Mile High Report
Who would’ve thought that at the beginning of the season we’d be able to say that with a win and certain losses on Sunday, the Broncos can secure the top seed in the AFC? Honestly I was hoping we’d be able to clinch a playoff spot, but there is so much more at stake here.
The Broncos have the edge in their matchups all-time, winning eight of the 15 games they’ve played against each other, also winning four of the last five. The last time they faced off was in 2022 when Denver went into Jacksonville to take the 21-17 victory. There are also a couple of long winning streaks on the line come Sunday, as the Broncos have won 11 in a row and the Jags have won five.
Let’s take a look at what the Broncos will likely need to do to maintain their stranglehold on the AFC West and the conference as a whole.
Trevor Lawrence has played well over the last three games, posting a massive stat line against the Jets last week. Lawrence put up six total touchdowns, threw for 330 yards, and didn’t record a turnover in a blow out victory. And besides what Travis Etienne has been doing on the ground, the Jags can credit most of their offensive success to their quarterback, who is having one of his best seasons yet.
But four weeks ago he had an awful game. In their overtime win over the Cardinals, Lawrence was responsible for four turnovers, including three interceptions that all came off of just poor decisions and passes.
That game is what gives me confidence for this week. Vance Joseph has been nasty with the coverages he’s been showing, and this defense is just fantastic in man coverage. They killed Jordan Love last week and pundits thought he’d do well, for some reason. And if Denver can keep getting home on their pass rush against a Jacksonville offensive line that is giving up more than two sacks a game, things should be rough for Lawrence.
The Broncos are the second-worst team in the league when it comes to penalties. The Jaguars are the worst team in the league. The Jags have 117 penalties on the year, good enough for 985 yards of self-inflicted damage. Obviously, this makes things difficult for any offensive or defensive unit.
Since we know that it’s not an “if” but a “when” the Jags will give free opportunities to the Broncos, it’s imperative that not only do the Broncos take advantage of those, but that Denver plays their cleanest game of football yet. They don’t want to bog themselves down with excessive mistakes that only serve to keep the game sloppy, rather than rise above their opponent.
Denver has been better penalty-wise as of late. They need to keep that trend going.
In one of the best, if not the...
