Mile High Report
Last year, the New York Jets had the honor of being the first team to give up a Bo Nix passing touchdown. This year they’ll have the honor of giving up multiple Bo Nix passing touchdowns, and lose to the Denver Broncos in consecutive seasons.
But this game is no “gimme” for the Broncos. The Jets have talent on this roster, along with a solid head coach. You can make the argument that they are much better than their record would indicate. Here’s how Denver can take out the Jets in London.
It’s no surprise that the Jets rely on the run game to keep their offense going. Justin Fields isn’t that good of a quarterback and they’ve done nothing of note through the air this season. They have the fifth-least passing yards in the league (175 YPG) and they only have seven passing touchdowns between Fields and Tyrod Taylor. They’ve also given up 16 sacks this year. The Broncos should be able to eat them alive with the blitz.
But the Jets have managed a decent rushing attack that keeps them alive in games. They have the third most rushing yards per game (144.4 yards) and have put up four touchdowns on the ground this year. This is not a part of their game that you can just brush off.
The defense will be playing a run-first sort of game. The good news about this is that stout defensive lineman Malcom Roach is back at practice after being designated to return from the IR. He is a beast in the middle of the line and should provide a huge boost to this team that already boasts a top-five run defense.
The offensive player I’m most concerned about this week is center Luke Wattenberg, and it’s a concern that comes from both last year and this year, especially after the game he had against the Eagles. Quinnen Williams was all over Wattenberg last year and wreaked havoc against any inside run schemes the Broncos called. And, of course, the run game will be vital to the Broncos staying on schedule and allowing Nix to play within himself. The Broncos need an answer for how to handle one of the best run-stoppers in the league.
And this problem might be heightened due to Ben Powers being placed on the IR. Wattenberg, to his credit, works well with his guards on double team blocks and has a good feeling of them, in regards to when to go up to the second level or when to stay on the DT. No matter who fills in for Powers, Wattenberg will not have as much time playing with that man as he did with Powers, and chemistry among the line absolutely matters.
If the Broncos want to keep Williams off of the stat sheet, these interior double teams will loom large. I think they should target Williams and intentionally...
