5 Instant Observations on Jaguars' Blown Road Lead to Broncos

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars let that one get away.

The Jaguars fell to the Denver Broncos in a 20-13 loss in Week 2 after blowing a 13-3 second-half lead and allowing 17 unanswered points to end the game. So, what do we make of the Jaguars' Week 2 loss and where must they go from here? We break it all down below.

Where Was the Jaylen Waddle Answer?

Sep 14, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Denver Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) reacts during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the Jacksonville Jaguars got beat by any singular player on Sunday, it was Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. The Jaguars did not have any answer for Waddle throughout the entire game, with Waddle catching eight of his 10 targets for 138 yards. This included a 49-yard gain that set the Broncos up for their first points of the game, a 16-yard gain on third-down in the third-quarter to set up a Broncos field goal, and another third-down catch to set up the Broncos' touchdown pass to Nate Adkins to tie the game. Waddle then put the nail in the Jaguars' coffin with a 29-yard catch on 3rd-and-3 on the final drive of the game.

It was jarring to see just how easily Waddle was able to get open against the Jaguars. His damage came against all of the likes of Montaric Brown, Jarrian Jones, and Jourdan Lewis. Should the Jaguars have just put Travis Hunter on him? That is easier said than done, especially considering Waddle had a lot of his wins out of the slot. But whatever the answer was, the Jaguars simply did not have it.

Trevor Lawrence, Offense Were Not Good Enough

The Broncos were never going to be an easy matchup for the Jaguars' passing game considering their talented pass-rushers and the fact they have the best cornerback in the world in Patrick Surtain II. But the Jaguars' passing game simply was not good enough to win down the stretch. Trevor Lawrence had a brilliant touchdown drive and then a two-minute scenario without a flaw to end the first-half, but the second-half was a mess.

After an 11-play drive to start the second half that resulted in a field goal, the Jaguars' final three drives of the game ended in an interception, a missed field goal, and a punt. The Jaguars had just 54 yards of offense on 17 plays (3.17 yards per play) on the final three drives of the game, Lawrence had a bad pick and missed a few open throws, and Brian Thomas Jr. had a critical drop. It was not a good result for the Jaguars' offense after a hot start a week ago.

Bhayshul Tuten Should Be RB1

It once again felt like Bhayshul Tuten was the clear-cut top running back for the Jaguars in Week 2, with Tuten finishing the game with 13 carries for 65 yards, while Chris Rodriguez Jr. finished with six carries for 13 yards. With that in mind, it felt like there were chances in the game for the Jaguars to really hammer home the run with Tuten as their lead back, but there were 10 running back touches that did not go to Tuten.

Rodriguez did solid in a few short-yardage scenarios, but it was Tuten who gave the Jaguars a spark time and time again. The Jaguars have had a somewhat split backfield that has had a slight lean toward Tuten through the first two weeks, but this game made it clear that the Jaguars should probably go ahead and fast-track the plans for Tuten to become the lead-back. He is their most talented running back, and they need to start leaning on him like he is.

The OL Still Has Something to Prove Against Top Fronts

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (15) hits Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) in the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars' offensive line looked terrific in their Week 1 outing against the Cleveland Browns, where everything looked a bit easy. That is still an NFL front with some quality players like Jared Verse and Maliek Collins, but the Broncos are a different animal. Even without one of their top pass-rushers in Jonathon Cooper, the Broncos still have a formidable pass rush with the likes of Nik Bonitto, Zach Allen, Jonah Elliss, and Que Robinson. It showed up early and often on Sunday, and the offensive line has some questions to answer as a result.

It started on the first two drives of the game, with the Broncos forcing the Jaguars off the field with heavy pressure on Lawrence. Even when the Jaguars' offense moved the ball, Lawrence had to make throws against pressure and from muddied pockets. This was the first true test for the Jaguars' offensive line this season ahead of battles against top fronts like the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans in the weeks ahead and, frankly, it was not a test they were able to pass.

The Defense's 2nd-Half

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws downfield against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A week after the Broncos' offense failed to hit 180 total yards against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos put up nearly 400 yards of offense against the Jaguars' defense on Sunday. Their four second-half drives led to a field goal, two touchdowns, and then the final drive of the game that ended with a kneel-down in victory formation. After the Jaguars got some key stops in the first-half, they struggled to get off the field and make impact plays during the second-half.

The Jaguars' offense has to own that, too, since we discussed their own issues. They didn't help the defense out in a game where they ultimately held them to 20 points, but the defense still has some dirt on their own hands. The Jaguars did not sack Nix once and allowed explosive plays consistently in the passing game, while they also gave up some explosive plays in the running game in the second-half.

The Jaguars will play better passing games than this one throughout the season, and they will also be playing teams with more experienced play-callers. The Jaguars were not able to hit the right buttons to force Nix and the Broncos into enough mistakes during the second-half, and that is a big reason they lost.

Add us as a preferred source on Google