Jaguars bold predictions for pivotal AFC battle in Week 16 against Broncos

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Jaguars bold predictions for pivotal AFC battle in Week 16 against Broncos

Ben Strauss, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Dec 17, 2025 ·

5 min read

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The Jacksonville Jaguars should be feeling great heading into Week 16 . Jacksonville is 10-4 on the season and is in great position to make the playoffs during Liam Coen's first season as head coach . They certainly looked like a formidable team during their beatdown of the Jets in Week 15. But they face a completely different challenge this weekend.

Jacksonville heads to Mile High to face the class of the AFC in Denver on Sunday. This game should have huge playoff implications for both teams.

The Jaguars are in tight race with the Texans for AFC South division title. Both Jacksonville and Houston are almost guaranteed to make the playoffs in the AFC. However, winning the division guarantees home-field advantage, at least in the first round. That is a valuable commodity, especially in a single-elimination playoff format. That makes competing for the highest possible seed incredibly important.

Meanwhile, the Broncos are one of the few teams to have already punched their ticket to the playoffs. They are in position to win the AFC West, but their motivation is to win the No. 1 in the entire AFC.

As a result, both teams should come ready for a fight.

But which squad will come out on top of this one? Could the Jaguars pull off an upset against one of the AFC's best teams?

Below we will explore three Jaguars bold predictions ahead of their huge Week 16 matchup against the Broncos.

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Trevor Lawrence comes back to earth, still plays well against Broncos

Has Trevor Lawrence finally arrived in 2025?

The fifth-year quarterback looked like the generational talent he was billed as when entering the NFL in Week 15. Lawrence threw for 330 passing yards and five touchdowns against the Jets, while also adding a touchdown on the ground.

New York's defense is not what it once was, but it was still incredibly impressive to see Lawrence shred them so thoroughly.

According to Jaguars PR, Lawrence joined some exclusive company with the statistics he compiled against the Jets on Sunday.

"[Lawrence] is the third player in NFL history with at least 250 passing yards (285), four touchdown passes (four), 50 rushing yards (51) and one rushing touchdown (one) in a single game, joining QBs Trent Green and Michael Vick ," the post read.

But the task will be quite different against Denver.

The Broncos have a good all-around defense that features some star talent. However, their real superpower is that they play incredibly well together as a unit.

This should present a great challenge for the Jaguars to see where they stand before the playoffs in a few weeks.

Lawrence will not have a repeat performance in Week 16, but I see him playing a great game nonetheless.

I'm predicting that Lawrence will have at least 300 passing yards and two total touchdowns against the Broncos.

Travis Etienne dominates once again following Bhayshul Tuten injury

Etienne looked like the 2022 version of himself against the Jets on Sunday.

The veteran running back had a poor day running the football, only managing 32 rushing yards on 12 carries. However, he excelled in the receiving game. He hauled in three receptions for 73 receiving yards and three touchdowns. That's right, every time that Etienne caught the ball, he scored.

That specific outcome is a little fluky, but it does go to show that Etienne is still a dangerous running back who is hard for opposing defenses to stop.

Etienne could be in for a large workload against the Patriots.

Backup Bhayshul Tuten underwent surgery for a finger injury and is expected to miss some time. When Etienne needs rest, the Jaguars can lean on LeQuint Allen Jr. or DeeJay Dallas . But I wager they will let Etienne handle most of the work during this important game.

When Etienne has been given a lot of touches this season, he often produces a big game. I think he'll keep that streak going in Week 16.

I'm predicting that Etienne will have over 125 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns against the Patriots.

Jaguars defense stifles Patriots offense, helps secure one-score win

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jacksonville's defense has been surprisingly stingy throughout the 2025 season.

The Jaguars do not give up many yards and have done a great job at creating turnovers this season. In fact, Jacksonville ranks fourth in the league in turnover differential at +10.

This matchup against Bo Nix and Denver's offense will be fascinating because it will largely be a schematic test for Jacksonville's coaching staff. The Broncos simply do not have the horses to dominate on offense with sheer talent alone.

As long as the Jaguars come into this game with a good game plan, I think they can come away with a win.

I'm predicting that Jacksonville will sack Drake Maye at least three times. They will also limit TreVeyon Henderson to fewer than 75 rushing yards and force at least one turnover.

If all of this happens, I see the Jaguars winning this game by at least one score.

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