NY Jets vs. Denver Broncos: Need to Avoid the Trap Game, Go On a Run
This week, when it's NY Jets vs. Denver Broncos, Denver needs to avoid the trap game.
Look, the Jets suck! They're 0-5. And the Broncos just beat the Super Bowl champion Eagles.
It's the perfect makings of a trap game, brov. Plus, it's in England, innit.
NY Jets vs. Denver Broncos: Trap Game Alert
The Broncos have no room to get cocky or complacent right now.
Yes, they beat the Eagles. Just barely. But a win's a win and they need to use the momentum of that game to go on a run. That can't happen if they don't take care of business in the wee early hours in merry ol' London town, mate.
Playing in London right now is a Big Ben...uh...deal because it could be a distraction. Bad teams have a way of getting distracted, even if it means their QB is doing high knees up and down the aisle of the plane.
Wilson did that back in 2022, before Sean Payton was head coach. If he were then, Wilson wouldn't have been allowed to do all that nonsense.
Payton--unlike complete flop Nathaniel Hackett--knows what it means to lead a team. That means staying focused and not falling for a trap game.
Right, coach?
"This is a league where you have to be ready to play," Payton said on Friday in London. "Regardless of who you’re playing up to or down, you see it every week and that’s because the talent level… Everything’s set up, there’s a hard salary cap...everything’s set up for this parity which is exciting. If you put the Red Zone channel on and you watch the finish of all these games, they’re all… Then there’s always one, maybe two that are more than a one-score lead, but the rest are all down to a field goal, two-minute drive for a touchdown. That’s our league.”
Ultimately, the Broncos avoiding the trap game is on Payton and the rest of his coaching staff. They can't overlook the Jets, especially with the Giants up next. The other team from New York beat down the Eagles last night on national TV.
Here's how the Broncos will win.
When the Jets Have the Ball
The Jets may be 0-5, but they lost by a mere four points combined to the Steelers and Buccaneers. New York is an incredibly unbalanced offense, with the third-best rushing attack in the league (144.4 YPG) and the 29th passing attack.
Justin Fields can take off and run with it; he has 204 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground. And Breece Hall leads the team with 351 rushing yards.
But the Broncos elite defense should be able to handle "strawberry" Fields forever.
Denver's the fifth-best run defense, and the've really locked down lately. They completely shut down the Bengals (53 yards) and then the Eagles (45 yards!) in back-to-back weeks. And, just like the Jets, the Eagles QB/RB tandem of Hurts and Barkley is deadly.
The Broncos stomped them into submission.
Fields does have Garrett Wilson at receiver, but Patrick Surtain will be looking to lock him down just like he did to A.J. Brown and Ja'Marr Chase the last two weeks.
When the Broncos Have the Ball
It's time for Bo Nix to shine for a third straight week.
That's how he ended his rookie regular season; by running off three straight great games. Albeit, the third one was against the Chiefs' B-team. Hey, whoever they suit up, you want to kick their ass regardless.
These sorry Jets allow 31.4 points per game. That's second-worst in the league. Meanwhile, Denver hasn't scored 30 yet this year.
Is this the week they do?
They can if Nix balls out. Which could mean playing efficiently but not necessarily electrically.
That's because New York is actually decent against the pass, but they're awful against the run. So, expect Payton to dial up a more run-heavy attack, with Nix asked to manage the game.
The young quarterback has been great the last two weeks and only turned the ball over once in those two wins. He needs to protect the ball at all costs again this week and take what the defense gives him. When he went off against the Eagles last week--going 9-10 in the fourth quarter--Nix spread the ball around to Courtland Sutton, Evan Engram, and Troy Franklin. He should try to do that again this week.
Ideally, Nix and the offense will start hot. They haven't done that a single time this year.
This calls for some English Breakfast Tea, mates!
If the Broncos offense can finally start hot, this game could be a blowout early. If not, it could end up being a dogfight.
Expect a big day from J.K. Dobbins and possibly R.J. Harvey, too. Dobbins has been a really pleasant surprise this year and the 9-year vet. is 5th in the NFL with 402 yards currently.
This game shouldn't be close in the fourth quarter. If that's the case, Denver will be able to continue to build momentum down this easy stretch of games.
The Broncos Need To Go on a Run
Win on Sunday morning, and the Broncos will officially be on a win streak. And they'll be set up to go on a long run.
After the sorry Jets, Denver faces the Giants, Cowboys, Texans, and Raiders next. Their record combined is a mere 7-18-1, including that big win for the G-Men over the Eagles last night.
Yes, the Giants look a little scarier after that win. But was that more about New York or the fact that the Broncos broke the Eagles?
The G-Men have the two most exciting rookie white boys in the game in Jaxson Dart and Cam Scattebo, but c'mon.
That cat Skattebo is scary. Scary-weird, that is. Denver should be able to take care of them with relative ease.
The Cowboys have been a bit of a dumpster fire this year. Especially after the nonsense with trading Micah Parsons away. Then CeeDee Lamb got hurt. They're still competitive, and Lamb should be back by the time they come to Denver, but this is another winnable game for the Broncos.
It'll be strength vs. strength when the 'Boys have the ball, and Javonte Williams will no doubt want some revenge on Denver.
Next up, the Texans.
They started out 0-3 but have run off back-to-back wins. Their offense is still--as the kids say--mid. But their defense is scarier than Jason in a cemetery.
That could be a snot-nosed, defensive battle, brovs.
Finally, the Raiders. That's a win.
There's certainly a world where the Broncos--pushed on by their win over the Jets this weekend--go on an extended run and are 8-2 by the time the Chiefs come to town in mid-November.
At worst, Denver should be 6-4 after the next five games.
Kansas City, on the other hand, could easily be 4-5 or even 3-6 when they come to Mile High Stadium on Nov. 16.
The Chargers--who are tied with but ahead of the Broncos in the AFC West--face the toughest schedule between now and mid-November. They play the Dolphins this week but then the Colts, Vikings, Titans, Steelers, and Jaguars. LA could be 6-5 or worse in a month from now.
That's why this is the time for Denver to go on a run.
If they do, the Broncos could hold a two-game lead in the AFC West and extend it further with a win over the Chefs.
But, let's not put the cart before the horse. That's how trap games happen.
First, in the NY Jets vs. Denver Broncos game early Sunday morning, the Broncos have to take care of business.
