JACKSONVILLE – And so it begins.

The Jaguars on Sunday will play the Denver Broncos in a big early-season game at Empower Field in Mile High in Denver, Colo. – the first in what could be a series of big, early-season games in the coming weeks for this team.

Sunday is defending division champion against defending division champion – and while it's "only" Week 2, the game could help shape the early-season AFC chase.

Motivation won't likely be an issue for the defending AFC West Champion Broncos (1-0) – and not just because they lost their regular-season opener, 31-10, to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. The Broncos also figure to have prominent in their collective memories the Jaguars' 34-20 victory over the Broncos in what at the time was a crucial AFC matchup in Denver last December.

The defending AFC South champion Jaguars (1-0) won't lack for motivation, either – in part because this team is, as Head Coach Liam Coen recently put it, "a grimy" team that can be relied upon to play hard, play physically and be ready to play.

That's the Jaguars' identity under Coen and central to that identity this season is the idea of playing "anyone, anywhere, anytime" – a motto Coen has adopted for a Jaguars team that will play 11 games away from Jacksonville this season and 28 over the next two seasons.

"Anyone, anywhere, anytime" begins in a big way Sunday against a very good Broncos team in a very difficult environment. Here are 10 things the Jaguars must do to do win in that environment:

1. Run. It's always No. 1 for a Coen-coached offense and it was a major offseason focus. The Jaguars had a solid start in this area in a 34-10 Week 1 victory over the Cleveland Browns while the Broncos allowed 220 yards rushing against the Chiefs. This area is critical to the Jaguars Sunday to counter a strong Broncos pass rush.
2. Stay grimy. Grimy, gritty, physicality is the Jaguars' identity. They usually win when they're the more physical team and they have been the more physical team a lot in the last season-plus. Physicality travels and the Jaguars must lean into it in what figures to be a game decided late.
3. Do what he does. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has emerged since November 2025 as one of the NFL's quarterbacks. He has run when it's time to run and made spectacular plays in the passing game at critical times. We are seeing a special player come into his own. If he plays free and confident, there are few teams the Jaguars can't beat.
4. Pressure Bo. The Chiefs never let Broncos quarterback Bo Nix get comfortable Monday. Jaguars defensive ends Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen looked like game-wreckers against the Browns. They must wreck the offensive line and pocket Sunday as they did in Week 1.
5. Identify Surtain. Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II may be the NFL's best player at his position. The Jaguars can't design a game plan to always throw away from him, but Lawrence always must be aware of his position on the field.
6. Tighten up. One "loose" end against the Browns: A kickoff coverage unit that allowed 38.0 yards per return. That didn't hurt in a one-sided victory. In an emotional game that figures to be about momentum and big moments, you can't give away free big plays on kickoffs.
7. Trust P-Dub. Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington has become Lawrence's most trusted receiver, with a knack for reliably getting open and making plays on big downs. Lawrence must continue to lean toward him, and there's no reason to think he won't.
8. Strange ways, here we come. The Jaguars' offense is skilled and diverse. But don't overlook tight end Brenton Strange as a major force. In an environment such as Denver, his physicality – and that of rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher – could give the Jaguars a reliable, tone-setting element offensively.
9. Force an early takeaway. Both teams figure to start motivated, and both teams figure to score early. An early takeaway can be the "break of serve" a road team needs to control a game and control an intimidating crowd.
10. Embrace the chaos. Mile High is one of the NFL's best, toughest road venues. The Jaguars handled the rollicking, raucous, field-shaking atmosphere last December – and their ability to be consistent the entire game was striking. It was a remarkable display of sustained energy and focus in a huge situation and hostile environment. That's the sort of approach needed to win big road games..