Trevor Lawrence ignited Jaguars' offense, while defense stifles Nix and the Broncos. Jacksonville clinches crucial AFC South lead with dominant 11th win.
For the Jacksonville Jaguars, it's not too soon to repeat the old NFL saw: Defense wins championships.
The Jaguars won their sixth straight game, handing Bo Nix and the Broncos a humbling 34-20 defeat on Sunday at Mile High Stadium.
Jacksonville stopped the Broncos' 11-game win streak -- cold.
In a statement win in Week 15, Jacksonville nailed down its 11th regular-season victory for the first time since 2007, when the team was led by then-head coach Jack Del Rio and quarterback David Garrard.
Jaguar defenders harassed the Broncos' second-year quarterback throughout the second half, forcing Nix to turnover the ball twice and limiting Denver's time of possession throughout the contest.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence meets up with Broncos QB Bo Nix midfield after Jacksonville knocked off AFC-leading Denver at Mile High Stadium on Sunday. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)Sacked five times Sunday afternoon, Jags QB Trevor Lawrence remained cool under pressure, throwing three touchdowns on 23-for-36 passing and 279 yards.
The Jaguars improve to 11-4 and remain atop the AFC South, as the Houston Texans stay one game behind in the division race with a 23-21 victory over the Los Angeles Raiders.
The Broncos (12-3) have clinched the playoffs and still lead the AFC West. The New England Patriots (11-3) will tie Denver atop the AFC on Monday night with a win over the 7-7 Baltimore Ravens.
Jags DT Travon Walker pressures the Broncos' Bo Nix for an incomplete pass as Jacksonville shocked Denver 34-20 on Sunday afternoon at Mile High Stadium. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)Jacksonville had possession of the ball for 33:13 minutes, and the defense held Denver to 26:47.
The Jaguars weren't favored Sunday afternoon in Denver as bookmakers liked the Broncos at home -3.5. But the Jaguars' defense had other plans. Nix passed for 352 yards and one TD on 28-of-47 attempts. But the former Oregon QB wilted under the pressure, as the defensive line forced Nix into forced pass attempts and awkward incompletions. At one point, in the fourth quarter, after Nix threw another errant pass into double coverage, Broncos head coach Sean Payton pulled Nix aside to have words with his young quarterback.
The Jags, now the No. 1 team in the league defending against the run, held the Broncos to 101 rushing yards. Running back RJ Harvey broke loose for a 38-yard-run and a TD, and finished with 50 yards on seven carries.
Raucous fans rocked Mile High Stadium in the first half Sunday in Denver, but the Jaguars quieted the boo birds and naysayers by shutting down the Broncos. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)On paper, the Broncos' offense outpaced Jacksonville in total yards (445 to 346), passing yards (344 to 265) and rushing yardage (101 to 81). Though the Jags led 17-10 at halftime, it seemed -- especially if you listened to Fox's telecast -- the Broncos were controlling the game and would turn things around in the second half.
But Jags defenders had another game plan in mind. Defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah recovered a Nix fumble in the third quarter, then cornerback Jarrian Jones picked off Nix in the fourth. With those turnovers, the Jags now have 28 takeaways this season and trail only the Chicago Bears, who have 31.