DENVER - The Jacksonville Jaguars blew a 10-point second-half lead and lost to the Denver Broncos 20-13 Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High, ending a 10-game regular-season winning streak and handing the team its first loss of the 2026 season.
The defeat was a collective failure, Head Coach Liam Coen said, spanning offense, defense and special teams in the final quarter. “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.”
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. Dropped passes compounded the offensive struggles, with wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. failing to hold a potential first-down pass on first-and-10 from the Broncos’ 39-yard line in the fourth quarter - one play after a 28-yard completion to wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. Second-year running back LeQuint Allen Jr. also dropped what appeared to be a catchable pass early in the third quarter with Jacksonville 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.”
Denver quarterback Bo Nix finished 22 of 31 for 288 yards with five completions of 20 yards or more. After the Jaguars recorded five sacks in their season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns, they registered none Sunday - only three quarterback hurries, two by linebacker Dennis Gardeck and one by defensive end Travon Walker. Jacksonville’s defense allowed 392 total yards. “That [Denver] is a damn good offensive line,” Coen said. “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.”
A pivotal sequence late in the game involved second-year cornerback Travis Hunter, who was flagged for pass interference on a deep throw by Nix to wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Coen was then penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct after disputing the call with an official. Running back Jonah Coleman’s 3-yard run on the next play gave Denver a 20-13 lead with 7:24 remaining. Coen declined to address the penalty directly. “I’m not going to comment on it,” he said. “I thought he [Hunter] played decent, and just said one thing and got flagged. It is what it is.” Hunter said the coach’s reaction resonated with him. “It means a lot. He saw the same thing I saw,” Hunter said. “The refs call what they call. I just have to continue to work better.”
The Jaguars’ best scoring opportunity of the second half came on their opening drive after halftime, when they reached first-and-goal at the Broncos’ 3-yard line. Lawrence threw to Allen on third-and-goal from the 5, but Allen could not hold the pass while defended by linebacker Alex Singleton. Kicker Cam Little’s 23-yard field goal gave Jacksonville a 13-3 lead with 9:02 left in the third quarter - three points instead of the seven Coen had wanted. “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.” Asked what he would have done had Allen caught the pass, Coen was direct: “I’m going for it.”
Earlier, the Jaguars’ defense had shown resilience. After Broncos wide receiver Jaylen Waddle caught a 49-yard pass to give Denver first-and-goal at the 1-yard line, defensive end Travon Walker and linebacker Ventrell Miller stopped running back J.K. Dobbins twice for no gain. Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen then led a stop of Dobbins for a 1-yard loss on third-and-goal, forcing a 20-yard field goal by kicker Wil Lutz. Cornerback Jourdan Lewis added an interception in the end zone late in the second half, fighting with the 6-foot-4 Sutton for the ball, which the Jaguars converted into a 44-yard field goal by Little on the final play of the first half for a 10-3 lead. “It was huge,” Coen said of both defensive stands. Jacksonville returns home to face its next opponent with a 1-1 record heading into Week 3.