2026 Week 2 Preview: Broncos Look to Bounce Back in Home Opener Against Jaguars
The Denver Broncos (0-1) could hardly have envisioned a worse start to the 2026 season.
Denver was thoroughly outplayed in a 31-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1, producing just 176 total yards and nine first downs. Now, the Broncos will return home looking to put that performance behind them against a Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) team that opened its season with a dominant victory over the Cleveland Browns.
Jacksonville presents a very different challenge than Kansas City, but Week 2 should provide an early indication of whether Denver’s struggles were simply the product of one disastrous night or a sign of larger problems.
The Jaguars’ Defense Presents Another Early Test
The Broncos’ offense will have to respond against a Jacksonville defense that showed in Week 1 that it can make life difficult for opposing quarterbacks.
The Jaguars intercepted Deshaun Watson on Cleveland’s opening possession and recorded five sacks and eight quarterback hits in the 31-10 victory. Jacksonville’s defense consistently put the Browns behind schedule and kept Cleveland off the scoreboard until garbage time.
That could create a difficult challenge for Bo Nix and an offensive unit that never found its footing against the Chiefs.
Denver’s problems in Week 1 went beyond simply failing to gain yards. The Broncos struggled to stay ahead of the chains, dealt with penalties and repeatedly put themselves in difficult down-and-distance situations. That becomes even more dangerous against a Jaguars defense that can capitalize when an offense is forced into obvious passing situations.
Denver will need to protect Nix, stay on schedule and find ways to generate explosive plays without consistently putting itself in obvious passing situations. After producing only nine first downs against Kansas City, the Broncos need to sustain drives and keep their offense on the field.
Denver Must Find Out If Its Run Defense Is a Liability
Perhaps the biggest question coming out of the Broncos’ Week 1 loss to the Chiefs is whether Denver’s problems against the run were an isolated issue or a more fundamental weakness.
Kenneth Walker III gashed the Broncos for 191 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns, repeatedly turning routine opportunities into significant gains. His production helped Kansas City control the game and put its offense in favorable situations throughout the night.
Jacksonville’s rushing attack, however, does not appear to pose quite the same threat.
The Jaguars collectively rushed for 126 yards against the Browns while averaging 3.9 yards per carry. Those numbers are respectable, but they are nowhere near what Walker produced against Denver.
That makes Jacksonville an interesting early test for the Broncos’ run defense.
If Denver can largely shut down the Jaguars’ rushing attack, it would provide some evidence that Walker’s performance was an isolated problem rather than a sign of a fundamental weakness. If Jacksonville is also able to consistently run the football, however, the concern will become much harder to dismiss.
There is another reason the Broncos should pay close attention to what happened the last time these teams met.
Denver actually moved the ball effectively against the Jaguars in 2025, with Nix throwing for 352 yards. The problem was that the Broncos’ defense could not get enough stops, particularly against Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville’s offense.
Week 2 therefore gives Denver an early opportunity to determine whether its struggles against the run were an isolated problem or a sign of what’s to come.
Trevor Lawrence Has Already Proven He Can Hurt the Broncos
Denver is well aware of the problems Trevor Lawrence can create.
Lawrence picked apart Cleveland in the Jaguars’ Week 1 victory, completing 18 of 23 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns. He also gave the Broncos plenty of problems when these teams met last season, throwing for 279 yards and three touchdowns while adding 20 rushing yards and another score on six carries.
Denver actually sacked Lawrence five times in that game, but Jacksonville still scored 34 points.
That should serve as an important lesson for the Broncos.
Getting pressure on Lawrence will matter, particularly with Jonathan Cooper unavailable. But Denver’s defense will need more than sacks to win this matchup.
Lawrence is going to make some big plays. The Broncos cannot realistically expect to keep him from finding his receivers or extending plays throughout the game. What they cannot afford is allowing those big plays while also letting Lawrence play mistake-free football.
That puts a premium on winning the turnover battle.
If Denver cannot consistently generate pressure with four rushers, the Broncos may need their secondary to make game-changing plays of its own. An interception or forced fumble could produce the point swing Denver needs to emerge victorious.
The Broncos’ defense needs to do more than make Lawrence uncomfortable.
It needs to take the football away from him.
Denver Has an Opportunity to Answer Questions at Home
There is also some recent history between these teams that gives the Broncos another reason to take this matchup seriously.
The Jaguars are the last team to hand Denver a regular-season loss at home.
Jacksonville defeated the Broncos 34-20 in Week 16 of the 2025 season, ending Denver’s 11-game winning streak. The loss was one of the Broncos’ three during the regular season as Denver still went on to earn the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
Now, the Jaguars are returning to the Mile High City for the first time since that game.
The circumstances are obviously different. The Broncos are coming off a disappointing loss, while Jacksonville enters Week 2 after dismantling the Browns. But that also gives Denver an opportunity to respond immediately.
A victory would not erase what happened against the Chiefs. It would, however, prevent one bad performance from becoming a larger problem.
More importantly, the Jaguars give the Broncos an early chance to answer some of the questions that emerged from Week 1.
Can Denver protect Bo Nix against a defense capable of generating pressure?
Can the Broncos stop the run?
Can Denver pressure Trevor Lawrence and create turnovers?
Those questions will tell us far more about the Broncos’ 2026 season than another generic bounce-back performance would.
Denver has a long season ahead of it, and one loss does not define its 2026 campaign.
But after an abysmal opening night in Kansas City, the Broncos need to turn the page.
And there may not be a better way to do that than by avenging their last regular-season home loss.
