What a difference a year DOESN’T make.
After last Sunday’s second game of the season, the Broncos’ record is 1-1. And some fans are wondering if their team is very good.
Two games into last season, Denver was 1-1, too. And fans were restless, as they are now.
Last season, Denver made a habit of pulling games out of the fire in the fourth quarter.
Against Jacksonville last Sunday, it was, “Here we go again.”
Starting the fourth quarter, the Broncos were trailing 13-6 and hadn’t led at all through the first seven quarters of the 2026 season.
But, just like 2025, they came to life in the fourth quarter, marching 64 yards in10 plays to tie the score with 11:47 left to play, then going 56 yards in five plays for their first lead of the season with 7:21 to go.
The defense then forced the Jaguars to punt with 4:41 left. Denver’s offense kept possession the rest of the way.
Bo Nix completed 22 of 31 passes for 288 yards, the ninth most yards in a game in his career, 138 of them to Jaylen Waddle, who caught eight balls after catching only one against Kansas City.
Unlike the season opener, when new play-caller Davis Webb ordered up almost twice as many passes as runs, in this game he was almost 50-50.
Webb made up for last week and a middling first half Sunday by calling three straight scoring drives after halftime.
Redemption also belonged to Riley Moss, who plays the position that most exposes an individual to the possibility of personal embarrassment.
On the seventh play of the game, Denver pass rusher extraordinaire Nik Bonitto forced Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence to fumble.
Alex Singleton recovered for the Broncos at the Jacksonville 30 and returned it to the 21. It appeared that Denver was destined for a quick score.
Alas, Moss was flagged for illegal contact with a Jaguars receiver. Instead of an early break in Denver’s favor, Jacksonville kept the ball and moved to its own 48.
More than 40 minutes of playing time elapsed before Moss made what arguably was the play of the game.
On third down-and-six at midfield with Jacksonville leading 13-6 and seeking its third first down of the drive, Moss intercepted a Lawrence pass intended for Parker Washington, the Jags’ leading receiver, at Denver’s 33.
Ten plays later Nix capped a 64-yard, eight-minute 11-second drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass to Nate Adkins that pulled Denver even, 13-13.
It was the first time in five tries, over two games, that play-caller Webb got Denver into the end zone after starting a series inside the 10.
Jacksonville tried to blunt the momentum of Moss’s interception and the game-tying touchdown that followed, but a 54-yard field goal attempt by Cam Little, whose 68-yarder last season in the longest in pro football, curved wide left.
A year ago Denver lost Game Two to Indianapolis on a 45-yard field goal on the final play of the game—a re-kick after the Broncos were called for a penalty on a 60-yard miss. Fortunately, no such reversal occurred this time.
The Broncos began at their own 44 and went 56 yards in five plays, scoring on a three-yard run by rookie Jonah Coleman, who was in the game because he was the team’s last able-bodied running back. (RJ Harvey was inactive with an injury and starter JK Dobbins went down after 10 carries.)
Coleman also made a veteran’s contribution in the waning minutes, taking himself down inbounds to keep the clock running. He received post-game praise from coach Sean Payton for that heads-up play.
This was the return of University of Colorado Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who was on injured reserve when Jacksonville played in Denver late last season.
Unfortunately for Hunter, this was not a triumphant return. He was called for pass interference inside the Jacksonville 10 on a throw intended for Courtland Sutton.
Coleman scored on the next play.
Denver, which lost Game Three last season (to the Chargers) before winning 11 in a row, hosts the other team from Los Angeles, the Rams, in the next Sunday night game.
The Rams are the preseason Super Bowl favorite, but are 1-1 after losing to the 49ers in Australia then beating the New York Giants on Monday night.
Both teams are 1-1 after two weeks.
Which one will be 1-2 after Sunday night?
Denny Dressman writes a weekly sports column for The Villager. You can write to Denny at dennydressman@comcast.net.