The Denver Broncos defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-13 on September 20, 2026, at Empower Field at Mile High. Closing the contest on a 17-point surge, Denver relied on a tiebreaking touchdown run by rookie Jonah Coleman and stellar receiving numbers from trade acquisition Jaylen Waddle to secure their first victory of the season.
The Denver Broncos found their familiar winning formula on September 20, 2026, leaning on new additions and crucial late-game execution to overcome an early deficit at Empower Field at Mile High. Trailing by 10 points heading into the second half, the Broncos rattled off 17 unanswered points to snap the Jacksonville Jaguars’ nine-game regular-season winning streak.
Jaylen Waddle and Jonah Coleman Power Denver’s Second-Half Surge
After enduring a sluggish season-opening performance against Kansas City, wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and rookie running back Jonah Coleman delivered the heavy lifting for Denver’s offense. Waddle caught eight passes for 138 yards, bouncing back from a quiet debut where he hauled in just one pass for 2 yards. Meanwhile, Coleman stepped into a larger role after running backs J.K. Dobbins and R.J. Harvey suffered hamstring injuries.
Coleman led the Broncos with 39 rushing yards on 10 carries, capped by a pivotal 3-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that broke a 13-all tie against Jacksonville. Quarterback Bo Nix praised his teammates’ contributions under pressure.
Waddle showed his swagger all day, and Coleman displayed his great football IQ.
Bo Nix, Broncos quarterback
Broncos head coach Sean Payton echoed that sentiment regarding the team’s prized offseason addition acquired from Miami.
I’m glad he’s ours.
Sean Payton, Broncos coach
Trevor Lawrence and Jacksonville Jaguars Build Early Lead Before Stalling
The visiting Jaguars controlled the tempo through the first two quarters, building a 10-3 halftime advantage. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence engineered three scoring drives, punctuated by a 1-yard touchdown run from Bhayshul Tuten and two field goals by Cam Little covering 44 and 23 yards according to the game recap.
However, Jacksonville failed to find the end zone in the second half. A missed 54-yard field goal attempt by Little in the fourth quarter preceded Denver’s go-ahead touchdown drive. Jaguars head coach Liam Coen expressed frustration with the team’s inability to execute when the game hung in the balance.
The fourth quarter was when you needed a drive, right? You needed a stop, you needed a catch, you needed a play, we just didn’t do it. We just didn’t make it.
Liam Coen, Jaguars coach
Lawrence acknowledged the stark contrast between the halves in his postgame comments.
Definitely disappointing. I felt like we played the opposite way in the second half than we did in the first half.
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars quarterback
Red-Zone Efficiency and Defensive Stops Define the Victory
The turning point for Denver arrived inside the red zone. During the first half, the Broncos stalled near the goal line, settling for a Wil Lutz field goal after failing to punch it in from the 1-yard line, followed by an interception thrown by Nix in the end zone as detailed by team reporting.
After halftime, that inefficiency vanished. Nix connected with tight end Nate Adkins on a 7-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, paving the way for Coleman’s decisive score. Defensively, Denver tightened up after missing 28 tackles in Week 1. Defensive back Riley Moss intercepted a pass in the third quarter to spark the comeback, while Ja’Quan McMillian forced Jacksonville to settle for a long field-goal try by undercutting a route on a crucial third down in the closing stretch.
Moss reflected on the team’s defensive rebound when speaking with reporters.
It was a good day for the team to bounce back, but you know there’s still things that we’ve got to work on.
Riley Moss, Broncos defensive back
With the win, Denver moves to 1-1 on the young season and prepares to host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night, while Jacksonville returns home to host the New England Patriots.
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