Broncos get nightmare Week 2 ESPN prediction that could put season in jeopardy

The Denver Broncos were blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season. It was a brutal loss that raised uncomfortable questions just one week into the season.

While Sean Payton and the Broncos should be able to rebound going forward, it won't be easy in Week 2 against the Jacksonville Jaguars . They've been red-hot for a while now and could pose a threat to the Broncos in Denver.

ESPN's Pamela Maldonado predicts that this Week 2 matchup will have a nightmare-ish result for the Broncos. Maldonado predicts Denver will lose their Week 2 matchup, drop to 0-2 on the year, and put their 2026 season at risk already.

Broncos predicted to drop to 0-2 by ESPN analyst

"Denver's offense hasn't shown enough to justify laying points. The Broncos produced only 176 yards and 3.6 yards per play in their Week 1 loss to the Chiefs," Maldonado writes. "... Defense makes the Broncos the favorite, but the Jaguars have the more trustworthy offense to win outright."

While the Broncos might be favored in this game, as it's a home matchup, and that Week 1 performance might be a fluke, the Jaguars have been playing great football for a while now.

They demolished the Cleveland Browns in Week 1. It wasn't just the Jaguars offense that thrived; their defense was shut down for most of the game, allowing a long garbage-time touchdown to give Cleveland their only TD of the day in Week 1.

Considering how poorly the Broncos offense performed in Week 1 against the Chiefs, it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to believe this Jaguars defense will stay hot and shut down the Broncos offense in Week 2.

If this prediction were to come true, and the Jaguars do upset the Broncos and send the Broncos to a 0-2 record after Week 2, there will be some real doubts creeping in about this team.

Whether it's about Bo Nix , the defense, Jaylen Waddle , Davis Webb , or Payton and the entire front office, an 0-2 start to the season after a near Super Bowl trip would be quite the rough start to the year.

Their season wouldn't be over, but such a poor start would give the Broncos little margin for error the rest of the season. With a difficult schedule the rest of the way, a 0-2 start to the season, as Maldonado predicts, could put the Broncos' season at risk already.