The Denver Broncos won what may have been their ugliest victory of the season on Sunday, topping the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-10, to push their record to 8-4.
But as ugly as the game was to look at, it was an important win to get them back on course after a disappointing loss last week.
The win gets the Broncos back into the playoff picture, as the Miami Dolphins dropped their game to the Baltimore Ravens, and the fact that they did it without their starting quarterback is noteworthy.
Once again, it was the defense carrying the offense and coming up with clutch plays at crucial times to help preserve the victory
Here are five things we learned from the Broncos win over Jacksonville.
1. Paxton Lynch is not ready for prime time.
Make no mistake, the future looks bright for the Broncos’ first-round draft choice out of Memphis. He has a cannon for an arm, and his big-play potential makes us hearken back to the days of John Elway, the man who drafted him.
But Lynch showed why Trevor Siemian is the starter when healthy.
The Broncos offense struggled to gain first downs, let alone touchdowns, as they managed just 206 total yards on the day.
Lynch finished 12 for 24 for just 104 yards and an abysmal 4.3 yards per pass.
His footwork looked unpolished, and he was unable to get any sort of chemistry with his receivers.
The offense went a pathetic one for 13 on third down conversions against a Jacksonville defense that allows their opponents to convert 42 percent of the time.
Paxton Lynch has a very bright future. But he is simply not ready right now.
2. The special teams bounced back.
After a horrible showing last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, you had to suspect that special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis would demand improvement from this group.
Last Sunday night, the Broncos allowed multiple big returns, had a turnover and committed numerous penalties that certainly helped doom their cause against the Chiefs.
On Sunday, the Broncos had 40 punt return yards on four returns from Kalif Raymond, while holding Jaguars returners to just 17 yards on their four opportunities.
Rookie punter Riley Dixon averaged 46 yards per punt and pinned Jacksonville inside their own 20-yard line three times, thanks in large part to great coverage by cornerback Kayvon Webster.
Brandon McManus was perfect on the day, making two field goals, an extra point and booming his kickoffs out of the end zone.
3. The Broncos’ “No Fly Zone” is the NFL’s best defensive backfield.
I think we can all admit that the Denver Broncos defense has taken a step backward this season. There is no way that you can lose talented players like Malik Jackson, Danny Trevathan and David Bruton and not feel the impact.
But this Broncos defensive backfield is still the best unit in the NFL.
On Sunday, Chris Harris Jr., Aqib Talib, Bradley Roby, Darian Stewart, Justin Simmons and TJ.. Ward accounted for 20 tackles, two interceptions and a touchdown.
They held the Jacksonville offense to just 179 yards through the air and did not give Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles many open receivers all day.
The Denver defense has allowed way too many rushing yards this season, but the “No Fly Zone” is still the top unit in the league.
4. Von Miller can still carry this team when he has to.
While history will only remember the painful loss last week against the Chiefs, Broncos fans will remember the incredible game that Von Miller had. Miller notched 10 tackles and three sacks and played one of the greatest games in his career last Sunday night.
It was not quite that flashy on Sunday, as Von had just three tackles, but he was still a dominating force.
His pressure on Bortles in the third quarter forced an interception, which was returned to the house by Roby.
And his forced fumble in the fourth quarter, allowed the Broncos to kick the late game-clinching field goal.
After two straight games in which the Broncos allowed a late touchdown, it was good to see Von get back to doing what he does best.
5. The Denver Broncos season is still not over.
After such a crushing loss, last week, it was easy for many to throw the towel in on the 2016 season, but with the Dolphins losing on Sunday, the Broncos win puts them right back into the playoff picture.
Yes, the offensive line is still horrendous. And the defense is allowing way too many yards right up the gut. But anything can happen in the postseason, and the Broncos still have a chance to get there.
Denver has a very tough schedule with New England, Kansas City and Oakland still to come. But if the Broncos lost on Sunday, those games wouldn’t have mattered.
The win over Jacksonville wasn’t pretty, but they got it done.
