JACKSONVILLE – Each week during the 2025 season, Jaguars "experts" – Frank Frangie, Jeff Lageman, Brent Martineau, John Oehser, Brian Sexton, J.P. Shadrick and Kainani Stevens – will analyze the following day's Jaguars matchup.

Up this week:

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

Frank Frangie, Radio Voice of the Jaguars

• The Jaguars will win if: Trevor Lawrence continues to play at the level at which he is playing and the Jags rediscover some success in the running game. The Broncos are excellent rushing the passer, so the running game is important. The Jags need to slow Nix, who is coming off a very good game. Head Coach Liam Coen has done a terrific job of having the Jags ready to play. They are never flat. That will be more important than ever. Denver is one of the NFL's best teams.
• The Broncos will win if: They start fast and make the Jags play from behind, which they haven't done often. That could slow the Jaguars' momentum, which is very real right now. The Broncos could benefit from that outstanding pass rush which, together with a loud home crowd, could make life tough for Lawrence.
• As Frangie sees it: This will be one of the best games all year among AFC teams – possibly one of the best games of the season in the NFL. If the Jags win, they are still in play for the No. 1 seed and homefield throughout the playoffs. It would keep them at least 1 game ahead of the Texans in the AFC South. The Jags are playing great. So are the Broncos. This will come down to the final five minutes. Can the Jags be the team that makes 1 more play? I think they just might.

Jeff Lageman, Jaguars analyst and former Jaguars defensive end

• The Jaguars will win if: They have balance as an offense to slow down the Broncos' pass rush. The Broncos lead the NFL in sacks with 58 and an effective running game will allow the Jaguars to find big plays with play action. Lawrence is playing at a high level and Denver likes to play a lot of man-to-man coverage. Given the proper time, Lawrence will find his full array of talented offensive weapons.
• The Broncos will win if: Nix protects the ball, taking away one of the Jags defensive superpowers. Denver's offense runs through Nix's arm and legs – and even though he is still young and inexperienced, his ability to handle pressure is impressive. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton is Nix's top weapon and will be tough to stop as the length and talent he possesses is special.
• As Lageman sees it: This is a fantastic matchup with two teams with a combined 16 consecutive wins coming in with plenty on the line for both teams. Playoff berths, division titles and seeding in the AFC are all part of the attraction. The environment will be tremendous as the Broncos will have every seat full as they have for so many years. This will be a tight game that will come down to the end and the hotter quarterback will get the victory.

Brent Martineau, Action Sports Jax Sports Director

• The Jaguars will win if: They do a better job on third down than the Broncos. I think that will be the game's telling area. This has the feel of a close game, so critical third downs and time of possession will be a major factor. A big part of getting those conversions will be the early downs and getting into manageable situations. The Broncos have been better in this category this season than the Jaguarss and that will need to flip Sunday.
• The Broncos will win if: They eliminate the Jaguars' big plays on both sides of the ball. The explosive passing game of the Jags has been hot lately and one of those kinds of plays could be the different in this one. Also, the Jaguars are plus-10 on the season in turnover ratio while the Broncos are minus-2. Denver will need to keep the turnover margin even to win this game and get their 12th in a row.
• As Martineau sees it: What a matchup right before Christmas in Colorado. The difference in this game could be the Broncos playing at home. This isn't the time to get off the Jaguars' train, though. I think this is a hard game for the Broncos and Head Coach Sean Payton. They are trying to win their 12th consecutive game and they just clinched a playoff berth last week. The Jaguars know they can't take a breath, so there's more on the line for Jacksonville in this game and they prove it with a 27-23 victory.

John Oehser, jaguars.com senior writer

• The Jaguars will win if: They run effectively, protect Lawrence and force multiple turnovers that change momentum. When the Jaguars have been the more physical team this season, they usually have won. If they can out-physical the Broncos and run effectively, that will help negate a Broncos pass rush that is the identity of the AFC leaders.
• The Broncos will win if: Quarterback Bo Nix continually creates something from nothing and they pressure Lawrence into mistakes. Nix is an imperfect young quarterback, but he's a winner and making big plays at key times – and that's what matters in the NFL. If the Broncos can force Lawrence into multiple "oh-no" moments, the Jaguars are in trouble.
• As Oehser sees it: This is a matchup of 2 of the hottest teams in the NFL, and there's little difference between the 2. If the Jaguars can handle the moment – and they have handled big moments more often than not this season – they can maintain their 1-game lead in the AFC South and move to within a game of the top seed in the AFC with 2 games remaining.

Brian Sexton, jaguars.com senior correspondent

• The Jaguars will win if: They keep the quarterback clean. Trevor Lawrence has hardly been touched the last two weeks – and the Jaguars are 5-0 when they have not allowed a sack this season. That's a big challenge against a team that has 58 sacks with three games remaining. The Jaguars' offensive line has shown signs of brilliance this season. If that group is on Sunday, the Jaguars are leaving Denver with their 11th victory of the season.
• The Broncos will win if: They force Lawrence into takeaways. He has thrown 10 touchdowns with no turnovers since his third interception in Arizona the Sunday before Thanksgiving. If the Broncos can get him to throw them the ball on the Sunday before Christmas, it means he's having a bad day – and if he has a bad day, the Broncos will win.
• As Sexton sees it: It's tough to pick against the home team at 5,280 feet with 12 consecutive victories at Empower Field at Mile High – and an 11-game winning streak. The Broncos are good, but they're not overpowering teams and have won their last 6 games by an average of 3 points per game. The Jaguars are a high-powered offense and they will test the Broncos like no one they've faced since Halloween. I'm taking the visitors in an upset, but it won't seem that way to the team from Jacksonville.

J.P. Shadrick, jaguars.com senior reporter

• The Jaguars will win if: They stay ahead of the chains with an effective running game to set up favorable down-and-distance situations. Second-and third-and-long against the best pass-rushing team in football is not ideal. The Jags have scored 25-plus points in a franchise-record 7 consecutive games. If they get there again, it should be enough to win.
• The Broncos will win if: Nix gets outside of contain, extends plays and pushes the ball downfield. He thrives on movement, so the Jaguars' defense needs to keep him in the pocket. He will throw the Jaguars 1 or 2 passes, so the Jags defense needs to continue to add to their takeaway totals.
• As Shadrick sees it: It has been since 1999 since both teams in a Jaguars game have had this many victories entering a regular-season game . If the Jaguars get it done in Denver, it would not be a surprise, it would not be an upset. It would be a good team executing as it has for the most part of two months. A victory would be a statement that the Jaguars have arrived and are a true AFC contender. I think they're a contender anyway, no matter the result in Denver.

Kainani Stevens, Jaguars team reporter

• The Jaguars will win if: They play smart, clean football and take advantage of the opportunities that come their way. The Jaguars seem to have gotten the pre-snap penalties under control the past few weeks, but self-inflicted errors in this kind of game will cost the Jags a win. Takeaways generated by the defense or special teams must result in points.
• The Broncos will win if: They stop the run and force the Jaguars to become 1-dimensional. The Jaguars have the NFL's best run-stopping defense, but the Broncos are second best. If Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. can't be effective and the Broncos' pass rush has free reign, it will be a long day for Lawrence.
• As Stevens sees it: This has the feeling of a playoff preview. The Jaguars are preparing for perhaps the toughest matchup they have faced so far this season. I think this will be a defensive battle that will come down to 1 key turnover or explosive play. I think the Broncos will sneak away a narrow win, but this may not be the Jaguars' last game this season at Mile High.