JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Stacie Lynch sat in section 244 behind the corner of the south end zone at EverBank Field, her hands clasped in front of her face and her furrowed brow shielded by sunglasses. She could not and would not wear a No. 12 jersey with her last name stamped across the back, out of fear of tipping off the screaming fans that surrounded her.
“This is hard,” she said as her son, Paxton, trotted onto the field. “I’m sick right now.”
So Stacie sat. Anonymous and still. And she hoped — hoped that Paxton’s second NFL start would end much differently than his first, as he filled in for an injured against the Jaguars.
It did. But it was far from pretty.
BRONCOS MAILBAG:
Keyed by three defensive takeaways, the Broncos (8-4) hung on to defeat the Jaguars, 20-10, bolstering their playoff standing and giving their rookie quarterback his first career victory.
“Well, he got his first win. That’s what I feel best about,” Broncos coach said. “Didn’t turn the ball over, which we knew would be huge here. I’m not sure we helped him much in the second half. … But we came in here and did what we needed to do to win.”
Lynch had no turnovers — his top priority in a critical road game — but the offense mustered only 206 yards and converted only one of 13 third down chances. He finished 12 of 24 passing for 104 yards, zero touchdowns and a 61.8 passer rating.
BOX SCORE:
“I’d say Paxton was decent. He didn’t play his best game,” said cornerback . “He didn’t have any turnovers. I’ll give him an ‘A’ for not having any turnovers.”
The game brought resolution to some of the Broncos’ issues following their overtime loss to Kansas City last week — namely the discovery of a punt returner and a strong close-out by the defense. But other issues remain.
No matter the quarterback, the Broncos have been unable to shake their slow starts. With Lynch at the helm, the Broncos planned to use him more in the shotgun formation and emphasize the run game. But he was put in a difficult position to start as the ground game stalled.
Lucky for the Broncos they played a team that entered on a nine-game slide and sat at the bottom of the league in most offensive categories behind quarterback . Jacksonville (2-10) could easily match and exceed Denver’s offensive woes. And it did Sunday.
The teams combined for seven punts to start, making for a forgettable first quarter. Although the Jaguars ended the streak with a 47-yard field goal, they also keyed a turnaround for Denver with a roughing penalty against Lynch on third down in the second quarter. The free first down allowed running back Kapri Bibbs to bust loose for 37 yards on two carries and set up a 6-yard score by Devontae Booker, who was pulled into the end zone by left tackle Russell Okung, with no penalty called.
The Broncos took a 7-3 lead that they would extend but never relinquish, despite a nail-biting finish.
Jacksonville stayed in it because of Denver’s offensive inefficiency. But they remained out of it because of their own miscues and Denver’s big defensive plays.
“Obviously there are things I need to correct,” Lynch said. “I know a couple of deep balls, I should given (our receivers) a chance to catch but I didn’t. But they’re a great defense.”
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The Broncos’ defensive takeover started with cornerback Chris Harris, who picked off a deep pass by Bortles in the second quarter and returned it 36 yards. It was followed by a pick-six by fellow cornerback midway through the third quarter. Outside linebacker pressured Bortles on the pass attempt that Roby picked off and returned 51 yards for a touchdown.
And Denver sealed the game with a fumble recovery by , after Miller forced the ball from Bortles, that set up a 41-yard field goal by in the final seconds.
“They were exceptional,” Kubiak said of his defense. “We knew coming in here that we needed to play great defense and win the turnover battle, win the field-position battle.”
Last week, the defense blamed itself for the loss to Kansas City after a penalty-ridden fourth quarter that allowed the Chiefs to storm back and force overtime. This week they wanted to regain their reputation as closers.
“The main focus all week was finishing strong and make sure we played great situational football,” Harris said. “I felt like we executed great. This is how we usually finish games. We usually finish the game off a turnover, and we were able to do that.”
The main focus this coming week? Mobilizing the offense, no matter who’s leading it.
At the final whistle Sunday Paxton Lynch removed his helmet, shook a few hands and then jogged back to the locker room, knowing his performance was far from what he had hoped. He got what he came for — a win — but not much else.
In section 244, Stacie Lynch just sat. Her hands still clasped, her cardigan still shading the Broncos logo on her shirt and her eyes still hidden behind her glasses.
That was hard, she’d probably say. But it was a victory.
Quarters
First quarter
A punt-a-thon early left both the Broncos and Jaguars scoreless in the first quarter. They combined for just 106 total yards. And neither team crossed midfield.
Second quarter
After Jacksonville used seven plays to go 30 yards for a field goal, the Broncos responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive for an impressive Devontate Booker 6-yard TD run.
Third quarter
The Broncos offense disappeared, gaining just 14 yards on a pair of three-and-out possessions. And the first drive started, ideally, in Jacksonville territory.
Fourth quarter
A big fourth-down stop for the Denver defense held tight to a seven-point lead. The Broncos’ offense continued to contribute little. But Von Miller and Shane Ray combined for a fumble and recovery late to seal the game.
