Week 16 represents a defining moment for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Traveling to Denver to face a 12–2 Broncos team in one of the league’s most hostile environments, they'll be presented with an opportunity to either validate their late-season surge or fuel the narrative that it has benefited from timing and circumstance rather than substance.
Critics point to recent results. wins over the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and the Tennessee Titans came by wide margins, but each has been contextualized by injuries, inconsistency, or roster limitations. On the other hand, Jacksonville suffered decisive losses to playoff-caliber opponents -- Houston, Los Angeles, and Seattle early in the season.
But this week is different. It is not about margin of victory or aesthetics; it is about proving the Jaguars can dictate terms against an elite opponent with postseason stakes firmly in view.
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The Jaguars will need Josh Hines-Allen to come through vs. the Broncos
For head coach Liam Coen and company, the path to a win this week and silencing those outside the walls begins on the edge.
The Jaguars’ defense is built around pressure, and no player embodies that identity more than their premier edge threat in Josh Hines-Allen. Through 14 games, he leads the team with eight sacks, but the deeper metrics tell the real story.
His 76 total pressures nearly double the next closest teammate, defensive tackle Arik Armstead, who has 43. Add in 17 quarterback hits and 51 hurries, and the picture becomes crystal clear. It's a sack artist consistently disrupting protection schemes, collapsing pockets, and forcing quarterbacks into accelerated decision-making.
And that disruption is exactly what Jacksonville needs at Mile High.
Denver’s offensive approach with quarterback Bo Nix has become increasingly aggressive following the injury to JK Dobbins. The Broncos are comfortable asking him to drop back 25 or more times a ballgame and taking calculated shots when protection holds. For the Jaguars, they can't allow that comfort to exist. The sophomore signal-caller is at his best when his feet are set, and timing routes develop cleanly, but pressure changes that equation quickly.
Even when pressures don't result in sacks, they matter. They shorten reads, invite mistakes, and limit Denver’s ability to stay on schedule.
Against a Broncos team that thrives on efficiency and rhythm, disruption is simply a non-negotiable this week. And it all starts with No. 41.