Tag: Jets vs. Broncos

D.J. Reed officially out for Week 5 with concussion

D.J. Reed is officially out for Sunday.

The Jets will officially be without two of their top four cornerbacks for their Week 5 trip to Denver.

D.J. Reed was not cleared from the concussion protocol Friday, as was expected, and will not play Sunday against the Broncos. The Jets had already ruled out Brandin Echols with a hamstring injury earlier in the week.

With Reed and Hall out, the Jets will have to figure out how to set their lineup for Sunday. They could simply put Bryce Hall into Reed’s spot Sunday or they could shuffle pieces around.

Head coach Robert Saleh even said Friday there was no hesitation about the possibility of moving nickel corner Michael Carter II outside.

It will be very interesting to see how the Jets put this puzzle together going up against the Broncos wide receivers. They also have extra depth now on the practice squad that may get called up as well this week. Craig James, Kalon Barnes and Tae Hayes were all added to the practice squad this week.

Instant thoughts after Jets defense comes up clutch, overcome offensive injuries to move to 5-2

Thoughts on what became a bittersweet day in Denver for the Jets

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Breece Hall went out. Alijah Vera-Tucker went out. Corey Davis went out. Yet the Jets found a way to win in Denver to move to 5-2. Here’s some thoughts and game balls on the Jets’ fourth straight win.

Quick Hits

  • This defense is absolutely incredible. I don’t want to hear “Brett Rypien was at quarterback.” The defense still had to make plays and they did. Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed each came up with three passes defended, including a huge one on fourth down late in the game by Gardner to all but seal the game.
  • The Jets did all this despite losing three players of their best offensive players to injury. The way this team rallied after that first half and all those injuries is a major credit to Robert Saleh for keeping everybody together and on the right path. That includes pitching a shutout in the second half. Huge team win for the Jets.
  • And unfortunately, on that injury front, it doesn’t look good for Hall. Saleh said it’s likely an ACL for him. Absolutely devastating for him after such a terrific start to his career. We also have to see what is going on with Vera-Tucker and Davis.
  • The Jets also won despite another underwhelming performance from the offense. Zach Wilson went just 16/26 for 121 yards. The team rushed for 155 yards on 24 carries, but 62 of those yards came on one play, the touchdown from Hall. Now, it’ll be Michael Carter leading the way again. Perhaps the Jets trade for a running back?
  • Third downs continue to haunt the Jets offense. They went just 3/14 on third down and only had 10 total first downs. The Jets also ran just 53 plays on offense while the Broncos had 75. Despite all that, the Jets held the Broncos to just nine points.
  • Bottom line is the Jets have won four straight behind an excellent defense and now have two huge opportunities at home to make some noise in the division, as the Patriots and Bills come to town over the next two weeks.

Key Stat

Nine total PBUs, six from Sauce and Reed: We touched on this earlier, but with how close the game was and the opportunities the Broncos had, especially at the end of the game, these pass breakups, especially from Gardner and Reed, were huge. To put it in perspective, the Broncos had just one pass breakup against Jets, by K’Waun Williams.

Game Balls

Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed: The six pass breakups and overall, keeping the Broncos in check. Jerry Jeudy did have 96 yards but Courtland Sutton only had 23. It could have been a lot worse.

Breece Hall: One last award for Hall before his season likely comes to an end. He scored the Jets’ only touchdown of the game on an incredible 62-yard run. He’ll be back and ready to roll again next season.

Greg Zuerlein: Greg the Leg is back. After a tough start to the season, Zuerlein has been very good for the Jets this season, including against the Broncos. He went 3/3 on field goals and is now 10/12 on the year. And with how close the game ended up being at the end, those field goals came in handy.

Key Takeaway

Jets need their defense now more than ever. The Jets’ defense has been a huge reason for their 5-2 start. But now, the pressure on them will grow even higher with the offense struggling with consistency and Breece Hall now likely out for the year.

The good news is the Jets still have plenty of winnable games left on their schedule and could still absolutely be looking at a 6-3 record heading into their bye. Plus, games against the Bears, Jaguars and Lions in the second half of the season mean the path to playoffs is still right in front of this team. They just have to find a way to rally and the defense has to keep playing the way they have been.

Watch: Breece Hall races for 62-yard touchdown as Jets strike first in Denver

Breece Hall is at it again

Breece Hall is just so darn good. The current favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year just added another bullet point to his argument for the award with a 62-yard touchdown run to kick off the scoring for the Jets, taking a 7-0 lead in Denver against the Broncos.

Excellent blocking helped spring Hall on the touchdown run, including Denzel Mims, who is seeing the field for the first time this season.

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New York Jets vs. Denver Broncos preview and prediction

Preview and prediction for Jets-Broncos

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The New York Jets head out west to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 7, going for their fourth straight win. The Broncos lead the all-time series 22-16-1 and have won two straight against the Jets. New York is looking for their first win over the Broncos since 2018 and have not won in Denver since 2010, having lost three straight and looking to end that streak as well.

The big story with the Jets coming into this game is the week of events surrounding wide receiver Elijah Moore. It started after last Sunday’s win over the Green Bay Packers when Moore tweeted his frustration over his lack of targets and usage in the offense. That snowballed into an argument with offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur before Thursday’s practice, ultimately sending Moore home. Moore then requested a trade from the Jets, a request that, at least for now, will not be honored by the team.

As a result, Moore will not play Sunday against the Broncos and it means fellow wide receiver — and fellow trade requester — Denzel Mims will be active for the first time this season.

The main headline on the Denver sideline is the change at quarterback this week due to injury. Russell Wilson will not play against the Jets as the team wants to allow his hamstring injury to heal properly and not push him. This means Brett Rypien will make his second career start against the team that his first career start came again. Rypien led the Broncos to a 37-28 win over the Jets back on October 1, 2020.

One of the biggest matchups to watch in this one will be the Jets’ defensive line — mainly Quinnen Williams, but certainly Sheldon Rankins as well — against the interior offensive line of the Broncos. Denver has been having issues in the middle this season. Left guard Dalton Risner and center Lloyd Cushenberry have struggled and right guard Quinn Meinerz is hurt and questionable for the game and would likely be limited if he does play.

Quinnen Williams has a streak of five straight games with at least a half-sack and, with the Broncos’ issues up front, has a good chance to make it six straight.

“Quinnen is playing at a different level,” head coach Robert Saleh said after Sunday’s win over the Packers. “We’re only six games in, but he’s got to continue that. He’s got 11 more left, but he keeps doing this and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be Pro Bowl, All-Pro, all the different accolades you can get. He’s playing at that type of level.”

Williams’ five sacks lead all interior defensive linemen this season, as does his 11 quarterback hits and he’s second in the group with 20 pressures.

While William’s has been getting it done for the veterans, even though he’s not even that old, it’s the rookies that have been getting it done for the Jets this season, namely Breece Hall and Sauce Gardner, who have combined to win the last three Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week awards. Can they make it four in a row?

Hall has a chance for another strong game against a Denver rush defense that ranks 18th in Football Outsiders’ DVOA metric as the Jets are really starting to find their identity on the ground. They’ll especially need it here because Denver is extremely good against the pass, ranking 2nd in DVOA behind only the San Francisco 49ers. Cornerback Pat Surtain II is quickly becoming a star in the league, if he isn’t there already.

Denver also has an excellent pass rush that is averaging 3.2 sacks per game this season, which is tied for fourth in the league. The Jets absolutely need to keep Zach Wilson clean in this one because Denver will be coming after him, led by Bradley Chubb.

Getting back to the rookies, Sauce Gardner gets another great test against the Broncos’ combo of Courtland Sutton (31 catches, 431 yards, 1 touchdown) and Jerry Jeudy (17 catches, 290 yards, 2 touchdowns). And while Gardner can only take care of one at a time, the Jets are fortunate that D.J. Reed can take care of the other. If those two can take care of business, the Jets’ pass rush should have plenty of time to get to Rypien, which goes back to the aforementioned battle of interior lines.

Even the edges for the Jets could have success. The Broncos have had to shuffle their tackles around as well after losing Garrett Bolles for the season to injury. Former Jet Calvin Anderson is among their group of tackles, along with Cameron Fleming and Billy Turner. If there’s one spot where the Jets absolutely have the advantage — other than quarterback — it’s here in the trenches.

As far as those quarterbacks go, safe to say the Jets have a clear advantage here. Yes, Rypien beat the Jets in his only other career start, but that Jets’ defense was the complete opposite of what they are now. Zach Wilson won’t need to do much to stay ahead of Rypien.

The Broncos will keep this game close thanks to their strong pass defense, but the Jets will rattle Rypien enough and take care of business on the ground with Hall and New York will come home as winners of four straight heading into a key stretch at home against the Patriots and Bills before their Week 10 bye.

Prediction: Jets 20, Broncos 16

Behind Emeny Lines with Broncos Wire’s Jon Heath

Getting some insight on the Broncos from Jon Heath of Broncos Wire

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The New York Jets head out west to the Mile High City to take on the 2-4 Denver Broncos Sunday. What’s going on with Russell Wilson? How can the Broncos handle Quinnen Williams? We discuss that and more with Broncos Wire editor Jon Heath.

1. It definitely seems like Russell Wilson has fallen off a bit. Is that his own doing or is Nathaniel Hackett partly to blame? We did see him play well in the first half against the Chargers but struggle in the second half. What version of Wilson can we expect going forward? Is this a salvageable situation, especially after Wilson signed a big extension this offseason?
It’s hard to say! I don’t think Wilson has completely fallen off a cliff, and I do believe that his shoulder and hamstring injuries are impacting his performance. Those injuries don’t account for Wilson’s sometimes-questionable decision-making, though. The veteran QB has not seen open receivers multiple times this season and it often feels like he’s playing in a box. That latter part might be partially Hackett’s fault. When Wilson is loose and running around, he looks like the younger QB that was so exciting to watch in Seattle. When he stays in the pocket and seemingly attempts to run Hackett’s offense, he’s been far less productive. It’s probably a combination of Wilson’s form taking a dip and Hackett’s offense and play-calling not suiting the quarterback’s strengths. They should be able to improve, but Wilson might not even return to the level he once played at.
2. How has the defense fared without Vic Fangio? What changed going from him to Ejiro Evero?
It’s done incredibly well and Evero has done a great job with the transition. One area where it’s different is Evero’s play-calling. He loves to blitz inside linebackers, something that Fangio very rarely ever did. They’re allowing just 16.5 points per game, which ranks as the fourth-best average in the NFL. Pat Surtain and Justin Simmons are making plays in the secondary and Bradley Chubb and Baron Browning are generating pressure off the edge. While the offense has struggled, Denver’s defense has been a strength.
3. The Broncos have some issues on the offensive line, especially after losing Garrett Bolles for the season with an injury. How does this team plan to handle Quinnen Williams and company?
It won’t be easy. Calvin Anderson started at left tackle last week but the Broncos then moved Cam Fleming from the right side to left tackle and Billy Turner went in at right tackle. Turner is probably going to start on the right side this week, but it remains to be seen if Anderson or Fleming will get the nod on the left side. The interior offensive line has also been a mess this year with guard Dalton Risner and center Lloyd Cushenberry underperforming. The o-line is definitely a weakness for Denver and New York should be able to exploit that.
4. How do the Broncos wide receivers match up against the Jets secondary? This seems to be one of the more fascinating matchups this week of Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy vs. DJ Reed and Sauce Gardner? How will the Broncos attack the Jets through the air?
If Wilson is cleared to play, don’t expect many passes in the middle of the field as that seems to be a bit of a blindspot for him. He loves targeting receivers on the outside and running backs in the flat. Sutton is a big, physical receiver who can go up and catch contested passes — Jeudy is more of a finesse slot receiver who gets open with excellent route-running. Sutton has been Wilson’s favorite target but lately, none of the team’s WRs have accomplished much while the entire offense struggles. Sutton on the outside might be a challenge for New York, but the Jets should be able to take away the middle of the field like other opponents have against Denver’s offense this season.
5. What is your score prediction for Sunday? Who wins and why?
In my Sports Weekly preview, I picked the Jets to win 21-20. I could see this being the week that the Broncos’ offense finally turns a corner, but until that actually happens, it’s hard to back them with any confidence. Denver’s defense could give New York a lot of trouble, so my score prediction is probably too high, but I think the Jets have to be considered the favorites with the Broncos’ offense struggling right now.

Jets vs. Broncos live stream, viewing and game info for Week 7

Viewing and game info for Jets-Broncos.

The New York Jets (4-2) take a three-game winning streak up into the air, literally and figuratively, as they head to the high altitude of Denver, Colorado to take on the Broncos (2-4). Will the Jets come back to lower altitude winners of four straight? We’ll find out Sunday. Here’s your viewing and game info for Week 7.

New York Jets at Denver Broncos, Sunday, October 23 (4:05 eastern)

TV info: CBS (Ian Eagle, Charles Davis, Evan Washburn)

In-market live stream: fuboTV (try it for free).

Radio: WEPN-FM, ESPN New York 98.7 (Bob Wischusen and Marty Lyons)

Location: Empower Field at Mile High – Denver, CO

Forecast: Partly Cloudy, 61 degrees

Referee: Bill Vinovich

Opponent Wire site: Broncos Wire

 

Michael Carter, Quinnen Williams among Jets’ Studs & Duds in Week 3 loss to Broncos

The Jets looked worse against the Broncos than they did against the Patriots. Here are some studs and duds from the action:

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The Broncos took control from the opening whistle and cruised to an easy win over the Jets in Week 3, handing New York its third straight loss to begin the 2021 season.

The Jets failed to put any points on the board, as Denver’s dangerous defense went after Zach Wilson early and often and got to the rookie quarterback with relative ease. Vic Fangio’s defense also took away New York’s rushing attack, forcing Wilson into third and longs on almost every series.

Here are the studs and duds from another ugly Jets loss.

Jets injury report: Elijah Moore in concussion protocol, Tyler Kroft injures ribs vs. Broncos

Tyler Kroft suffered a ribs injury and Elijah Moore is in concussion protocol after the Jets’ 26-0 loss to the Broncos.

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The Jets lost two of their offensive starters to injury against the Broncos, as Elijah Moore and Tyler Kroft both departed and did not return.

Kroft suffered a ribs injury, according to Robert Saleh, while Moore is in concussion protocol after suffering a blow to the head.

Moore caught three passes for 22 yards working before leaving New York’s 26-0 loss to Denver. Keelan Cole and Jeff Smith saw playing time on the outside in place of Moore. Kroft hauled in two passes for 12 yards and gave way to Ryan Griffin after leaving with his ribs injury.

Griffin would likely take over as the Jets’ starting tight end in the event that Kroft cannot suit up against the Titans next weekend. Moore’s potential absence would leave New York shorthanded at wide receiver, as Jamison Crowder is still dealing with a groin injury and Denzel Mims has been a healthy scratch the last two weeks.

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5 takeaways from the Jets’ Week 3 loss to the Broncos

Takeaways from the Jets’ Week 3 loss to the Broncos.

The Jets have never fared well in Denver. Their struggles at Mile High persisted in Week 3.

The Broncos stymied New York’s offense, taking away the ground game and limiting Zach Wilson to just 160 yards through the air in an easy 26-0 win.

The Jets never gave themselves a chance to bring an end to Denver’s hot start to the season. Between no semblance of offense, shotty defense and undisciplined play in all facets of the game, Robert Saleh’s team was lifeless in his third game at the helm.

Here are five takeaways from New York’s latest loss.

Jets vs. Broncos inactives: John Franklin-Myers active, Jamison Crowder missing third straight game

John Franklin-Myers will suit up for the Jets against the Broncos, while Jamison Crowder will miss his third straight game.

The Jets will be without Jamison Crowder for a third straight week, as New York’s starting slot receiver is out with a groin injury.

Crowder missed the Jets’ season opener due to COVID and then had his groin flare up once he returned to practice. Braxton Berrios will likely work primarily out of the slot with Crowder sidelined. Berrios caught seven of 11 targets for 74 yards against the Patriots in Week 2.

Denzel Mims is a healthy scratch for the second straight week after what Jets coaches called another productive week of practice. John Franklin-Myers, who has been the Jets’ best defensive lineman so far this season, is active after dealing with a calf injury that left him as a limited participant in practice during the week.

New York elevated offensive lineman Isaiah Williams to the active roster to bolster its offensive line depth for Week 3. Josh Adams also joins the active roster with Tevin Coleman out with a non-COVID illness.

Continue reading for the Jets’ full inactive list and a look at who won’t suit up for the Broncos on Sunday afternoon.