The Jacksonville Jaguars struck an authoritative blow in Week 16 of the NFL by defeating the Denver Broncos 34-20, ending the Colorado team’s streak of 11 consecutive victories and consolidating their position as leaders of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division.
With this victory, Jacksonville improved its record to 11-4, placing itself in a privileged position for the postseason. Leading the AFC South, the Jaguars currently occupy one of the direct tickets to the playoffs, and will maintain that status if they can win at least one of the two remaining games of the regular season. Below is the Jaguars vs Broncos recap.
Trevor Lawrence leads Jacksonville to victory
Trevor Lawrence since Week 13 (and counting):
1,050 passing yards
14 total TDs
0 INTs pic.twitter.com/WK82iTXDEX– Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) December 21, 2025
The great protagonist of the game was quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who had a solid and efficient performance.
Lawrence threw for 279 yards and three touchdown passes, leading an offense that capitalized on key Denver mistakes.
Despite being caught five times, the quarterback maintained control of the game and responded in the decisive moments.
The Jaguars’ defense was also decisive, especially in the second half, limiting the Broncos’ offensive options and stopping any comeback attempt.
Broncos lose, but remain AFC powerhouse
Here they come 🐆#JAXvsDEN pic.twitter.com/UUVsY07aMZ
– Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) December 22, 2025
Despite the setback, the Denver Broncos are not losing ground in the big game.
With a 12-3 record, the team remains the leader of the AFC West and the top seed in the conference.
The Broncos have already clinched their place in the postseason, although the loss prevented them from continuing to build momentum heading into January.
The worrying note for Denver was the injury to receiver Pat Bryant, who had to leave the game on the emergency cart after taking a hard blow to the head during the last offensive series.
So far, the team has not officially reported the severity of the injury.
Steelers clinch the AFC North
“200 wins in the NFL.”
Mutual respect between Rodgers and Tomlin 🤝 @Steelers pic.twitter.com/XeonK8iugW
– NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2025
In another key matchup on Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Detroit Lions 29-24, a result that places them as leaders of the AFC North division with a 9-6 record.
Pittsburgh will secure its playoff berth if it can maintain that position with two more wins in the season finale.
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a key player, throwing for 266 yards and a touchdown pass, while running back Jaylen Warren stood out with 143 ground yards and two touchdowns, being the team’s offensive engine.
Detroit, with a record of 8-7, sees its chances of advancing to the postseason reduced, depending now on multiple combinations of results.
Other results of the day
Won in red. pic.twitter.com/fJDxyPGofz
– Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) December 22, 2025
In Houston, the Texans suffered more than expected to defeat the Las Vegas Raiders, the worst team in the AFC with a 2-13 record, 23-21.
With this win, Houston improves to 10-5 and remains in the direct fight with Jacksonville for the South lead, and is very close to securing its ticket to the playoffs.
The Atlanta Falcons overcame the Arizona Cardinals 26-19, in a duel between two already eliminated teams.
Later in the day, the Baltimore Ravens would host the New England Patriots, while Week 16 will close this Monday with the San Francisco 49ers visiting the Indianapolis Colts.
For U.S. Hispanic fans, the NFL’ s final stretch promises an intense definition of divisions and playoff tickets, with several teams still fighting for their place in the Super Bowl.
Filed under: Jaguars vs Broncos