Ahead of the Denver Broncos’ showdown with the New York Jets in Week 5, we asked Billy Riccette of Jets Wire five questions about New York and Sunday’s showdown in Denver. Check out our questions and Riccette’s answers below.
1
Nathaniel Hackett's offense was a disaster in Denver last season. How has New York's offense scheme looked this year?
We have to keep in mind that the offense was a bit tailored to Aaron Rodgers with he and Hackett having the Green Bay connection. That said, it’s pretty similar to what the Jets had been running with the zone scheme. They’re slowly starting to let Zach Wilson air the ball more and getting some of their younger explosive players get more involved in the offense.
2
How does Zach Wilson look as Aaron Rodgers' replacement?
There was staring to be legitimate concern about Zach Wilson after a couple of poor performances. But something clicked Sunday against the Chiefs. He looked much more confident (which was always one of it not his biggest issue) and the Jets starting stretching defenses vertically again. Is it sustainable? That remains to be seen. But if he can somehow string together performances like this, then maybe there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.
3
Do the Jets have any notable weaknesses that the Broncos might be able to exploit?
If you asked me this about two weeks ago, I’d say the offensive line. They struggled through the first couple of weeks. But their current combination of Mekhi Becton, Laken Tomlinson, Connor McGovern, Joe Tippmann and Alijah Vera-Tucker has performed well. So the weakness probably goes back to Zach Wilson. If you can rattle him and make him uncomfortable, he has made some poor decisions when off balance. After that, it’s maybe the running game just in the sense of the Jets still tiptoeing with Breece Hall and giving Dalvin Cook more carries than he probably deserves at this point. Just let Breece Hall work.
4
Does New York have any underrated players that Denver fans should be aware of this week?
Maybe the most improved defensive player for the Jets and someone that isn’t a well-known name yet is linebacker Quincy Williams. His improvement in coverage has been huge for the Jets. Combine that with his speed, processing and tackling ability, and you have the makings of an incredible linebacker that people will soon know about.
5
What's your prediction for Sunday -- who wins and why?
This was obviously the game circled over the summer, right? Payton’s comments on Hackett and then all the backlash. Now, it’s about both teams trying to save their seasons with both sitting at 1-3. The hope for the Jets is that Wilson can replicate his performance from Sunday night. The Jets look better on paper. The Jets really need this as a get right game, especially with the Eagles looming in Week 6 before their bye in Week 7. We’ll go with the Jets here, 23-16.
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