The Denver Broncos came roaring back Sunday afternoon, overcoming a 13-3 deficit to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-13 at Empower Field at Mile High.
After a disappointing season-opening loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver needed a response. It got exactly that, scoring 17 unanswered points in the second half to hand Jacksonville its first regular-season loss since last November.
Bo Nix played an important role in the comeback, completing 22 of 31 passes for 288 yards and a touchdown. After throwing an interception in the first half, Nix settled down and helped lead three consecutive scoring drives to close the game.
The biggest offensive story, however, was Jaylen Waddle. After catching just one pass for two yards in his Denver debut, the explosive receiver bounced back in a major way. Waddle caught eight passes for 138 yards, repeatedly making big plays to keep Denver’s offense moving.
The defense also completely changed the game after halftime. Riley Moss intercepted Trevor Lawrence late in the third quarter, setting up Nix’s seven-yard touchdown pass to Nate Adkins that tied the game at 13.
Then rookie Jonah Coleman delivered the decisive moment.
With 7:21 remaining, Coleman scored his first NFL touchdown on a three-yard run to give Denver its first lead of the afternoon. Coleman, who had not recorded a carry in the opener, finished with 39 rushing yards and helped Denver close out the game after Jacksonville’s offense went three-and-out.
Denver’s defense held Jacksonville scoreless over the final 24 minutes. After struggling badly with missed tackles in Week 1, the Broncos showed much better fundamentals and limited Lawrence to just 51 passing yards in the second half.
The victory moves Denver to 1-1 and provides a major confidence boost after the loss to Kansas City. The Broncos will now turn their attention to another difficult matchup when they host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday night.
