The Denver Broncos' defense had a shaky start to their Week 15 win over the Green Bay Packers, but as the defense normally does, they buttoned up, created some splash plays, and got to QB Jordan Love in the end.
Denver won by eight points but did surrender 26 points to the Packers' offense, which just is not sustainable. The Broncos now host the surging Jacksonville Jaguars, winners of five games in a row and a team that sports a 10-4 record and a first place standing in the AFC South.
The Jags aren't as good as the Broncos, but this team is surging at the right time, and their offense has been nearly unstoppable in recent weeks, easily proving that Denver's defense has to be at its best if the Broncos hope to win their 12th game in a row and maybe even clinch the AFC West.
Jacksonville Jaguars offense has been on fire in recent weeks
The Jacksonville Jaguars are 6-1 since the bye week, and during this elite seven-game stretch, they have scored 32.9 points per game. This has included four games of at least 30 points and a recent 48-point explosion against the New York Jets in Week 15.
Jacksonville has rushed for 121.7 yards per game since the bye, and in recent weeks, Trevor Lawrence has truly been heating up. It's yet another team in this league that is beginning to peak at the right time. On paper, Lawrence hasn't been great this year, but he's dealt with a ton of drops. Here is his output over his last three games:
53/89 (59.6%)
803 yards
10 total touchdowns
0 interceptions
123 passer rating
Lawrence and the Jags' offense really struggle to connect consistently in the passing attack, but his production over the past three games is eye-popping, and these last three games have been the first 100+ passer rating games of his season.
With Brandon Jones also now out, the Jaguars are going to attack Denver's secondary, and while they do not have a truly elite pass-catcher, they have a lot of solid contributors and can strain defenses by simply spreading the ball out.
Denver did have to deal with a strong offense in Week 15, and they held their own, but the Jaguars are surging and could be a huge handful for Vance Joseph's unit. Liam Coen, their first-year head coach, has made quick work of this offense.
This could be another high-scoring affair in Denver.