The Teddy Bridgewater era in Denver is off to a good start. Led by Bridgewater’s two touchdown passes and Von Miller’s two sacks on defense, the Broncos recorded an impressive 27-13 win over the Giants in Week 1. The Broncos will now look to win their second away game of the year this Sunday against the Jaguars, who dropped their first game of the Urban Meyer era in Houston. Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw for 332 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions in his NFL debut.
Denver is a six-point favorite entering Sunday’s game, according to Caesars Sportsbook, with the over/under set at 45.5 points. We’ll breakdown Sunday’s showdown as well as make our final score predictions between two teams that appear to be headed in opposite directions. But first, here’s how you can follow the action in real time:
How to watch
Date: Sunday, Sept. 19 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: TIAA Bank Field (Jacksonville, FL)
TV: CBS | Stream: Paramount+ (click here)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Odds: Broncos -6, O/U 45.5
Preview
Miller looked like his usual dominant self Sunday after missing the entire 2020 season with an injury. Miller and his teammates held the Giants to just 19 first downs, 59 rushing yards and 314 total yards. The Broncos defense will look to contain Lawrence, who had just one rushing attempt against the Texans. Lawrence will have to do a better job of taking care of the football Sunday. He will likely continue to spread the wealth to a receiving corps that includes D.J. Chark, Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault and tight end James O’Shaughnessy. Shenault led the Jaguars with seven receptions last week, while Chark and Jones each caught touchdown passes. While it appears that the Jaguars will run a pass-oriented offense, expect more rushing attempts Sunday after the Jaguars had just 16 in their season-opener. Lawrence will be facing a formidable Broncos secondary that includes Pro Bowl free safety Justin Simmons, veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller and rookie first-round pick Patrick Surtain II.
Jacksonville’s defense will again have its hands full Sunday. The unit allowed two touchdowns and 291 passing yards from Tyrod Taylor in last week’s loss. They also allowed 160 yards on 41 rushing attempts. Expect the Broncos to employ a similar game plan to the one the Texans ran against the Jaguars. Denver has the personnel to do it, as Melvin Gordon rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown, which included a 70-yard touchdown, against the Giants. Rookie Javonte Williams also contributed with 45 rushing yards in his regular season debut. The Broncos will have to lean more on receivers Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick, KJ Hamler and tight end Noah Fant with Jerry Jeudy being placed on injured reserve. Fant caught six passes for 62 yards in New York, while Hamler and Patrick combined to record 80 yards on seven receptions.
Prediction
Latest Odds: Jacksonville Jaguars +6
The Jaguars offense showed promise in Week 1, but the Broncos defense presents an overwhelming challenge for Lawrence in just his second NFL start. Losing Jeudy hurts, but Denver has enough depth to at least temporarily pick up the slack. If Bridgewater takes care of the ball and the Broncos can get similar production from their running backs, Denver should be on its way to an 2-0 start.
Broncos 31, Jaguars 17
Check out CBSSports.com for even more predictions on this game and the rest of Week 2.
