Game balls for rookies and others in Broncos 23-13 win over Jaguars

2-0! We love handing out game balls every week cause it means the Denver Broncos are winning every week.

There were plenty of game balls to give out as both the offense and defense had very good games. Offensively, they probably should have had a lot more points but they dominated time of possession anyway by nearly a 2-1 margin. That left the defense fresh and able to frustrate Trevor Lawrence for most of the game. The only black eye goes to the special teams unit that continues to be an embarrassment under Tom McMahon.

Anyway, here are our game balls for the Broncos 23-13 road win over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Vic Fangio

For as many in-game head coaching gaffes Vic Fangio had during his first two seasons in Denver, he has been outstanding through two games to start 2021. Even more so, the team just seems more organized and prepared leading up to each game as well. I am sure there are a lot of haters out there just waiting for that first call to go bad so they can call for his head, but I’ve just been impressed by Fangio’s leadership this season so far. He’ll make mistakes this season, but if he can pile up good calls early and keep the team winning then it should make those inevitable mistakes marginal in the grand scheme. - Tim Lynch

Teddy Bridgewater

I ended last season making the statement that the Broncos absolutely had to find an upgrade at quarterback. Look no further than Teddy Bridgewater. He hasn’t been good, he’s been great. Yes, the Jaguars aren’t the best the NFL has to offer, but good quarterbacks put up 300+ yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs against bad teams. He’s just what the doctor ordered for this young offense and was a big part of making sure this game never went sideways on the Broncos. - Sadaraine

Javonte Williams

Javonte Williams averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He finished the game with 64 yards on 13 carries. He added one catch for ten yards. Not an eye-popping stat line. However, Williams continues to show his talent. On more than one occasion, he picked up big yardage on tough plays. In the Broncos second to last drive, he kept the ball moving with a 14 yard run on 3rd and 8. They would eventually get a field goal, which effectively ended the game. The running attack for the Broncos has not been great, but Williams continues to show flashes. His role will continue to grow, especially if he continues to come up big in big situations. - Adam Malnati

Courtland Sutton

Courtland Sutton had himself a day against the Jaguars. And it was a great to see. In the final preseason game, Sutton got into the end zone, and that was huge for his confidence. But to go off like he did on Sunday let his teammates, his quarterback, his coaches, his opposition, and, more importantly, himself know that he’s back. He proved to himself that he can play a high level after his injury. Sutton finished with a game-high nine catches for another game-high 159 yards. Welcome back, Sutton. - Ian St. Clair

Patrick Surtain II

Patrick Surtain II had a pretty awesome moment vs the Jaguars, both professionally and personally. Repeating his dad’s feat by notching his first NFL interception in the 2nd game of his career (Surtain Sr. did it with the Dolphins in a win over the Bills in the 1998 season), Surtain helped squash the Jaguars’ hopes for a comeback with a highly athletic, heady interception. He not only beat out the receiver to get to the deep pass right at the sideline, but showed the technique and presence of mind to get his 2nd foot down in time to secure the turnover. Great stuff from the promising rookie in his first NFL start. - Taylor Kothe

Kareem Jackson

Other than the first drive of the game, the defense balled out yesterday. A big reason for the that was the play of Kareem Jackson. He led the team in tackles with six (4 solo) and he had one of our two interceptions. One of his solo tackles was on a run where he cut down James Robinson on a sweep. He was the only defender anywhere close the running back and if KJack doesn’t make that tackle, Robinson gets a really long run.

Beyond his stat sheet plays, KJack was the general on the defense making sure that Justin Strnad and Patrick Surtain were in the right place and knew what they were doing. Both guys where playing for injured starters Malik Reed was as well, but I’m guessing Malik knows where he should be since he was the starter all last year. - Joe Mahoney

Von Miller

So long as Bradley Chubb’s a shell of himself or out of the lineup, Von Miller IS the Broncos pass rush. He notched his third sack of the season today and played a critical part in the pass defense all afternoon.

I’ll admit I’m a bit nervous as to what that means when he sits against better opponents, but he clearly dictated the Jaguars pass protection when he was on the field today. Credit to Fangio for moving the Vonster around to stress Trevor Lawrence. - Joe Rowles

Who gets your game ball from the Broncos-Jaguars game? Let us know in the comments section below.