DENVER — For three months, the Broncos have turned the page after wins.
They've reviewed the tape, made the necessary corrections and moved on.
In the aftermath of a 34-20 loss that ended the Broncos' 11-game winning streak, Head Coach Sean Payton challenged his team to do the same.
"I said to them, 'One of the things you managed to do each week is get on to the next challenge,'" Payton said Sunday. "In other words, digest the win. I think the same thing has to apply, especially on a short week like this. You've shown the ability to digest the game before, and then get on to the next challenge — and you have to do the same after a tough loss."
The Broncos' loss ended a 12-game home winning streak dating back to last season, and the defeat marked Denver's first regular-season loss by more than one score since Week 9 of 2024.
"Losing [stinks] no matter what time of the year it is," tackle Mike McGlinchey said. "Certainly, it was a big game. Jacksonville played well. They had a great plan, executed well. They played better than us today in all phases."
Payton pointed to a number of key areas where the Broncos fell short, including on third down and in the turnover battle.
Denver's offense finished 5-of-14 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down, while the Jaguars started 7-of-10 on third down before eventually finishing with an 8-of-15 mark. Jacksonville was particularly effective during a 14-point third quarter in which the team converted all four of its third downs. The Broncos' top-ranked third-down and red-zone defense also allowed touchdowns on the Jaguars' first four red-zone trips before getting a stop in the fourth quarter.
The Jaguars also won the turnover battle by a plus-two margin, marking the first time since Week 10 that Denver lost the takeaway ratio.
"Part of this process is not fooling ourselves," Payton said. "They beat us tonight. They beat us good in all three areas, and it starts with me. Even though that hurts going down, you can't spit it out and you have to swallow it. That's the truth. They beat us in all three areas. We have to coach better. We have to look at what we're doing. We have to make sure we're not doing too much, and we have to do that all on a quick turnaround."
As the Broncos begin to turn their attention from their loss toward Kansas City on Christmas Day, their previous success still has them poised atop the conference. With two more wins, the Broncos would be assured of an AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Other results around the league could result in earlier clinching scenarios, but Denver's fate over the next two weeks is firmly its in own hands.
And because the Broncos still control their own destiny, the loss can be viewed as a reset rather than the end of any of their clearly stated goals.
"We got hit in the mouth today, and they played a good game and we let it get away," quarterback Bo Nix said. "But you'd rather have it hit you now than in the first round of playoffs. I wouldn't call it a wake-up call, because we were playing well. It's just one of those that will reset you and put you back in, get you back to where you need to be. It'll put you in a good mindset if you'll let it.
"You can't let this one linger. We have to move on and attack this week on just a short couple of days."
But as the Broncos quickly turn toward Week 17, learning lessons from Sunday's loss to the Jaguars does not mean forgetting the streak-snapping loss.
"Feel it," inside linebacker Alex Singleton said. "Why move on from it? Let's remember this and go get a win on Thursday."
