Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett did one of the worst coaching jobs ever when he was leading the Broncos in 2022. Sean Payton is now 1-4 as head coach of the Broncos after the Jets come out of Denver with a 31-21 win to snap a three-game losing streak and move to 2-3 heading into a Week 6 showdown with the Eagles.
Here’s our instant thoughts and game notes from the Week 5 win.
Final score: Jets 31, Broncos 21
Game notes
- The Jets started three-and-out on their first possession of the game. Seems like clockwork at this point.
- Irv Charles already paid dividends, forcing a turnover on the Jets’ first punt of the game and giving the offense a tremendous opportunity to score.
- They did score, but only came away with three points as their red-zone woes continued. At least it gave the Jets their first lead in regulation this season.
- It didn’t last long. Denver scored on their first offensive drive.
- Following a drive that was hurt by a false start on Mekhi Becton on 3rd and short, punter Thomas Morstead again showed how much of an improvement he is on Braden Mann after pinning the Jets inside their own 10.
- A few plays later, the Jets recorded a second straight game forcing the opposing offense to commit a penalty in their end zone, resulting in a safety. This time, it was intentional grounding on Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
- Why the Jets insist on giving Dalvin Cook red-zone touches remains a mystery. But they do and it hurt another touchdown opportunity and the Jets had to settle for a field goal.
- The injury bug struck again up front for the Jets. Both Mekhi Becton and Alijah Vera-Tucker were taken to the locker room. Billy Turner and Max Mitchell came in and the Jets have no more backup tackles. Carter Warren hasn’t been activated yet.
- The good news was that Becton returned. Vera-Tucker did not. He has a calf injury.
- Nathaniel Hackett’s time-management woes bit the Jets big-time at the end of the first half. The Jets botched the clock by not throwing out of bounds and missed out on three points. The Jets trailed 13-8 at the half.
- Breece Hall is back. A 72-yard run early in the third quarter gave the Jets a 15-13 lead.
- Red-zone woes struck again later in the third quarter as the Jets once again had to settle for three near the goal line. This time, it gave them an 18-13 lead.
- The Jets certainly strapped up their helmets after halftime. Three straight three-and-outs for the Broncos to start the half.
- Quinton Jefferson bailed out Xavier Gipson after Gipson muffed a punt that Denver recovered. Shortly after, Jefferson recovered a Marvin Mims fumble.
- The Jets had some poor tackling moments and it certainly showed on Denver’s touchdown drive that made the game 24-21…
- …a score that could have been 24-19 but a Bryce Hall holding penalty wiped out a C.J. Mosley sack on the t of wo-point conversion.
- The offense had a chance to really put the game on ice, but Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain took the ball away from Garrett Wilson on a pass that maybe Zach Wilson could have placed a little better, but felt more just like an incredible play by Surtain.
- The Jets then made an even bigger play. Quincy Williams got the strip-sack and Bryce Hall got the scoop-and-score to ice the game for the Jets.
- Overall, Zach Wilson wasn’t terrible. He was 19 of 26 for 199 yards and an interception, but as mentioned earlier, that was more of a great play by Surtain. He mismanaged the clock at the end of the first half, but overall, as the Jets opened up the offense more in the second half, Wilson got more comfortable. So not great, but definitely not horrible by any means.
It was over when...
…linebacker Quincy Williams sacked Russell Wilson, caused a fumble and cornerback Bryce Hall went 39 yards for the game-sealing touchdown. It was 24-21 before that play and the Broncos had a chance to at least tie the game, especially after converting a 3rd and 15. The Jets’ defense stepped up when it absolutely needed to.
3 stars of the game
3rd star: CB Bryce Hall. Hall did have a holding penalty that erased a C.J. Mosley sack on a two-point conversion that would have kept the game 24-19. Instead, Denver made it 24-21. No worries. Hall more than made up for it at the end of the game, returning a fumble from Quincy Williams’ strip-sack 39 yards for a touchdown that put the game on ice for the Jets. Hall made the most of getting the start with D.J. Reed and Brandin Echols out.
2nd star: RB Breece Hall. The Jets truly did take the training wheels off. Hall carried the ball 22 times for 177 yards including his 72-yard touchdown run. For you math folks, that’s eight yards per attempt. Good things happen when No. 20 has the ball in his hands.
1st star: LB Quincy Williams. Seriously, how good has Williams become this season? His star only got brighter against the Broncos. Nine tackles, two sacks, one tackle for a loss and three quarterback hits. He also had the strip-sack of Russell Wilson that led to Hall’s touchdown to ice the game. Williams is becoming a player right before our eyes.
Play of the game
This was going to be Breece Hall’s 72-yard touchdown run. But let’s face it, there ended up being only one true option at the end. This choice has to go to the fumble-return touchdown that sealed the win for the Jets.
QUINCY WILLIAMS LOOKS A LOT LIKE HIM.#NYJvsDEN on CBS pic.twitter.com/YSy4Q03PXi
— New York Jets (@nyjets) October 8, 2023
What's next?
The Jets will hope to carry the momentum of this win into Week 6 when the defending NFC champion and 5-0 Philadelphia Eagles come to town for a 4:25 kickoff at MetLife Stadium. In fact, the Jets won’t play a game outside MetLife until November 12 when they head to Las Vegas to meet the Raiders.
