DENVER, Colo. – Senior writer John Oehser examines five key storylines from the Jaguars’ 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos in a 2026 Week 2 game at Empower Field in Mile High Sunday…

1.Team effort. The Jaguars' first loss of the season – and first regular-season loss in 10 games – didn't come down to one area. Head Coach Liam Coen made that clear after the Jaguars squandered a 10-point second-half lead in which they produced 115 yards offensively while committing a turnover. The Jaguars' defense for the game allowed 392 total yards, with Broncos quarterback Bo Nix finishing with five completions of 20 yards or more. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence did not throw or run for a touchdown for the first time since Week 3 of last season – a 17-10 victory over the Houston Texans. "It really it comes down to in all three phases in the second half – specifically, the fourth quarter, we just didn't win," Coen said. "We didn't win it. We didn't coach it good enough. We didn't play it good enough, and we did not finish."

2.Time to throw. Nix completed 22 of 31 passes for 288 yards – and after registering five sacks in a season-opening victory over the Cleveland Browns, the Jaguars registered none on Sunday. They were credited with three quarterback hurries – two by linebacker Dennis Gardeck and one by defensive end Travon Walker. "We'll have to look at it and see," Coen said when asked if the Jaguars may have to rush more than four defenders moving forward. "That [Denver] is a damn good offensive line. I don't want to take too much away from them, but if we're going to beat a team like that, then we're going to have to create some pressure. They caught us in a couple blitzes that they identified pre-snap when we were going to blitz and bring more. They ended up flipping the protections to pick some of that stuff up. That's something we have to look at as well in terms of when we're bringing pressure. If they identify it, hey, can we get out of it, or whatever it is. When we do blitz, we got to get home."

3.Back to back. Coen after Sunday's loss also discussed multiple dropped passes by Jaguars skill players, with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. dropping a potential first-down producing pass in the fourth quarter on first-and-10 from the Broncos 39 one play after a 28-yard pass from Lawrence to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Second-year running back LeQuint Allen Jr. also had what appeared to be a dropped pass early in the third quarter with the Jaguars inside the Broncos' 10-yard line. "Those are all critical plays, and when you're struggling to create and make a play, we need some of our guys to step up," Coen said. "I have to put them in a better position to be successful as well."

4.No comment. Coen declined comment on a late-game interference penalty on second-year cornerback Travis Hunter, after which Coen was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct. Nix on the play threw deep down the sideline to wide receiver Courtland Sutton, with Hunter called for interference and Coen penalized after "discussing" the play with the official. "I'm not going to comment on it," Coen said. "I thought he (Hunter) played decent, and just said one thing and got flagged. It is what it is."  Running back Jonah Coleman's 3-yard run on the ensuing play gave the Broncos a 20-13 lead with 7:24 remaining. "It's football, at the end of the day," Hunter said. "The refs call what they call. I just have to continue to work better. If I put myself in the best position, I don't have to worry about the refs." Hunter on Coen's reaction: "It means a lot. He saw the same thing I saw."

5.Woulda, couldn't. Coen typically leans to being aggressive in big situations and he said that would have been the case early in the second half Sunday. The Jaguars took the second-half kickoff and put together one of their most impressive drives of the game, facing first-and-goal at the Broncos 3-yard line. Lawrence threw to Allen on third-and-goal from the 5, with Allen unable to hold the pass while defended by linebacker Alex Singleton. Kicker Cam Little's 23-yard field goal gave the Jaguars their final points of the game and a 13-3 lead with 9:02 remaining in the third quarter. "Settling for three on that first drive up out of the half was disappointing," Coen said. "I thought it was a little bit of a missed opportunity at putting some pressure on them to potentially go up 17-3, and then maybe you apply a little bit more pressure, make them throw it a little bit more." Asked what he would have done had Allen caught the pass, Coen replied, "I'm going for it."