5 Reasons the Jaguars Will Surpass the Broncos in 2026

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars conquered quite a few foes in 2025, but perhaps no win was more impressive than their road win over the Denver Broncos.

The Broncos, of course, still finished as the AFC's No. 1 seed and advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game. This year, the two teams will battle yet again at Mile High, though this time it will be in Week 3.

We have already detailed a few reasons why the Jaguars should be the favorites in the AFC South, and why they can set their sights on other AFC contenders like the New England Patriots and Denver. Here are a few reasons why the Jaguars should be able to surpass the Broncos in Week 3, and then in the AFC at large.

Trevor Lawrence vs. Bo Nix

travon walke — Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Travon Walker (44) hits Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trevor Lawrence was fantastic against Denver last season, playing mostly mistake-free football while hitting explosive passes to all areas of the field. Lawrence was easily the better quarterback during his first showdown against Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, who NFL evaluators seemingly believe is somewhere in the same stratosphere as the Jaguars' franchise quarterback.

Lawrence was effective against a strong Broncos' pass-rush and played arguably his most impressive game of the year against a Denver team that was red-hot at home at the time. Lawrence should be ascending entering the 2026 season, too, considering the supporting cast he has around him and the value of another year in Liam Coen's system.

Nix, meanwhile, still has to get healthy after his playoff injury a year ago. Nix has some talent and has led the Broncos to a lot of wins over the last two seasons, but he has a long way to go before he can go toe-to-toe with Lawrence.

Anthony Campanile

Sean Payton will not be calling plays for the Broncos in 2026, a big shift from when he faced off against Anthony Campanile last season. Campanile, now with a whole year of being an NFL defensive coordinator under his belt, will go toe-to-toe this time around with Broncos' Davis Webb. Webb is a rookie play-caller himself, and Campanile should provide quite the challenge.

Campanile's unit was able to give the Broncos fits during different stretches last season, and there is little reason to believe that will change with the Broncos shifting their direction at play-caller. Payton will still clearly be a massive part of what the Broncos do on offense and in their play-calling process, but Campanile should have the edge over Webb when it comes to coordinator vs. coordinator.

Campanile and Webb are both seen as future head coaches, and Webb and the Broncos are getting a big upgrade at wide receiver with Jaylen Waddle. But for now, consider this a spot where the Jaguars edge out the Broncos.

Jaguars' Weapons

parker washingto — Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) makes a catch against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Broncos have the best cornerback in football in Patrick Surtain II. He might even be the best cornerback of his entire generation. But Surtain was not able to stop the Jaguars' offense from having one of its best days passing the football last season, largely because the Jaguars were able to target the other members of Denver's secondary.

With a deep threat on the outside like Brian Thomas Jr. who is capable of taking any play the distance, Surtain will have to spend most of his energy fending him off. That would mean favorable matchups for the likes of Parker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, and Brenton Strange, just like a year ago.

The Jaguars have arguably a better supporting cast now than they did the last time these two teams played, too, considering Travis Hunter did not play in the game. Nate Boerkircher at the backup tight end spot should make the offense more versatile as well.

Liam Coen vs. Broncos' Pass-Rush

The Broncos' pass-rush was one aspect of their defense that managed to show up in the Jaguars' upset of Denver last season. The Broncos sacked Trevor Lawrence five times, making them just one of four defenses to record more than three sacks in a game against the Jaguars last year. The Broncos also had 21 pressures, good for the second-most against the Jaguars in a game last season. With that said, there is reason to believe that can change this year.

For one, the Broncos' pass-rush was elite last season and should be expected to take a step back this year, no matter how significant. But most importantly, Liam Coen should be able to scheme up more ways to fend off the Broncos' pass-rush this year than he did in 2025. By the time the Jaguars played Denver last year, their rushing attack had gone off the rails and they had to rely on the dropback passing game to win, and there is reason to believe the Jaguars can change that this year.

That is not to say Trevor Lawrence and the passing game will not be pivotal in Week 3, but with an improved rushing attack the Jaguars should be able to keep Denver's pass-rush from teeing off like they did a year ago. The play-action game could also be more viable as a result, which would only help the Jaguars' pass protection.

Special Teams Gap

heath farwel — Jacksonville Jaguars special teams coordinator Heath Farwell answers questions from members of the media during the third day of minicamp at the Miller Electric Center, Thursday, June 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When it comes to special teams, the Jaguars certainly seem to have the edge on Denver. On SI's Bill Huber evaluated each team's special teams and the Jaguars came in at No. 10. Denver, meanwhile, came in at No. 22, and they seem to have a lot more areas to address moving forward than Jacksonville does in that department. Special teams was a critical factor toward the Jaguars' success a year ago, and it could be the difference-

Marvin Mims has proven to be a solid punt returner, but the Jaguars have the edge there if Parker Washington is still at the spot in 2026. This is more of a question if we see the Jaguars rely on rookie receiver Josh Cameron in that role, but otherwise the Jaguars have the edge all around in this department.

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