NEW YORK JETS (1-3) at DENVER (1-3)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS
BETTING LINE: Broncos by 1 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook
AGAINST THE SPREAD: New York Jets 2-2; Denver 0-3-1
SERIES RECORD: Broncos lead 21-17-1.
LAST MEETING: Jets beat Broncos 16-9 on Oct. 23, 2022, in Denver.
LAST WEEK: Jets lost to Kansas City 23-20; Broncos won at Chicago 31-28.
JETS OFFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (20T), PASS (31), SCORING (25T)
JETS DEFENSE: OVERALL (23T), RUSH (28), PASS (16), SCORING (14)
BRONCOS OFFENSE: OVERALL (14), RUSH (20T), PASS (10), SCORING (10T)
BRONCOS DEFENSE: OVERALL (32), RUSH (32), PASS (31), SCORING (32)
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Jets even; Broncos minus-2.
JETS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Zach Wilson. The embattled Wilson had perhaps the best game of his NFL career against the Chiefs, completing a career-high 28 passes including two for TDs with a personal-best 105.2 passer rating. That came after a week filled with heavy criticism as fans, including Hall of Famer Joe Namath, called for Wilson to be benched. If Wilson can have another solid performance, it could go a long way in the Jets — and their fans — feeling more confident with him under center with Aaron Rodgers out with a torn left Achilles tendon.
BRONCOS PLAYER TO WATCH: OLB Nik Bonitto. The second-year pro supplanted an ineffective Randy Gregory last week at Chicago and had 2 1/2 sacks, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. He came up the biggest in the fourth quarter with a strip-sack of Justin Fields that led to Jonathon Cooper's scoop-and-score touchdown that tied the game the Broncos went on to win. On Wednesday, the Broncos parted ways with Gregory just 18 months after he signed a five-year, $70 million contract. Gregory had just three sacks in 10 games for Denver, which Bonitto almost matched in his first start of 2023.
KEY INJURIES: Jets CB D.J. Reed was in the concussion protocol to start the week, but coach Robert Saleh was optimistic about Reed’s chances of playing. ... Backup CB Brandin Echols is out with a hamstring injury. ... S Tony Adams (hamstring) could return after missing the past two games. ... Denver S Justin Simmons (hip) is hopeful to return after missing the past two games and watching his defense allow 98 points during his absence. Both Frank Clark (hip) and Baron Browning (knee) practiced this week, but aren't expected to return against the Jets. RB Javonte Williams (hip) is sidelined and that creates an opportunity to get rookie speedster Jaleel McLaughlin more snaps.
SERIES NOTES: The highlight, at least for Denver, was the 1998 AFC championship. After falling behind 10-0, John Elway led the Broncos to 20 third-quarter points and the defense forced a half dozen Jets turnovers in a 23-20 win that propelled the Broncos to a second straight Super Bowl win in Elway's farewell game, 34-19 over Atlanta in Super Bowl 33. Both franchises have fallen on hard times of late. The Jets own the longest playoff drought in the NFL, having last made the postseason party in 2010. The Broncos own the second-longest drought. They haven't reached the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016.
STATS AND STUFF: The Jets are looking to avoid a four-game losing streak. They have lost nine of their past 10 games going back to last season. ... After entering last week going 8 for 37 on third down — a 22% conversion rate that ranked last in the NFL — the Jets went 5 for 12 against the Chiefs. ... RB Breece Hall returns to Denver, where he suffered a torn ACL nearly a year ago and had his promising rookie season end. Hall has bounced back in limited carries so far this season and has already become the first Jets player with two runs of 40 or more yards in a season since Isaiah Crowell in 2018. ... WR Garrett Wilson has 104 receptions in 21 games, reaching the 100-catch milestone faster than anyone in team history. Wayne Chrebet did it in 23 games. ... WR Xavier Gipson became the 14th player in Jets history and the seventh rookie to have at least one kickoff return, one punt return, one reception and one rush in a single game. ... LB Quincy Williams had 13 tackles against Kansas City, joining Marcus Maye (2020) as the only players in team history with 10 or more tackles, two tackles for loss, two passes defensed and a quarterback hit in a game. ... The Jets haven’t allowed a second-half touchdown since Week 16 of last season, a span of seven games that ties Cincinnati (2022) for the longest streak since 2000. ... New York ranks first in the NFL in red zone defense, having allowed just three touchdowns in 12 opposing red zone possessions. ... QB Russell Wilson is enjoying a bounce-back season after a career-worst year under former head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who returns to Denver as the Jets' offensive coordinator Sunday. ... The matchup got spicy when Broncos new head coach Sean Payton disparaged Hackett in an interview in July in which he criticized his predecessor for one of the worst coaching jobs in league history. Hackett was fired after going 4-11 last season and quickly landed in New York, where he was a big reason the Jets lured Aaron Rodgers, who got hurt minutes into his Jets debut. ... The Broncos' 21-point second-half comeback at Chicago last week is tied for the biggest comeback in the NFL this season (New York Giants vs. Arizona in Week 2). ... With his 32nd fourth-quarter comeback, QB Russell Wilson moved into the top 10 in league history. ... Wilson's nine TD passes are just seven shy of the number he had all of last season and he is one of two QBs (Brock Purdy) to have a 105.0 or higher passing rating in three games so far. ... Wilson is 3-0 against the Jets with nine TDs, one INT and a 132.6 passer rating. ... RB Jaleel McLauglin had 133 scrimmage yards last week. ... WR Courtland Sutton is one of four players to catch a TD pass in three of the first four games. His three TD receptions are his most since 2019. ... S Kareem Jackson had eight tackles and a game-sealing interception at Chicago after illegal hits in each of Denver's first three wins led to a trio of fines totaling $45,961.
FANTASY TIP: Jets RB Breece Hall leads the Jets with 210 yards rushing on 32 carries. It was at Denver last season that Hall's sensational rookie season came to a premature end with a torn left ACL in the midst of a big game. He had 72 yards on four carries, including a 62-yard touchdown scamper when he got hurt. Coach Robert Saleh said Hall has no more snap limits, so expect the Jets to cut him loose against the league's worst run defense.
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