Skip to main content
Jaguar Report

Jaguars Mailbag: How Broncos Might Attack Jacksonville, Parker Washington and More

The Jacksonville Jaguars will get another crack at the Denver Broncos in Week 2, and we talk about it all in this week's Jaguars mailbag.
John Shipley|
Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; The Jacksonville Jaguars defense reacts during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; The Jacksonville Jaguars defense reacts during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In this story:

Jacksonville Jaguars

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Week 2 is just a few days away, and this feels like a big one for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The road test against the Denver Broncos presents the Jaguars a chance to make a statement across the NFL, a chance to start 2-0, and a chance to defeat the Broncos at Mile High twice in a nine-month period.

So to break down the Week 2 matchup with the Broncos, we take all kinds of Denver-related questions for this week's Jaguars Mailbag.

Jaguars Mailbag

A: Parker Washington got six targets, a touchdown, and nearly 100 yards all in the first half against the Cleveland Browns last week. That was just two quarters of the Jaguars actually, well, trying. I expect Washington to consistently get a high volume of targets, even in games in which the Jaguars are not airing it out.

A: I am not sure, but I do not think it happens this week. Play-calling in the NFL is obviously a collabortive endevor so Sean Payton will be involved to some degree, but he can't take it away after one game. That just does not happen on the NFL level.

A: Yes, and Parker Washington now has a role where I think you should probably expect heavy involvement every single week. He is one of their most important players on offense.

A: Jack Kiser being signed to the active roster makes sense in this regard. He is a talented special teamer and could give the Jaguars a boost there. Otherwise, I'd say Tim Jones and safety Kaevon Merriweather would make sense in this regard. I have been perplexed by the special teams kickoff coverage considering the Jaguars normally have a stellar special teams unit all the way around.

A: I think that big-picture wise coaches understand the nature of garbage time. Anthony Campanile does not think the Jaguars had a bad day because of the garbage time drives, most likely. But I do think any coach is upset when any score is allowed. I would not say it is a concern.

A: I think this is a bit of a reach. I think you have to consider the context of him sustaining a shoulder injury in a blowout, plus the fact that the Jaguars did not turn to the multi-tight end sets until they had already put up some points. The Jaguars came out in 11 personnel on 7/8 plays on their first drive of the game, all with Thomas on the field. On the second drive, they came out in 11 on 5/8 plays. Things got noisy after that, but that is multiple targets and on the field for 12 of 16 plays. He will be matchup dependent just because of the depth of the receiver room, but he is far from a part-time player.

A: I am a little stunned at how shallow the top-tiers of NFL teams are this season. I said earlier this week that I believe nine teams actually matter this season, the Jaguars included. I did not include the Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, or Cincinnati Bengals, but I did include the Houston Texans. The Texans gave up a ton of points to a superhero at quarterback, but they still have an elite defense. They are always going to be a tough matchup.

A: I think as long as Parker Washington is in the slot, there is a minimal chance we see Patrick Surtain II on him. He played about an average of 4.35 snaps a game in the slot last season, and that is where Washington has been especially dangerous from. I expect a good amount of Brian Thomas Jr. against Pat Surtain.

A: The easy answer is no. And it is also worth noting that, while I agree with your premise, it has only been one week. It takes the national narrative quite a bit longer to catch up to what is going on with the Jaguars than that. I also think the way tight ends are viewed, Boerkircher will be dinged until he is catching touchdowns, even if he played really, really well vs. the Browns. They are helping the Jaguars win, and that is what really matters.

I am going to do grades on each unit's performance each week, and this is how I graded the Jaguars this week. Safe to say that I think Week 1 went about as well as one could have hoped.

A: It sure is. I said all spring and summer that I was incredibly impressed by Cameron, who simply seems to catch everything thrown his way. He developed some early chemistry with Trevor Lawrence that seemed to help him make big plays downfield all camp, and he is a plus-run blocker who can make an impact in 13 and in the red-zone. I think he is a younger, cheaper, more explosive version of the Tim Patrick role from a year ago.

Yep, it sure seems that way. With second-year defensive end BJ Green on injured reserve for the next few weeks, it appears Bryan Thomas Jr. is set to be active this week. He might just play a few snaps, but he will be up.

Other Questions

Q: Bo Nix? Your take on what to expect from him in this game?

A: I have never been a big Bo Nix guy. I think he is bound to hit a few shot plays but if the Jaguars can consistently pressure him, he is bound to make a careless decision at some point.

Q: The Broncos DTs are superior yet KC seemed to have no problem moving them around in run blocking. Is their reputation based on pass rush or run defense and how did KC handle them so well?

A: The Broncos had the second-best run defense in football last year, behind only the Jaguars. They have a stout front and everyone on their defense hits. With that said, Kenneth Walker ran like a madman and recorded about 1,000 broken tackles, which led to some leaks in the running game as a result.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
John Shipley
JOHN SHIPLEY

John Shipley has been covering the Jacksonville Jaguars as a beat reporter and publisher of Jaguar Report since 2019. Previously, he covered UCF's undefeated season as a beat reporter for NSM.Today, covered high school prep sports in Central Florida, and covered local sports and news for the Palatka Daily News. Follow John Shipley on Twitter at @_john_shipley.

Share on XFollow _john_shipley