The Denver Broncos got absolutely throttled in their season opener, a loss so bad it earned the dubious distinction of being called an “ugly wake-up call” by quarterback Bo Nix himself. After an “unmercifully flogged” start against a hated rival, the team is staring down a brutal Week 2 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the same squad that handed them a 34-20 shellacking in Week 16 last December. If those previous results weren’t concerning enough, a quick glance at the early season statistics paints a grim picture of Denver’s performance so far.
Offense on Life Support, Defense Missing Tackles
Let’s not mince words, the Broncos’ offensive rankings are straight-up catastrophic. They sit dead last, 32nd in the entire league, for total offense, averaging a paltry 176 yards per game. Their rushing offense is second-to-last at 31st with a mere 61 yards, and their passing offense is flat-out 32nd, netting only 115 yards. Scoring? Tied for 28th, with a measly 10 points per game. How do you even compete with those numbers? The Jaguars, by contrast, are cruising along, ranked 14th in total offense, 11th in rushing, 10th in passing, and sixth in scoring with 34 points per game.
On the defensive side, it’s not much better. Denver’s defense is 24th in total defense, giving up 392 yards per game. Their rushing defense is a dismal 31st, allowing an embarrassing 220 yards on the ground. While their passing defense ranks a respectable 10th (172 YPG), it’s clearly not enough to offset the other glaring weaknesses. Jacksonville’s defense is a different beast entirely, ranked 10th in total defense, ninth in rushing defense, tied for 13th in passing defense, and tied for second in scoring defense, only giving up 10 points per game. This is a massive mismatch, folks.
Learn, Tackle, Execute: It’s Already a Must-Win
The message from within the team is clear: Denver has to do the complete opposite of what they showed in Kansas City. As Ian St. Clair put it, they need to “look and play like an NFL team,” focusing on preparation, coming together, limiting costly mistakes, and executing. The tackling issue is absolutely massive. Watching Kenneth Walker embarrass the Broncos defense was eye-opening in their opener, and Patrick Mahomes constantly escaping on a reconstructed knee was baffling. It wasn’t necessarily horrible play, but the missed tackles made winning impossible. If they can’t wrap up the Jaguars this Sunday, get ready for an 0-2 start and a “major uphill climb to the playoffs.”
Third-down efficiency is another critical area. The Broncos struggled to stop the Chiefs on third down and were dreadful on offense in that scenario. This was also a problem in their December loss to Jacksonville. FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the Broncos as -2.5-point home favorites, with the total sitting at 45.5, leaning towards the under. But honestly, with numbers like these, the spread feels less important than the sheer urgency of the situation. This Sunday’s game against the Jaguars isn’t just another early-season matchup; it’s a test of whether this team got Bo Nix’s “ugly wake-up call” or hit the snooze button on their season. They absolutely have to respond.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Mile High Report.
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