UP: The Broncos’ offensive line. Zero sacks allowed, kids. And a beleaguered unit opened up some massive holes for veteran tailback Melvin Gordon, who finished with 107 rushing yards on 23 carries. Yeah, we know. It was the Jets. But still.
DOWN: Gordon’s crown jewels.
UP: Tim Patrick’s paws. His juggling, 7-yard touchdown catch with 4:31 left in the third quarter off a dart by Brett Rypien extended the Denver lead to 23-16 before the extra point. It was a nice connection of undrafted QB to undrafted wideout.
DOWN: Sam Darnold’s rumbling, stumbling TD. No play summed up the Broncos’ inability to finish on defense more than the Jets’ quarterback slipping away from Alexander Johnson on a sack, then watching him juke Justin Simmons in the open field and step out of a DeShawn Williams tackle for New York’s first score.
UP: Brandon McManus from deep. The Broncos’ veteran kicker now has three field-goal makes from 50 yards out or more this season. His single-season high is five, set in 2015 (5-for-7 from long distance).
DOWN: Darnold’s Madden 21 ratings. Dude scored a 41 (out of 100) in “Break Tackle.” Of course, you wouldn’t have known it from the Jets’ first drive.
UP: Letap go, Rypskel! Until Drew Lock is ready to go, maybe a two-headed quarterback really is the way to go. Rypien looks far better as a pocket passer than Jeff Driskel, but Driskel’s legs picked up a key 9-yard gain on a keeper run late in the second quarter. Having a designated “passing” QB and “running” QB, while not ideal, ain’t the worst path, given the circumstances, for coordinator Pat Shurmur.
UP: Bradley Chubb gets on the board. The Broncos’ pass-rusher finally notched his first sack of the season — split with teammate Shelby Harris — about three minutes into the second quarter. It was Chubb’s first NFL sack since Week 4 of the 2019 campaign. He added two more in the second half, including a massive takedown at midfield just before the 2-minute warning.
DOWN: Noah Fant, you too? Even when itap sunny in Dove Valley, it rains. While the Broncos were taking control of the contest late in the third quarter, another of their best offensive players went down. Fant left the field on a cart with an apparent ankle injury.
UP: Rypien picking on Pierre Desir. The Broncos made hay up the right boundary, targeting the Jets’ veteran corner early and often — including a 48-yard rainbow to rookie Jerry Jeudy for a score.
DOWN: Desir picking on Rypien. The kid got the Denver rookie back with 10:56 left in the contest, stepping in front of hurried toss to Jeudy and running it back for a 35-yard pick-6 that trimmed the Broncos’ late cushion to 27-25. It was the first pick-6 given up by a Denver quarterback in 39 games dating back to 2017.
DOWN: Hi, Joe Flacco! The Broncos’ former “perfect fit” at quarterback — hey, 2019 feels like a long time ago — came in to spell Darnold after his shoulder got dinged, but only for a few snaps. After completing the only two passes he attempted for 16 yards, we would’ve loved to see him finish the drive, if not the game, but it wasn’t to be.
UP: Rypien from long distance. The rookie’s two completions of 30 yards or more in the first half became only the second time in the last two seasons that a Denver QB had completed more than one throw of 30-plus yards in a single game.
