Broncos vs. Jaguars score, takeaways: Denver rallies past Jacksonville in London to snap four-game skid

The Denver Broncos defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 21-17, snapping their four-game losing streak as they improve to 3-5 on the season. The Jaguars have now dropped five consecutive games and stand at 2-6.

The Broncos offense struggled out the gate, with quarterback Russell Wilson nearly throwing an interception on his first throw of the game, only to get picked off on Denver’s second drive. The Jaguars capitalized on the turnover and scored a touchdown after the interception as quarterback Trevor Lawrence found Evan Engram for 22 yards in the end zone and with the successful extra point, the Jags took a 7-0 lead.

The Broncos defense was struggling to slow down the Jaguars, who marched down to the red zone again. Even when Denver would stop Lawrence and Co., a defensive penalty would backfire. Denver managed to come up with a huge play, when Justin Simmons intercepted Lawrence’s pass in the end zone intended for Zay Jones.

The Broncos finally got on the board with a touchdown with just under three minutes to go in the half. Jerry Jeudy set up the score with a 25-yard rush, then caught a 6-yard pass from Wilson.

With one minute left in the half, Wilson had the chance to make something happen deep in his own territory with two timeouts. The offense was approaching field goal range, but Wilson was sacked, ultimately ending their chance to get some points before halftime.

The Broncos took their first lead of the game in the third quarter with a Melvin Gordon touchdown from the 1-yard line, which was set up by tight end Greg Dulcich 38-yard catch. Dulcich finished with four receptions for 87 yards on the day. 

Travis Etienne was the player of the day for the Jaguars. He rumbled for 156 yards on 24 carries and also gave Jacksonville the lead in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard score to make it 17-14 after the extra point. 

With less than two minutes to go, however, the Broncos took back the lead, thanks to a Latavius Murray rushing touchdown from the 1. The touchdown was set up by a 47-yard pass to KJ Hamler and a Wilson play that extended the series on third down.

The game ended with a Lawrence interception. A pass intended for Christian Kirk was picked off by Denver’s K’Waun Williams that gave the Broncos the ball, leaving them with the final task of running out the clock. Wilson went for a quarterback rush on third down that sealed the win for good.

Here are some takeaways from the Broncos’ win in London.

Why the Broncos won

The Broncos did not let themselves get too behind despite a rocky start, and their ability to remain in the game and build confidence allowed them to regain the lead on multiple occasions. The final interception was crucial in a tight game, and being able to close things out for the win has been something the Broncos have struggled with this season, but they got it done in Week 8.

Wilson made mistakes, but when needed he was able to march down the field and led the team to several touchdown drives. The Broncos were a lot more successful in the red zone than they have been in the past. Also, Dulcich and Jerry Jeudy both got involved offensively and even Wilson was able to use his legs to make big plays, including an important third down conversion on the final scoring drive. 

Why the Jaguars lost

In close games, it comes down to who can play the full 60 minutes and today that was not the Jaguars. Jacksonville came out strong and took a 10-0 lead to start the game, but the defense slowed and eventually it let Russ “cook.”

Etienne finished with 24 carries for 156 yards and a touchdown, yet Jacksonville still couldn’t get the win. 

Turning point

The Broncos struggled out the gate and looked as if it might be another story of the offense being unable to make anything happen. Denver was down 10-0, when it managed to score 14 unanswered points to take the lead. That second touchdown — a Gordon score — gave the Broncos the lead and the confidence they needed right out of halftime.

Here is a look at the TD:

Here is the play that set up the TD:

Play of the game

With less than two minutes to go in the game, Lawrence through an interception on the first play of their drive. The pass intended for Christian Kirk was picked off by Denver’s K’Waun Williams. The interception essentially sealed the deal for the Broncos, who just needed to run the clock down on offense to go into victory formation.

Here is a look at the pick:

What’s next

The Broncos next game is Nov. 13 against the Tennessee Titans, but first they have their bye week. The Jaguars will host the Las Vegas Raiders next week.