The Denver Broncos took on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a Week 16 matchup between two AFC powerhouses. The two had combined for 16 straight wins coming into their matchup, 11 of which were on Denver's end. The game played in Denver was viewed as a potential preview of the AFC Championship Game, and the Jaguars came out on top.
The Broncos were the odds-on favorites among AFC teams to win the Super Bowl, and their loss shouldn't change how fans view them and their ability to win the conference.
The Broncos are the AFC Championship favorites
The Broncos lost to the Jaguars by a score of 34-20. It was a wake-up call of sorts for the defense, which has a case as the best unit on that side of the ball in the league. The offense wasn't particularly great, either, especially a week after their best offensive performance of the year against the Green Bay Packers.
There is no need to panic, though. Had the Broncos won out all the way to the Super Bowl, they would have had to win 17 straight games. That just wasn't feasible, so getting the loss out of the way isn't the end of the world. Denver still has control of the number one seed in the AFC. The Patriots have the same 12-3 record as Denver, but the Broncos own the tiebreaker. Denver remains a full game above the Jaguars in the standings, too, even after the Week 16 outcome.
The poor defensive game shouldn't have any bearing on Denver's play going forward. They gave up a number of big plays because of missed tackles, but that hasn't been an issue for the Broncos all season. The defense is still elite at getting after the quarterback, and the secondary is still one of the best in the league.
Denver is just nine sacks shy of the single-season sack record. Nik Bonitto, Jonathan Cooper, Zach Allen, and crew thrive getting after the quarterback. Even in the loss to the Jaguars, they still managed to bring Trevor Lawrence, who was coming off his career game, down to the ground five times.
Patrick Surtain is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and if Myles Garrett were not on pace to break the individual single-season sacks record, Bonitto would be in DPOY conversations this year, too. The defense will bounce back from this performance, but it is the Broncos' offense that has more question marks.
Is the Broncos' offense good enough to win the AFC?
The Broncos' offense has had some poor performances this year. Notably, the unit basically didn't show up in wins over the New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders. Denver still won those two games, though. The Broncos find ways to win, and the offense always picks it up in the fourth quarter.
Denver's offense is far from poor. Quarterback Bo Nix is getting better and better. He avoids sacks, has the clutch gene, and has been hitting on big plays more often in recent weeks. JK Dobbins' injury hurts, but rookie RJ Harvey has stepped up in his absence. Evan Engram has been making a bigger impact after a slow start, too. The Broncos still rank a respectable 13th in points-per-game (24.1), and they displayed their potential in the win over the Packers.
This is the year to make a postseason run. The Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals are already eliminated from playoff contention, and the Baltimore Ravens may end up in the same boat. The three teams, along with the Buffalo Bills, contend for the AFC title seemingly every year because Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen rank as the best quarterbacks in football. The Chiefs, in particular, have been in the midst of a dynasty and have had the Broncos' number in recent years.
Denver's competition for AFC supremacy this year includes the Jaguars, Bills, Patriots, and Houston Texans. Buffalo's run defense is weak, and they rely too heavily on Allen carrying them. The Patriots are still young, and they are pretty beaten up right now. The Texans have a great defense, but the offense has often fallen short.
Denver could certainly beat Jacksonville in a rematch, and they are still on pace to win the AFC. So don't put too much stock in Sunday's loss.
