Jacksonville, Fla. – A trampoline was brought onto the field at halftime Sunday and a guy was jumping on it while strapped in skis. Cute, but corny.
I thought the Jaguars might leave the thing out there, put all 11 of their offensive players on it and try hopping over the Broncos’ defense to get some momentum, yards and points.
It got that bad for the Jaguars’ offense in the first half.
No third-downs converted on five attempts. No rushing first downs. Fewer than nine minutes of possession time. Zero points.
We knew the Jaguars had a bold defense. It entered ranked No. 2 in the league. We thought the Broncos did, too. It arrived ranked 12th. So, this was going to be a game where the offensive line that was first and last to crack backs was going to help determine the outcome in a mighty way.
That was the essence of the Broncos’ 20-7 victory over the Jaguars. The Broncos’ offensive linemen won the fracas, did the slugging, kept the Jaguars’ defense on the field for 41 first-half plays compared with 18 for the Broncos’ defense. By game’s end it was Jaguars defense 73 plays, Broncos defense 47.
The heat index was 89 degrees at kickoff, but it felt hotter and more humid. Not like the inferno in the opener at Miami, but sticky, nonetheless.
“Their defensive line is big and strong and powerful, and they have Pro Bowlers over there and a lot of respect,” Broncos offensive tackle George Foster said. “Even though they are used to this heat and humidity, no defense wants to be in it like that.”
Beat up and wore down.
The Broncos entered this game insisting they would not recoil from this roughneck defensive front with potent linebackers. Teams get intimidated by this bunch, but the Broncos’ linemen entered with the proper mind-set and courage.
“They won the game so I’ll give them all of the credit for whatever they said they did,” Jaguars defensive tackle Marcus Stroud said, pride wounded, but still feisty. “If that was their game plan, it worked. They did what they needed to do. I’m not giving them anymore credit than that.”
His coach, Jack Del Rio, did the rest.
“We are going to have better Sundays,” he said, “but today we took one on the chin.”
Upside the head and in the gut, too, served by the Broncos’ defense, of course, but delivered in equal force by the Broncos’ offensive line.
The Broncos failed to convert their first third-down play, a third-and-1 at their 40-yard line, but made it on their second chance, a third-and-2 at the Jacksonville 26.
That set up a second quarter where the Broncos made good on a fourth-and-1 that led to a touchdown and a third-and-9 that led to another. Those 14 points proved enough to win.
Especially with the offensive line by game’s end having helped the Broncos gain a plus-11 advantage in first downs and a plus-176 yard advantage in rushing.
This is a quirky group, one that does not like granting interviews and sends Foster, the youngest among them, to represent. Their motto is the more you talk, the more you have to take back.
Not only did the line do the blocking, it did the early scoring, with tight end-turned- guard/tackle Dwayne Carswell grabbing two second-quarter touchdown passes.
“It’s a close-knit group,” Carswell said. “I kind of fell into it.”
Jake Plummer saw the pounding up close all day long, saw his linemen win. Now, he said, that will be expected every week. He has a point. If these linemen can produce this kind of success on the road against this caliber of defense, they should win most encounters.
Another thing about the first half – not a single penalty from the Broncos’ linemen and only one (illegal man downfield) for the game.
Denver had the ball the final 1:56 and ran out the clock.
“Our linemen were still fighting on that last drive,” running back Mike Anderson said. “They were fighting until the last run. What a way to finish, with the lead and with your offense on the field. I’ll take that back to Denver any day.”
And easily find folks who will gladly receive it.
Staff writer Thomas George can be reached at 303-820-1994 or tgeorge@denverpost.com.
