Denver offense vs. Jacksonville defense

	BRONCOS OFFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	Run	17
	Pass	13
	Tot. Yds.	13
	Scoring	18
	Int's allowed	13
	Sacks allowed	26
	JAGUARS DEFENSE
	Ranking in the NFL:
	vs. Run	5
	vs. Pass	3
	Total yds. allowed	2
	# of Ints.	15
	# of Sacks	47
	Turnover differential	+13

The Broncos have pinpointed their inability to close out games in the fourth quarter but it's difficult to imagine that those problems will be rectified on Monday night against a hungry Jaguars team.

The simple fact is that Denver head coach Mike Shanahan must deal with his offense's inability to make plays in critical junctures. In last week's loss to Kansas City, the Broncos converted just 2-of-13 third downs and they went three-and-out on 5-of-14 series.

While QB Brian Griese isn't the entire problem, his propensity to turn the ball over inside the 20 is the biggest reason the team's red zone touchdown percentage is in the bottom third of the league. In five of Griese's nine starts, the Broncos have scored one touchdown or less, a daunting fact considering the Jaguars' defense is on pace to break the league record for points allowed in a season.

The common theme in Denver victories all season has been big plays in the passing game. Griese has been dinking-and-dumping too often and he needs to go up top to WR's Ed McCaffrey and Rod Smith with greater frequency. Jacksonville DCs Aaron Beasley and Fernando Bryant are playmakers who benefit from the pressure created by the front seven.

Denver needs to give Griese enough time to let his receivers work on Bryant with some double-moves early in the game. A polished route runner like McCaffrey could make something happen on the perimeter, which would slow down Jacksonville's aggressive pass rush.

The Broncos' offensive line and FB Howard Griffith need to be aware of MVP candidate Tony Brackens at all times. The Jags like to move Brackens and OLB Kevin Hardy around at different positions along the line to find positive individual matchups. With corners and safeties blitzing from the secondary, OT's Tony Jones and Matt Lepsis could have a hard time diagnosing who's actually coming off the edge and who's dropping into coverage.

Denver's ground game was working well last week but Shanahan was forced to abandon it too early because down-and-distance situations dictated they throw the ball. RB Olandis Gary, who rushed for a respectable 61 yards on 14 carries last Sunday against the Chiefs, must be a workhorse on Monday. The Broncos mixed it up a week ago, giving FB Howard Griffith (2 att., 19 yds.) a couple of carries in the second quarter.

With few other options in a vanilla ground game, look for the Broncos to rely on these two players to dictate the tempo of the game. The Broncos need to establish a ball-control attack in order to keep Jacksonville's suddenly resurgent offense on the sidelines.

Look for the Jags to spread the field with an array of multiple-receiver sets, often flexing TE Damon Jones wide and using their running backs in the slot. WR's Jimmy Smith and Keenan McCardell have feasted on some inexperienced cornerbacks the past two weeks, each recording a pair of 100-yard games in those victories. That run will end on Monday night when they lineup across from vets Ray Crockett and Dale Carter.

The Broncos, who are surrendering only 186.4 yards per game through the air, will play plenty of press coverage on the outside in order to disrupt the timing that Brunell is starting to develop with his "go-to" guys.

Another key player for the Jaguars will be TE Damon Jones, who has been forced to assume a greater role with starter Kyle Brady sidelined with a hamstring injury. Jones can't afford to fatigue playing every snap against tight end-killer OLB Bill Romanowski. Though it's hard to foresee him posting huge numbers, Jones must at least pose a threat between the hashes to prevent the safeties from overplaying the outside receivers, especially deep threat Smith.

The Jags are hoping the 11-day layoff will give RB Fred Taylor's sore hamstring enough time to heal. Taylor has been de-activated the past three games and the Jags running game, while productive, has lacked a big-play element. In all likelihood, Taylor will split some carries with grinder James Stewart, who became the first running back all season to record a 100-yard game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The key to the Stewart-Taylor combo will be the play of interior linemen LOG Ben Coleman, OC John Wade, and ROG Zach Wiegert. This inside trio played by far its best game of the season against the Steelers' dominant front seven. Their test this week will be controlling DTs Trevor Pryce and Keith Traylor.

The Broncos played much too soft last Sunday against the Chiefs, as they were gauged for 177 yards by a collection of average running backs. Kansas City surprised the Broncos by throwing the ball early -- 26 times in the first half -- to set up draws and the inside run game.

The Broncos must do a better job of gap control up front and the linebackers and secondary need to tackle much better than they did a week ago. Defensive coordinator Greg Robinson was embarrassed by his team's sloppy effort and will have a "quick hook" on Monday if he sees any lethargic play.