DENVER — The Broncos' offense had chances in the first half.
They converted them in the second.
"Kind of felt like it was really a tale of two halves," Head Coach Sean Payton said after the Broncos' 20-13 win over the Jaguars. "Obviously, we played well in the first half, kind of a lower-scoring game. We had opportunities offensively. But then the second half, I thought we really kind of came out and had a lot more consistency."
The Broncos mustered three points in a pair of goal-to-go chances in the first half, as they were kept out of the end zone from the 1-yard line on their first set of attempts. Denver settled for a field goal after three consecutive runs before returning to the red zone on the next possession. On third down from the 8-yard line, Jacksonville's Jourdan Lewis picked off a pass to hold the Broncos to three points in their two attempts. Denver moved the ball 58 yards and 76 yards on those two drives, respectively, and finished the first half by outgaining Jacksonville 188 to 153. The scoreboard, though, did not reflect the near successes.
"We were so close, and we're a yard away and then a third-down conversion away from having 14 points and the game looking differently," Nix said.
In the second half, the Broncos' potential turned to points — and the game indeed looked quite different.
The Broncos scored on their first three possessions of the second half, including a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Denver's lone second-half possession that didn't end in a score came as the Broncos salted away the final 4:41 of the game.
"The thing was, like, [on] two different drives, we end up down there [in the red zone] and kind of shoot ourselves," Payton said of the first half. "I think the guys felt at halftime like, 'Let's just stick to the stuff we're doing well.' Like I said, the second half was entirely different."
Nix found tight end Nate Adkins for a 7-yard touchdown to tie the game early in the fourth quarter, and rookie running back Jonah Coleman plunged in from three yards away on Denver's next possession. The Broncos' touchdown drives traveled 64 yards and 56 yards, respectively.
"We played with great grit today, and we responded really well, and at the end of the day that's the most important thing," Nix said. "… I thought [the] defense played phenomenal today, and they did a great job. They kept us in the game and when we needed it, we found times to go get touchdowns."
In the win, Nix earned his fifth comeback after trailing by double digits, and he trails only Bills quarterback Josh Allen in that category since the start of the 2024 season. As the Broncos surged to 17 consecutive points in the second half, Nix completed 11-of-15 passes for 132 yards, a touchdown and a 122.1 passer rating.
"He's [such] a competitor," wide receiver Courtland Sutton said. "… There's this glimmer in his eyes that's like, 'Yes, I know y'all got me, and I got y'all. Let's go out there and go do it.' I love Bo, and I love his competitive nature. [I'm] looking forward to watching him continue to do that over the course of the season."
Sutton said the Broncos understood they "were in a dogfight against a really good team," and that meant the points didn't come early — even as Denver moved the ball in the second quarter.
"We just had to go out there and execute and correct some of the mistakes that we were having in the first half," Sutton said. "We were able to do that and overcome [those mistakes] and get a victory."
COLEMAN'S FIRST SCORE
Coleman posted a memorable debut, as the rookie scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win. On first-and-goal from the 3, Coleman barreled his way forward into the end zone.
"J.K. [Dobbins] always preached to me, 'Be ready for your opportunity,'" Coleman said. "'Be ready for your moment and take full advantage of it. You never know when your number is going to be called.' The offensive line had a great push, and I was able to get in there. But it felt great to do that and ultimately put the team up and be able to take the lead and just let the defense go out there and rush, because that's what we do. So, it was great to do that."
After the score, Coleman celebrated with a Mile High Salute, mirroring the tradition of Hall of Famer Terrell Davis.
"You just have to pay respect to the guys that came before you," Coleman said. "Terrell, him and I have the same marketing rep, so we talked before, talked a couple of times. He's one of the best to ever to do it. I just felt like I could pay my dues and pay my respects because, at the end of the day, you are playing for something bigger than yourself."
Coleman's biggest play, though, may have come on his final carry of the night. With 2:35 to play, Coleman picked up 12 yards on a second-and-11 play — and then slid down in bounds to keep the clock moving. The clock ticked down to the two-minute warning, and the Broncos were able to kneel out the clock for the win.
"We work on four-minute [situations], but that certainly didn't feel like a rookie series, if you will," Payton said. "He came up big, and we needed it. … His play right at the end, staying in bounds, that was something you cover, but maybe he doesn't get those same reps in practice. He did a good job."
