ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos showed their offensive potential in the second half of Sunday's win over the Jaguars.
And after watching the film of a 20-13 win, they also understand the importance of reaching that level of performance — and establishing an offensive identity — much earlier in the game.
"I think it has to show itself," Head Coach Sean Payton said on Monday of developing an offensive identity. "There has to be a sense of urgency. We're going to play in other games where that first half, for instance, won't get it done. So, we have to have that sense of urgency so that it's clear to everybody, 'This is who we are.' I think that's something that we're working on."
The Broncos scored on their first three drives of the second half, including a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns that tied and then won the game. On Denver's fourth possession, the Broncos picked up three first downs and bled the final 4:41 off the clock to secure the victory.
In the second half, Denver was 2-of-2 in the red zone — excluding the final kneel-down scenario — and recorded 204 total yards. The Broncos faced just four third downs in the second half — again, excluding the kneel down — and converted three of them en route to a 17-0 run to end the game.
"We could've been even better yesterday," tight end Evan Engram said Monday. "That's kind of just how we move. I think we know what we're capable of. It's very cool and a good feeling today to find a way to get a win. The second half is what we see ourselves as.
"… We're going to strive to have more days like that."
THE ADVANTAGE EARNED FROM A 'FANTASTIC' HOME CROWD
As the Broncos held the Jaguars to just 13 points in Sunday's win, they earned a significant boost from the home crowd.
On a pair of occasions, Jacksonville was forced to take timeouts as the crowd noise impacted the ability to make adjustments.
Notably, as Jacksonville faced a third-and-8 at the Denver 36-yard line with just under 10 minutes to play, quarterback Trevor Lawrence signaled for a timeout with the Jaguars trying to line up and the play clock winding down.
"It was significant," Payton said of the crowd noise. "Here's when you see it's significant: When you see there's this alignment by a tight end or receiver, the quarterback looks over, tries to [communicate]. … So there's a communication problem, relative to the formation, and twice I saw that right in front of me, and I think that's one of the plays you're referencing. So, a player lines up in a different spot than the quarterback expects. There's this, 'Hey, there's eight seconds, we're trying to get it fixed.' I think our crowd was fantastic yesterday."
Both when the Jaguars were in the huddle and when they were at the line of scrimmage, the Broncos' crowd made life difficult for Lawrence and Co.
"Ever since I've been here, I think our fans [have] always done an incredible job of just bringing the energy, bringing the noise," defensive tackle Malcolm Roach said Monday. "I think with it being the home opener for the season, it was kind of extra amped up. … They just did a great job like they always do. I'm a big believer [that] … we have the best fans in the NFL. They bring it every game, home and away. I'm happy that they're cheering for us and happy that we're giving them something to cheer about."
