Final Analysis: Jaguars Experts Give Predictions Before Week 2 vs. Broncos

Sep 19, 2026 at 09:00 AM

by Frank Frangie, Brent Martineau, John Oehser & Brian Sexton

JACKSONVILLE – Each week during the 2026 season, Jaguars "experts" – Frank Frangie, Brent Martineau, John Oehser, Brian Sexton, Mark Duffner, Austen Lane, John Shipley and Kainani Stevens – will analyze the following day's Jaguars matchup.

Up this week:

The Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colo.

Frank Frangie, Radio Voice of the Jaguars

The Jaguars will win if: They keep it up. They won eight consecutive games at the end of last regular season and picked up where they left off Sunday. Last year, they went to Denver and handled the Broncos. The key is Trevor Lawrence and the passing game. If that continues to roll, the Jaguars will be hard to beat. Also: The Jags were physical in both trenches and athletic in the secondary. The Broncos obviously are much better than the Browns, are at home, and Nix poses problems as passer and runner. The Broncos pass rush is very good. But I believe the Jags are better.
The Broncos will win if: The pass rush gets to Lawrence and throws off his rhythm, and if they can run the ball enough to give Nix space to pass. The Broncos also have a good secondary, so if they can harass Lawrence and force him into mistakes, that would be the key to the game.
As Frangie sees it: I think the Jags have the better team. They are confident and in a bit of a rhythm already. If they play well, they win.

Brent Martineau, Action Sports Jax Sports Director

The Jaguars will win if: They run for more than 100 yards and are at least even in turnover differential. The Jaguars did a good job last December sticking with the run against Denver even though it wasn't working too well. I think the Jaguars will have to do that again and be more efficient, too. On the road especially, turnovers are very important. The Jaguars can't lose the turnover margin and win.
The Broncos will win if: They form an identity on offense. It looked like Denver was all over the place offensively Monday night, and none of it worked well. If they can run effectively and protect Nix, they have a chance to keep pace with the Jaguars' offense and win the game late.
As Martineau sees it: I didn't like this game for the Jaguars prior to the season, but it is hard not to like the Jaguars now. I think Denver will look better than Monday, but they had quite a lot to fix on both sides of the ball. The Jaguars have confidence, identity and a coach/quarterback combo that is in sync. The Jaguars will make a statement to the league and beat the Broncos, 24-20.

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John Oehser, jaguars.com senior writer

The Jaguars will win if: They run effectively and match the energy, effectiveness and stamina they showed in Denver last December. Yes, last season is over. And no, that result means nothing now. But the Jaguars showed in that game the ability to play at a high level for an entire game in a difficult environment. They must do that again Sunday.
The Broncos will win if: They pressure Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence into mistakes and improve offensively. The Broncos struggled with balance and production offensively in their Week 1 loss to the Chiefs. They must mix the run and pass better Sunday than they did in that game. They also need to force Lawrence into an inconsistent performance, an increasingly difficult task recently.
As Oehser sees it: This game figures to be decided late and may be determined by which defense can stop the opposing offense in a big situation. The Jaguars have shown over the last nine regular-season games they can win in myriad ways. It takes a mentally tough team playing at a high level to win in Denver. The guess here is the Jaguars are that type of team and will win Sunday.

Brian Sexton, jaguars.com senior correspondent

The Jaguars will win if: They average 4.85 yards per carry. The Broncos' run defense, which finished second to the Jaguars in 2025, looked vulnerable on Monday Night Football when they allowed the Kansas City Chiefs 5.8 yards per attempt in a 31-10 Chiefs victory. That put the brakes on the Denver pass rush, which terrorized quarterbacks last season with 68 sacks. If the Jaguars run at least as well as they did against a solid Browns front last Sunday, they will control the action and keep those wolves at bay.
The Broncos will win if: They protect quarterback Bo Nix, who didn't have time to throw against Kansas City. He never seemed comfortable, and the Broncos' offense never found its rhythm. The Denver offensive line is one of the NFL's best, but as we saw last week, the Jaguars defensive line is a lot for anyone to handle. If Nix has time, it will be a long afternoon for the Jaguars.
As Sexton sees it: The Broncos have been embarrassed in two of their last five regular-season games: A 34-20 Week 16 loss to the Jaguars in 2025 and Monday's loss to the Chiefs. I expect the home opener against the team that ended their 11-game winning streak last season to bring out a better version of the Broncos. The Jaguars proved last Sunday they're as good as any team in football this season, and this should be an epic game between two teams with Super Bowl aspirations – and it's only Week 2.

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Jacksonville, Fla. — Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (7) during practice at the Miller Electric Center on September 16, 2026.