5 instant reactions to Broncos' impressive comeback win over Jaguars

The comeback kids are back.

The Denver Broncos were looking sluggish and disjointed in the first half of their Week 2 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then something clicked in the second half.

The Broncos mounted a come-from-behind victory against the Jaguars to get their first win of the season, and exacting a measure of revenge after their blowout loss to the Jags in 2025. That also happened to be the only loss they suffered at home in the 2025 regular season, so this one -- while early in the season -- meant a little something extra.

Here are our biggest instant takeaways from the impressive comeback.

Instant reactions from Broncos' impressive comeback win over Jaguars

1. This is why you feed Jaylen Waddle

The Denver Broncos' season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs was abysmal in every possible way, but one of the biggest disappointments on Monday night was the lack of involvement for newly acquired receiver Jaylen Waddle.

Waddle was targeted just three times against the Chiefs and caught one pass for two yards. Hardly the impact everyone in Broncos Country was expecting from the "missing piece" they picked up this offseason.

They turned that narrative around in dramatic fashion in Week 2. Waddle was targeted a team-high 10 times against the Jaguars -- 6 more targets than the next-highest (Courtland Sutton) -- and he cashed in to the tune of 8 receptions for 138 yards.

That included a clutch play late in the 4th quarter on Denver's game-ending drive.

This is exactly why you feed Jaylen Waddle. His impact and presence in this game were felt tremendously.

2. Bo Nix bounced back after a brutal INT

One of the Broncos' best drives of the game ended in massive disappointment as Bo Nix, fading away from the Jaguars' pass rush, threw an extremely ill-advised interception trying to get the ball to Courtland Sutton.

He looked out of sorts in the first half (again), and it was extremely worrying.

Then, the second half happened. Nix engineered scoring drives on every possession of the second half, the only exception being their game-ending drive where they were able to run out the clock in victory formation.

Nix had some huge throws in the second half to Evan Engram, Jaylen Waddle, Courtland Sutton, and Nate Adkins, who ended up being the underrated star of the game. And in the second half, Nix appeared to be on the same page as OC Davis Webb.

It was a much better overall performance, but especially encouraging in the second half.

3. This was the breakout game Riley Moss needed

Riley Moss had his first interception of the season against the Jaguars, and even though he also wiped a turnover off the board with an illegal contact penalty early on in the game, this was one of his best games as a pro.

He not only had a key interception (which led to 7 points for the offense), but broke up 3 passes in the game, including a huge PBU in the 4th quarter as the Jaguars were attempting to get back into the game.

Considering all of his missed tackles in Week 1, and the reputation he has built as a penalty merchant, this was a huge momentum-shifting performance from Moss.

4. The defense is...back?

There were definitely some moments where the Broncos' defense seemingly had lapses and rough patches against the Jaguars' offense, but the overall performance they put forth was impressive, to say the least.

Over their last 5 games (dating back to the 2025 regular season), the Jaguars had been +177 in point differential as they have completely dominated their opponents. The Broncos' defense absolutely stifled them, holding them to just 13 points on the day and only 4.9 yards per play.

The Jags opened the second half with an 11-play field goal drive, but when the Broncos buckled down in the tight red zone to hold them to just 3 points, it was like something clicked for them.

All of a sudden, nobody was open for the Jaguars. All of a sudden, Trevor Lawrence was throwing the ball into harm's way.

We knew Denver's defense was good, but needed reminding after their Week 1 performance. This was a big reminder in the best possible way.

5. Jonah Coleman a spark for the running game

The Denver Broncos still had a tough time running the ball consistently against the Jaguars, but when they absolutley needed it, guess who came through in the clutch?

Rookie Jonah Coleman.

With RJ Harvey already out due to an injury, JK Dobbins was sidelined during the game with a hamstring issue. It was Jonah Coleman in crunch time for the Broncos' offense, and he delivered.

Not only did Coleman have his first rushing touchdown of the season (and his career), but he managed to absolutely drain the clock with some huge runs in the 4-minute offense for the Broncos. He was outstanding in the 4th quarter, and may have given the Broncos every reason to keep him in the lineup going forward.

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