Good, Not So Good From Jaguars' Week 2 Loss to Broncos: Trevor Lawrence's Day

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- That was a tough one.

The Jacksonville Jaguars seemed like they had the Denver Broncos on the ropes during Sunday's road test at Mile High Stadium, but a mistake-filled second-half led to the Jaguars losing a 13-3 lead and falling 20-13 to drop down to 1-1.

So, what were the ups and downs of the Jaguars' Week 2 loss to the Broncos? We break it down below.

Good

Trevor Lawrence's First Half

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) throws the ball against the Denver Broncos during the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I thought Trevor Lawrence was terrific for most of the first half. He had to settle in after the first few drives but he made several highlight-worthy throws on the Jaguars' first touchdown drive of the game, and then he was genuinely perfect when it came to the Jaguars' two-minute drive at the end of the half to get points.

Lawrence looked in the first half like he did last week against the Browns, and how he looked during most of the Jaguars' nine-gamew winning streak. Had Lawrence been able to keep that pace over the course of the second half, the Jaguars would likely be sitting at 2-0 right now and with a clear statement win over the Broncos through two weeks. That didn't happen, but we did see some positive flashes from Lawrence.

Bhayshul Tuten's Day

If there was one bright spot for a Jaguars' offense that ultimately disappointed on Sunday, it was second-year running back Bhayshul Tuten. Tuten was by far the Jaguars' most effective running back, rushing 13 times for 65 yards and getting the Jaguars their lone touchdown of the day with a one-yard score in the first-half. It was the second week in a row where Tuten not only played the most out of all of the running backs, but he also played the best.

Tuten is looking more and more like the Jaguars' No. 1 running back the longer the season goes on. Chris Rodriguez Jr. just does not offer the same value as a home-run hitter, and the offense has consistently run smooth when Tuten has been the driving force of the running game like he was on Sunday.

Parker Washington's Status as No. 1

Just like there should be no question about who the Jaguars' No. 1 running back is, there should not be any question on who the No. 1 wide receiver is. Parker Washington was force-fed the ball and led the Jaguars with 12 targets, making him one of just two Jaguars players (the other being Brian Thomas Jr.) to get more than two targets. Washington turned it into seven catches for 198 yards, and he made up a solid chunk of the Jaguars' passing game yardage.

With the way the Jaguars just did not seem to go Jakobi Meyers' direction, and with some struggles from Brian Thomas Jr., it is obvious who the No. 1 receiver in Jacksonville is. It is, and will continue to be, Washington who leads the Jaguars' passing game moving into the future. That alone is reason enough for the Jaguars to get his deal done.

The Run Defense (Mostly)

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) carries the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Broncos did have some success running at the Jaguars on a few key downs in the second half, but for the most part I thought the Jaguars' run defense was once again impressive. J.K. Dobbins and Jonah Coleman rushed 21 times for just 76 yards, and the Jaguars seemed to be able to force the Broncos into throwing the ball early in the game. They didn't take advantage, but the fact they made it happen at all is worth pointing out.

Not So Good

Trevor Lawrence's Second Half

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) looks to hand off during the second half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Trevor Lawrence in the first-half: 12-of-17 for 138 yards. Trevor Lawrence in the second-half: 5-of-12 for 51 yards and a pick. Nothing seemed to go right for Lawrence and the passing game in the second-half, and Lawrence had his worst half of football in some time considering the turnover-worthy plays and the few errant throws near the sideline that should have been bigger plays. Throw in a brutal interception and this was a rough second-half for the fifth-year passer.

The Pass-Rush

A week after the Broncos allowed Bo Nix to get pressured almost at will, the Jaguars just did not get near him enough on Sunday. He took zero sacks, and the Jaguars recorded just three quarterback hits (two from Dennis Gardeck, one from Travon Walker) on the day. For context: that is the same amount of quarterback hits that Broncos star pass-rusher Nik Bonitto recorded all by himself in Week 2.

The Travis Hunter Plan

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Travis Hunter (12) playing on defense against the Denver Broncos during the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I am not entirely sure what the Jaguars are doing with Travis Hunter. I think having him focus on defense at cornerback makes plenty of sense considering the wide receiver depth and the fact the Jaguars have a real need for a shutdown cornerback after the string of explosive plays allowed through the air that dates back to last season. But his usage in Week 1 seemed a bit odd, and it got even odder in Week 2.

Hunter did not get a look his way in what was once again a very limited role on offense. Then on defense, the Jaguars continued to go with a cornerback rotation between Hunter, Montaric Brown, and Jarrian Jones that oftentimes saw Hunter on the sidelines during key stretches. He made an impressive pass breakup on the first drive of the game, but he had very little impact on the game's result otherwise.

The Offensive Line

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 should now know what it will take from their offensive line to win games in January and beyond. The Broncos have one of the better fronts the Jaguars are going to see all season, but it was jarring to see just how out of their realm the Jaguars were on Sunday. The Broncos took the game to them from the first dropback of the game and never let up, with all five of the Jaguars' offensive linemen seemingly getting beat at least one on a noteworthy passing down.

The Jaguars' offensive line was never expected to be elite, but the Jaguars need it to be better than it was on Sunday. The Broncos punched them in the mouth when it came to obvious pass-rushing downs, and the Jaguars still have some other tough fronts that they have to play on their schedule. This felt very similar to last year's offensive line beatdown by the Seattle Seahawks in Week 6.

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