The Jacksonville Jaguars just fell apart against the Broncos, coughing up a 13-3 lead in the third quarter to lose 20-13 in Denver. This wasn’t some nail-biter where the other team just had their day; this was a come-from-ahead loss that feels confusing when you look at how this team usually operates.
The Collapse No One Saw Coming (From Them)
For what felt like ages, especially across the end of 2025 and the start of 2026, the Jaguars were the masters of closing. We’re talking a nine-game regular-season winning streak where they flat-out refused to let opponents breathe. They’d hit the gas pedal and leave it there. Remember how they led Indianapolis 21-10? They didn’t just hold on, they turned it into a 36-19 rout. Or that time they were up 31-17 against these very Broncos? Finished that game 34-20, no sweat. Even a tight 20-17 lead in the second Indianapolis game became a comfortable 23-17 victory. That was the Jaguars: maximum effort, top-flight execution, locked-in focus. They didn’t get comfortable, they ran through the finish line. That’s why this 20-13 loss to Denver, after leading 13-3 with 9:02 left in the third, is such a gut punch.
When the Wheels Fell Off in the Mile High Air
What went wrong? Anton Harrison, their left tackle, put it bluntly: “Very frustrating. We knew we left a lot of plays out there on the field. We didn’t ride the momentum.” And man, the data backs him up. Their offense completely stalled out, finishing the game with an interception, a missed field goal, and then, to seal the deal, a punt. Meanwhile, their defense couldn’t hold the line. They gave up a field goal, then a touchdown, then another touchdown. And in the most brutal final indignity, they let the Broncos just run out the final 4 minutes, 41 seconds of the clock. This wasn’t the full-blown, 19-point meltdown they had last November in Houston, and the Broncos are a good team, so maybe it’s not “embarrassing.” But was it a collapse? Yeah, the numbers scream “yes.”
This kind of loss, especially after such a dominant stretch, just messes with your head. How do you go from being the kings of closing out games to letting one slip away like this? They’ve got to figure out what happened in that cauldron of noise at Mile High and make sure this kind of finish doesn’t become a new trend. The season is still early, but you can’t be blowing leads like that if you want to be taken seriously.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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