The Denver Broncos didn't play a great game against Jacksonville, but they did get a one thanks to their defense.
It’s easy to forget that the the Denver Broncos also got off to slow start last year, and they were in danger of duplicating that feat for the first three quarters of Sunday’s 20-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Broncos forced punts on Jacksonville’s first two drives of the game, but Jacksonville drove the field on their third drive to score the first touchdown of the game, with the drive featuring a 32-yard completion to receiver Parker Washington, who had a big game in the Jags’ 38-20 win over Denver last year.
After that the Broncos made some adjustments, according to linebacker Alex Singleton in a piece written by Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post. He didn’t give up the secret sauce, but Jacksonville got into scoring territory three more times by got just six points after that, including a key missed field goal in the fourth that allowed the Broncos to take the lead.
The defense also helped the offense out, as an interception by much-maligned cornerback Riley Moss sparked the offense and led to a touchdown drive. The win had a familiar look to it, as Gabriel noted, with the Broncos defense holding the fort until quarterback Bo Nix could supply the late heroics.
The red zone plan was put together by outside linebackers coach Isaac Shewmaker, per Gabriel, and it worked. Most of the game wasn’t pretty, but the Broncos did what they had to do to keep from going 0-2.
The defensive comeback actually started on the bus in Kansas City right after their last game, as Singleton organized an impromptu film session after the brutal 31-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos got out their iPads and didn’t flinch as they watched their display of horrible tackling, and that started the effort to regroup.
What the Broncos learned, according to Singleton, was that the mistakes they were making were so basic and fundamental that big adjustments weren’t necessary.
Coach Sean Payton put the weight on himself and the coaching staff after the loss, and he also emphasized that it’s early in the season. There were mistakes here and there, but they weren’t nearly as egregious as the ones the Broncos made against the Chiefs.
The schedule doesn’t get any easier, though. The Broncos play the Los Angeles Rams at home on Sunday night, and they’ll probably have to play more than a quarter or two to get a win in that one.
