The streak is dead.
After months playing under a special kind of late-game protective spell, the Broncos’ comeback hopes against the Jaguars fell as a final Bo Nix fourth-and-11 heave fell incomplete Sunday night. And an 11-game win streak dissolved in a 34-20 loss, Denver’s first home loss at Empower Field at Mile High since October 2024. Here’s The Denver Post’s report card from the day.
OFFENSE — B-
For two quarters, Bo Nix looked like he was only leveling up from the quarterback that took a blowtorch to the Packers’ secondary last Sunday. Denver head coach Sean Payton schemed up a couple chunk plays for tight end Evan Engram and wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. in the first half, and Nix delivered another highlight throw in the second quarter: a rolling-right moonbeam to Courtland Sutton in the end zone to get the Broncos on the board. It was the Nix version of Nikola Jokic’s Sombor Shuffle.
Nix was largely excellent again for four quarters Sunday. And rookie running back RJ Harvey authored the highlight of his rookie season on a third-quarter touchdown run, pinballing away from a couple tacklers and diving to the pylon for his 11th touchdown of the year. But with the door open for the Broncos in a two-possession game in the fourth quarter, one of the most clutch QBs in the league made a crucial mistake Sunday: a no-chance one-on-one ball to Pat Bryant on fourth down that got picked off.
The Broncos had no problem moving the ball on Sunday, with 445 total yards. But too many drives ended with empty hands.
Broncos four downs: Vance Joseph’s Orange Crush defense shamed by Jaguars at home
DEFENSE — D
It’s official: Vance Joseph’s unit has Problems. Capital P.
For several weeks now, these Broncos have shown gaps in the armor, both up front and in the secondary. Jacksonville and Trevor Lawrence walked into Empower Field at Mile High Sunday with a pair of pliers and wrenched every single one of those gaps open, in this Denver defense’s worst performance of the year. The Broncos came into Sunday leading the NFL far-and-away in opposing red-zone conversion rate, at 39%: the Jaguars went four-of-four through three quarters.
Lawrence made several dynamite off-schedule plays that could hardly be defended, finishing 23-of-36 for 279 yards and three touchdowns. But Jacksonville picked on the Broncos’ linebackers and safeties early, in a continuing concerning trend of tight ends bruising favorable matchups against Joseph’s defense for the past month. And the third quarter brought a complete breakdown, as receiver Parker Washington spun away from a couple tacklers for a 63-yard dash down the right sideline to set up a back-breaking touchdown from Travis Etienne Jr. This was ugly from start to finish, and continues a worsening trend across the past month.
SPECIAL TEAMS — C
Eh. Broncos kicker Wil Lutz banged a 54-yard field goal, but missed an early 44-yarder. Marvin Mims Jr. didn’t really generate any momentum on his returns, as Jacksonville’s kick coverage shone Sunday. The Broncos’ own headhunters stuffed Washington on one punt return, and Denver didn’t generally make any massive mistakes Sunday. But Jacksonville outplayed them here, just like in every phase Sunday.
COACHING — C+
Payton certainly didn’t come in with a bad gameplan Sunday, as the Broncos averaged 6.9 yards per play against the Jaguars’ defense — but Denver simply didn’t take advantage in all-important situational opportunities. The Broncos finished 5-of-14 on third down against Jacksonville, and couldn’t consistently cap off drives despite plenty of traction.
The real skew here, though, was Jaguars head coach Liam Coen against Joseph. The Broncos’ defensive coordinator’s patented situational blitzes hardly affected Lawrence, and Jacksonville finished 8-of-15 on third downs on Sunday afternoon. No amount of dime packages could save Denver’s pass defense against the Jaguars; this wasn’t any kind of malpractice, but Jacksonville was flat-out the better football team on Sunday.
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