The Denver Broncos were punched in the mouth Sunday as their 11-game winning streak was snapped by the Jacksonville Jaguars in a full-team collapse that saw them allow a season-high 34 points at home.
“All the things that were important or are important to winning, we didn’t do a good enough job with and that starts with me. They were better on third downs. They won the turnover battle, and they won the kicking battle,” coach Sean Payton said of his team’s performance.
Uncharacteristically, Denver's defense, which has been among the top of the league in almost all statistical metrics, was gashed by the Jaguars’ offense, particularly on third-down attempts.
Sean Payton on defensive breakdowns vs. Pass in recent weeks: “Too many.” Pic.twitter.com/NJPft5f4m4
— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) December 22, 2025
Third Downs Broke the Denver Broncos
This season, the Denver Broncos’ defense has been known for its relentless pass rush, which has applied constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks, forcing them into quick decisions that often result in either sacks or their receivers being tackled short of the markers.
However, that wasn’t the case against the Jaguars.
Jacksonville took advantage of untimely penalties and broken tackles by the Broncos, finishing 8-15 on third-down attempts for a 53.3% conversion rate. Denver entered the matchup ranked first in the NFL, allowing only a 31.9% third-down conversion rate to their opponents.
Many Denver Broncos players pointed to poor angles and broken tackles as the reason for their lackluster performance. The defense’s inability to get off the field on third downs gave Jacksonville advantageous field position.
Unlike last week against the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville took full advantage of these opportunities, going 4 of 5 on red-zone touchdown attempts.
Although the Broncos played well last week, there has been a noticeable decline in their defense since the bye, allowing 25.8 points per game compared with the 17.5 points allowed before the break.
Broncos points per game allowed:
— Andrew Mason (@MaseDenver) December 22, 2025
Before the bye: 17.5
After the bye: 25.8
"I feel like we're not playing our type of ball,” pass rusher Nik Bonitto said about the team’s defense since the bye week. "We just got to be better."
However, a silver lining is that Denver has little time to dwell on this loss, as the team has already begun preparing for its Christmas Day matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sean Payton and his team will need to use this game as a wake-up call and the matchup against the Chiefs as a get-right game before hosting the Los Angeles Chargers in a season finale that could decide the AFC West division champion.