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.
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.
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.
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:
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:
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.
FINAL STATS - BRONCOS:
Russell Wilson: 18/30, 252 yards, one touchdown, one interception
Latavius Murray: 14 carries, 46 yards, one touchdown
Melvin Gordon: 9 carries, 29 yards, one touchdown
Greg Dulcich: 4 receptions, 87 yards
Jerry Jeudy: 6 receptions, 62 yards, one touchdown
Justin Simmons: 3 tackles, one interception
K'Waun Williams: One interception
FINAL STATS - JAGUARS:
Trevor Lawrence: 18/31, 133 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions
Travis Etienne Jr.: 24 carries, 156 yards, one touchdown
Evan Engram: 4 receptions, 55 yards, one touchdown
INTERCEPTION: Lawrence throws an interception on first down with 1:36 left in the game. The pass intended for Kirk was intercepted by Williams at Jacksonville's 35 yard line.
TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS: Murray rushes for two yards into the end zone to give the Broncos the lead. The extra point is GOOD. 21-17 Broncos.
TOUCHDOWN JAGUARS: Travis Etienne adds to his exceptional day with a 1-yard touchdown to give the Jags back the lead. The extra point is GOOD: 17-10 Jacksonville.
This Wembley Stadium crowd is officially the largest of any International NFL game in London, with 86,215 people in attendance.
Wilson once again feels the pressure and is sacked on third down for a loss of eight yards. The Broncos are forced to punt.
TOUCDOWN BRONCOS: The Broncos take it 98 yards from their own 2 yard line to score and take their first lead of the game. Wilson was 5/5 on the drive that heavily feature Dulcich, who had one play for 22 yards and another for 38 yards. Gordon's 1-yard rush punched it in, followed by a successful extra point. 14-10 Broncos.
Lawrence fumbles, but the Jaguars recover their own fumble, losing 14 yards on the play.
That touchdown was exactly what the Broncos needed going into the half. After struggling all game, the team needed the points and the confidence booster as they head into the locker room.
TOUCHDOWN BRONCOS: Wilson connects with Jeudy for six yards and a score. The extra point is GOOD. 10-7 Jaguars.
The Broncos go for it on fourth-and-1 and are successful thanks to a quarterback sneak.
The Jags field goal was set up by a 40-yard run by Etienne, who already has nine carries for 85 yards so far today.
FIELD GOAL JAGUARS: The Jaguars settle for a field goal to make it 10-0 Jacksonville.
INTERCEPTION: Lawrence throws an interception at the goal line on first and goal. The pass intended for Jones is intercepted by Simmons.
Another Broncos defensive penalty gives the Jaguars first and goal.
The Broncos are once again forced to punt, this time on fourth-and-three.
The Jaguars capitalize on the interception and turn it into a touchdown:
Here is a look at the Wilson interception:
TOUCHDOWN JAGUARS: The Jaguars are on the board with a Trevor Lawrence pass to Evan Engram for 22 yards. The extra point is GOOD. 7-0 Jaguars.
INTERCEPTION: Wilson throws an interception on second down on an under-thrown ball. The pass intended for Sutton is intercepted by Jaguars' Campbell.
The Jaguars had more success on their first drive than the Broncos, recording a first down, but they are also forced to punt.
Wilson nearly throws an interception on his first play of the game, showing once again the issues with the offense. The Broncos go three-and-out on the first drive and are forced to punt.
The pressure is on today for Russell Wilson, who is coming back from a hamstring injury. At this point of the season Wilson should be more acclimated to his new offense and if the trend continues the way it's been going, the panic in Denver will only increase.
The Broncos defense is excellent and their offense is garbage with or without Russell Wilson. The Jaguars are talented on offense but youth and inexperience continually rear their ugly head in key situations resulting in their scoring just 17 points even with 450 yards vs. the Giants. The Jags defense is excellent allowing under 20 despite their offense putting them in tough spots. The line is 40 but the sims project both teams to score 1 fewer point than expected.
