Trevor Lawrence just put up an insane 18.6 Expected Points Added in Week 1, making Deshaun Watson’s -2.8 EPA look absolutely terrible. That’s a 20-point swing from quarterback play alone, and it tells you everything you need to know about why the Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t just good, they’re straight-up dangerous as they roll into Denver after clobbering the Cleveland Browns. The Broncos, meanwhile, are stumbling into this game with a humiliating Monday Night Football opener fresh in their minds, and they got a 34-20 beatdown from these same Jags last season. Yikes.
That Bills Loss Still Stings (But What They Learned Is Brutal)
You think the Jags are just happy to be here? Nah. Gus Logue from Big Cat Country laid it out: their playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills last postseason was brutal. Jacksonville went into that game on a league-best eight-game winning streak, which included a solid win right there in Denver. Everyone in Duval County thought they were legit AFC contenders, and that Wild Card exit felt like they had way more football left to play. Coach Liam Coen even said after whipping the Browns that his team was hungry to “get a bad taste out of their mouth” from the Bills game. That’s some serious motivation! One of their big takeaways from not being able to affect Josh Allen was a renewed focus on “sticker coverage” this season, aiming to help that pass rush get home. Sounds like a plan designed to mess with opposing QBs.
Coaching, QB, and Pure Hunger
The Jags weren’t just dominant against Cleveland because Watson was bad. Yes, Lawrence was incredible with those aggressive decisions and jaw-dropping touchdowns that lifted his whole offense, creating that massive 20-point QB advantage. But they won by 24, not 20. That extra four points? That’s coaching, plain and simple. Coen is proving he’s both a fantastic culture builder and a smart play caller, and you can say the same for defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile. Gus Logue thinks Campanile is going to be a head coach in no time, and after watching that opener, you can see why. The Jaguars aren’t winning with fluke turnovers, they just have a balanced roster, a true franchise quarterback, and a coaching staff that knows what it’s doing. They’re a really good team.
So, how do the Jaguars repeat last season’s beatdown in Denver this Sunday? Simple: by leaning hard into their potent passing attack. Lawrence has got the arm, the talent, and the momentum. Denver better be ready for it.
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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