Shipley's Dozen: Which Jaguars Red Flags Were Most Concerning in Broncos Loss

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't get it done in Denver on Sunday, and there are a few questions that now need to be asked.

Such is life in the NFL, where you can be on top of the world one week and be left searching for answers the next. It normally is not quite as bad, or as good, as you think it is, but the middle ground can still be a daunting place to try to get comfortable in.

After the Jaguars' 20-13 blown loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 2, this week's Shipley's Dozen takes a look at that middle ground, where the Jaguars must go from here, and more.

These 2 Red Flags Popped Up Big-Time Against the Broncos

liam coe — 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

There were three significant questions facing the Jaguars entering the 2026 season. They answered many of them with some resounding results in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, but Week 2 was a different story and these questions now look closer to being official red flags considering the fact the Broncos are a legit playoff team that the Jaguars may have to see again if they want to win meaningful games.

The offensive line has a lot of moving pieces on it after position switches and the addition of rookie guard Emmanuel Pregnon, and nobody on the line really played well against the Broncos. All five starting linemen struggled at some point or another against the Broncos' front, a trend that has followed the Liam Coen-era Jaguars each time they have played an elite pass-rush. It is a line that can win games and even perform well against many units, but the performances against top defenses has become an issue.

Then there is the pass-rush. The Jaguars recorded only six pressures according to NextGenStats, and Bo Nix was pretty easily the least-pressured quarterback of Week 2 with only a 19.4% pressure rate. The pass-rush had no big additions made to it this offseason, and they just got completely blanked by one of the NFL's top lines. This was a humbling performance and one that suggested the Jaguars perhaps should have done more.

For the Jaguars to be the type of team that can make a deep playoff run, they will need to win in the trenches when it comes to big stages. Super Bowl winners each year are the teams who play the best football up front, and the Jaguars failed to hit those high marks. The Broncos didn't, and that is why they won.

What Made Week 2 Feel So Out of Place in Liam Coen Era

lia — Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) talks with the coaching staff during the first half against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There have not been many games in the Liam Coen era (19 regular season games, 1 playoff game) where I feel like I can say the Jaguars were outright out-coached. The two losses to the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams last year are likely the first that come to mind, but this one has to be right up there. It felt like the Jaguars did not have the offensive answers to delay the Broncos' pass-rush and, once again, it felt like they got away from the running game and Bhayshul Tuten a bit too much. Then on defense, Davis Webb and Sean Payton absolutely took it it to Anthony Campanile during the second-half. They found holes in coverage, had all the right third-downs dialed up, and had an answer for each pressure look. The Jaguars were out-coached on Sunday, and that felt out of place for the last 20 games.

This Was a Big, Big Wasted Opportunity

no ni — Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) rolls out against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Jaguars have made it a part of their process to acknowledge the lack of national respect the franchise gets. Many times, they have been right about being overlooked. But the Jaguars clearly knew what was at stake entering this game from a narrative point of view, and they let a 13-3 lead slip away from them in the process. The Jaguars could have been 2-0 and right up there with the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Las Vegas Raiders (?) and the Kansas City Chiefs as the AFC's undefeated squads. Instead, they are at .500 and there will be plenty of people who will look to their 2025 success and Week 1 win as the results of easy schedules. The Jaguars have nobody but themselves to blame for that missed opportunity.

The Jaguars Need to Quickly Figure Out the Travis Hunter Plan

I thought the Jaguars' Week 1 Travis Hunter plan had more to do with the game getting out of hand and the Jaguars easing him back into his first game since October. I was wrong, and the Jaguars officially have a bit of a Hunter crisis on their hands. Hunter played a bit more this week, playing a higher % of snaps on both offense and defense, but that still only resulted in six offensive snaps (in which he only ran two routes) and 37 defensive snaps, which amounted to only 59.7% of the defensive snaps. The Jaguars have to simply right the direction with him now, because he is too talented to be on the sidelines during critical drives in which the opposing offense is moving the ball through the air. And if he isn't a full-time player on defense, then why doesn't he get more looks on offense in a game where they only scored 13 points? Nothing about his usage makes much sense right now.

The Pressure For Week 3 Has Been Put On

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

Every game in the NFL is a must-win game; that is the nature of the NFL. But boy do the Jaguars badly need a win against the New England Patriots in Week 3. Not only do the Jaguars need to flush a frustrating loss that they let get away from them, but it will be their last game in Jacksonville until Week 8, and they have to travel to play the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans before then. The Jaguars need to go into that stretch at 2-1, because entering at 1-2 could mean things could quickly derail after a promising start.

Did the Jaguars Miss Their BTJ Window?

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) tosses the ball back during Day 15 of NFL training camp at the Miller Electric Center on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

I thought this week's performance from Brian Thomas Jr. was such a 180 from what he did a week ago that it is a bit tough to draw any conclusion other than he is a supremely talented yet inconsistent player. And when there are performances like this one, where Thomas had two drops, it makes you wonder if the Jaguars should have looked deeper at the trade window for Thomas. With Parker Washington as the clear No. 1 receiver, down games for Thomas are going to feel more wasteful than most, simply because of the value he could have brought the Jaguars elsewhere. I said the Jaguars should not have moved him for anything but a first, and I still believe the Jaguars are better with Thomas than without. But games like Sunday do make you wonder.

What Week 2's Result Really Means for Jaguars

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Foyesade Oluokun (23) during a play against the Denver Broncos in the during the fourth quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the grand scheme of things, the Jaguars lost a seven-point game on the road to a team that had lost three games a year ago. It is far from the type of loss that should cause the sky to start falling for anyone, and it is still early in the season. With that said, the Jaguars play several tough squads over the next few weeks that very easily could be on the same tier as the Broncos. If this is what the Jaguars are going to look like against high-quality teams, it could be an even tougher stretch than previously thought. This game isn't an awful loss as much as it is surely frustrating, but the Jaguars need to prove it was a one off and not a sign of struggles to come.

What Shocked Me

Brenton Strange only got two targets all game, which I did not really think at all would happen. Strange against the Broncos' linebackers should have been an advantage the Jaguars could target, even if just as a safety option to keep the Jaguars ahead of the chains like a year ago. But Strange was barely a part of the passing game, and this comes after a Week 1 where he had two catches for 23 yards on just three targets. The Jaguars need to get him going.

What Didn't Shock Me

Jaylen Waddle got force fed the ball, which frankly everyone should have seen coming. The fact the Jaguars did not have a better plan for stopping Waddle was one of the most perplexing parts of the entire game, because the two architects of the Jaguars' passing defense are guys with deep Miami Dolphins ties. The Broncos wanted to get Waddle going after his slow debut a week prior, and it seemed like everyone knew it but the guys who needed to stop it.

Jaguar of the Week

Sep 20, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) makes a catch against the Denver Broncos in the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Parker Washington is the Jaguar of the Week. He was one of the few players who met the expectation of performance, and he kept his hot streak going. Washington’s 430 receiving yards over his last four regular season games are the second most in the NFL (since Week 16 of 2025). Per NextGenStats, he also set a career high in air yards on receptions (89), beating out his previous high set in Week 1 (79). Washington has increased his air yards on completions per game every year of his career, recording an average of 25.8 yards in 2024, 41.9 yards in 2025, and now 83.6 yards in the first two games of this season.

AFC South Check In

strou — Sep 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) talks with guard Keylan Rutledge (66) during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The entire AFC South outside of the Jaguars is 0-2, which is a bit jarring. With that said, I do not think we can yet rule out either the Texans or the Colts. The Texans, for some reason, always start this slow and then pick up steam as the season goes. The Colts' offense has put up some points despite injuries, though their defense could make it a non-starter. Cam Ward showed some life against the Eagles, but the Titans still look like a team that will pick in the top-5.

Early Week 3 Takes

Week 3 will be an important one for the Jaguars. One of the Houston Texans or Indianapolis Colts will start 0-3 as they face off, while the Tennessee Titans will likely be looking at a 0-3 start after a visit with the New York Giants. This means the Jaguars' battle with the New England Patriots would give the Jaguars a comfortable spot in the AFC South after three weeks. I think if the Jaguars can prevent the big plays on the ground, this is a game they should have an advantage in. I like the Jaguars early on in the week.

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