Game Balls
Jerry Jeudy — We’d seen flashes through three weeks. But it wasn’t until Brett Rypien put one up for grabs on 1st-and-10 at the Jets 48-yard line that we truly saw what the Broncos have in their first-round receiver of Alabama — a play that produced a spectacular jump ball catch that saw Jeudy pluck an underthrown ball off Pierre Desir’s visor for a 48-yard touchdown. Now about that touchdown dance…
Bradley Chubb — This is the guy we remember. Breathing fire off the edge, the third-year outside linebacker notched 2.5 sacks — none bigger than the one that came on fourth-and-3 with 2:05 left in the fourth quarter. A year after suffering a season-ending knee injury, Chubb appears to be back in form. And the Broncos desperately needed it.
Brandon McManus — This is why you give a guy a contract extension. For the second straight week, the Broncos kicker connected from 50-plus yards — this time twice (54 and 53 yards). And the last one — the 53-yarder that put Denver ahead late in the fourth quarter — would’ve been good from 60.
Gassers
Broncos special teams — Can we get through a game without a special teams gaffe? After giving up a safety because of a dropped long snap at Pittsburgh, and a blocked punt last week vs. Tampa Bay, Joe Jones added his own error to the mix when he took a needless roughing penalty on a missed Jets field goal. Given a second chance, the Jets only got three points. Bullet dodged.
Jets defense — Shockingly, a unit playing under one of the primary figures in the Saints’ bountygate scandal (Gregg Williams) was a little laissez-faire about hitting opposing players late. Four times the Jets were penalized for roughing/personal foul penalties in the first half. Three factored into scoring drives that produce 17 points for Denver. Oh, and they added a fifth and sixth for good measure in the fourth quarter, with one helping goose Denver’s game-winning drive.
