Trevor Lawrence delivered his finest performance of a breakout season, throwing three touchdown passes and running for another as the Jacksonville Jaguars rolled past the Denver Broncos 34-20 on Sunday, snapping Denver’s 11-game winning streak and shaking up the AFC playoff race.
Lawrence, in the midst of a six-week heater, continues to master first-year coach Liam Coen’s offense. The Jaguars have now outscored their last six opponents by a staggering margin, but this one stood out as the sharpest showing yet from their franchise quarterback. Jacksonville (11-4) won its sixth straight game, maintained its grip on the AFC South lead, and handed Denver (12-3) its first loss since Week 3.
The defeat also ended the Broncos’ 12-game home winning streak and marked their first loss at Empower Field since Oct. 13, 2024. While Denver remains atop the AFC playoff picture, its lead over the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC West was trimmed to one game, with the teams set to meet in Week 18. The Broncos now face a short turnaround with a Christmas night trip to Kansas City.
After Denver rookie RJ Harvey pinballed his way through the defense for a 38-yard touchdown to tie the game at 17 on the opening drive of the second half, Jacksonville seized complete control. Lawrence answered with a 1-yard keeper, then connected with Parker Washington on a 63-yard strike that set up Travis Etienne’s 10-yard touchdown catch.
A miscue by Denver quarterback Bo Nix — a fumbled exchange with running back Jaleel McLaughlin — proved costly. “Both of us wanted the ball,” Nix explained. Lawrence capitalized, driving the Jaguars for their fifth consecutive score, capped by Cam Little’s 26-yard field goal to push the lead to 34-17.
Jakobi Meyers, the Jaguars’ trade-deadline addition, was held to four catches for 45 yards, but Washington picked up the slack in a big way. The second-year receiver hauled in six passes for a career-best 145 yards and a touchdown.
Denver mounted one last push after pulling within 34-20, but the rally fizzled when Nix telegraphed a fourth-down throw intended for Pat Bryant. Cornerback Jarrian Jones stepped in front for an easy interception at the Jacksonville 41.
The game ended on a somber note when Bryant was carted off in the final minute after a violent whiplash tackle by Montaric Brown following a leaping catch. Officials picked up the flag, ruling Brown did not hit Bryant in the head or neck area, though replays appeared to show contact to Bryant’s chin with the crown of Brown’s helmet. Nix later lamented the injury, calling a high throw with 31 seconds remaining “regrettable.”
In a matchup between the NFL’s two most penalized teams, Denver hurt itself with costly infractions, including two on a drive that ended with Lawrence’s go-ahead 1-yard touchdown run. Jacksonville also caught an early break when crowd noise at Empower Field contributed to a false start — followed by a late whistle that left blitzing safety P.J. Locke delivering a blind-side hit on Lawrence. Only the 15-yard personal foul was enforced, jump-starting a Jaguars touchdown drive.
Despite being sacked five times by Denver’s league-best pass rush — the Broncos have a franchise record-tying 63 sacks this season — Lawrence was unfazed. He finished 21 of 31 for 279 yards, three touchdown passes and no interceptions, while Jacksonville went 4 of 5 in the red zone against the NFL’s top red-zone defense.
Nix threw for a career-high 353 yards, but the rookie wasn’t at his sharpest, turning the ball over twice and enduring a frustrating afternoon that ended with concern for his injured receiver.
The Jaguars will look to keep rolling next Sunday at Indianapolis. The Broncos, meanwhile, head to Kansas City for a pivotal Christmas night showdown that could loom large in the AFC playoff chase.
