ST Snap)

Parker Washington is WR1

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) makes a tackle on Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) during the first quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Among receivers who have played two games this season, Parker Washington ranks No. 2 in the entire NFL in target rate and is behind only Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Jaguars have an offense that has stressed spreading the ball around in the passing game to target matchups, which is what happened in Week 1, but that hasn't stopped Parker Washington from getting a ton of looks his way. The fact he tied his career high in targets with 12 didn't feel like an accident, either.

No matter how deep the Jaguars' pass-catcher group is, it is Washington who has looked like the No. 1 receiver since the offseason program. His usage each week is suggesting this is the case more and more, and the Broncos matchup saw him officially take the mantle as the passing game's alpha male moving forward.

The Kicking Game Is Still Inconsistent

Jaguars kicker Cam Little went 2-of-3 on his field goal attempts Sunday, but his 54-yard miss with 9:45 left is when things really felt like they got completely away from the Jaguars. Little has made some booming kicks in his short career thus far, but the miss against the Broncos was a significant one since the Broncos took the lead with a touchdown on the following drives.

Little, who was 1-of-2 on field goals in the Wild Card last year against the Buffalo Bills, has missed kicks in eight of his 37 career games to this point and six of those games have come since Week 3 last season. Little is a terrific talent, but he has also become a bit of an inconsistent one, and that has caught up with the Jaguars at a few times.

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