Jacksonville Jaguars @ Denver Broncos
Jaylen Waddle’s quiet Denver debut flips into a 138-yard day in a Broncos' 20-13 comeback over Jags
DENVER -- — Jaylen Waddle and Jonah Coleman's led a big second-half comeback by the Denver Broncos, who snapped the Jacksonville Jaguars' nine-game regular-season winning streak with a 20-13 victory Sunday.
After catching just one pass for 2 yards in his Denver debut, Waddle had eight catches for 138 yards and Coleman's 3-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter capped a 17-0 Broncos blitz after they'd fallen behind 13-3 early in the third quarter.
After allowing a field goal to open the second half, the Broncos (1-1) responded with a field goal, a 7-yard touchdown toss from Bo Nix to Nate Adkins and Coleman's first career TD, which came with 7:21 remaining after starter J.K. Dobbins had left with a hamstring injury.
The Jaguars (1-1), who had won their past nine regular-season games and by a combined 177 points, including a 34-20 win in Denver last December, punted on their next possession and the Broncos chewed up final 4:41 of game clock with Coleman running six times for 33 yards.
Trevor Lawrence led Jacksonville on three scoring drives as the Jaguars built a 13-3 lead on Bhayshul Tuten's 1-yard touchdown run and two field goals by Cam Little, from 44 and 23 yards.
Little was wide left on a 54-yard try in the fourth quarter before Denver's go-ahead touchdown drive.
The Broncos tightened up things on defense after missing a whopping 28 tackles in their season-opening loss at Kansas City six days earlier and they finally got the ball into Waddle's hands.
The Broncos got off to a slow start, failing to punch the ball into the end zone after Waddle's 49-yard reception at the 1 in the first half, settling instead for Wil Lutz's 20-yard field goal.
And Nix was picked off in the end zone by Jourdan Lewis, which led to Little's 44-yarder as time expired, giving Jacksonville a 10-3 halftime lead.
The Jaguars stalled at the Denver 5-yard line on the opening drive of the second half and Little's 23-yarder made it 13-3.
The Jaguars caught a big break on the game's opening drive when an illegal contact flag on cornerback Riley Moss negated a strip-sack by Nik Bonitto and recovery by Alex Singleton deep in Jacksonville territory.
Tim Tebow returned to Empower Field at Mile High for the first time since throwing an 80-yard touchdown pass to the late Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 8, 2012.
The former Broncos QB and Jacksonville native served as the Broncos' alumni flag planter and was recognized as the Broncos’ “Legend of the Game” for their home opener.
Jaguars: host the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Broncos: host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night.
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