It seems like forever ago that the headlines that surrounded the Broncos-Jets game were all about the coaches. Sean Payton had taken the reins in Denver, while Nathaniel Hackett had them jerked away before his first and only season as the Broncos head coach was even over. Along the way, Payton had some choice words about the previous regime.
That grudge has certainly – one would think – subsided, but the Broncos fourth game has massive implications. Coming off an impressive performance against the Buccaneers, Bo Nix gets a chance to show he’s ready for the biggest of all stages – New York. Furthermore, he’ll get to do so against future hall of famer Aaron Rodgers, who missed the trip to Denver last season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in the Jets opener.
And if there is still just a little bad blood between the two organizations? Well, even better. This has all the makings of an early season classic. Can Payton avenge last year’s embarrassment against an arguably better Jets team? Can Nix pick up where he left off in Tampa? We asked our in-house experts what’s about to go down in the Big Apple.
Cody Roark
I think this is just another game for Sean Payton. Last year, he took the loss on the chin in defense of his then QB Russell Wilson, but I still think there’s a little chip on his shoulder against the Jets. I think Denver’s game plan will need to focus first and foremost on slowing down Breece Hall and their rushing attack, continuing to get Bo Nix in rhythm, and get the run game going. I like Denver’s front seven and their ability to create pressure. I’m curious to see how it plays out.
Dan Mohrmann
It’s no stretch to say that even if he’s not perfect, the Broncos are way better off with Sean Payton than Nathaniel Hackett, so the animosity in this game has likely been watered down. I would guess Payton is no longer flabbergasted by the lack of organization from the previous staff and is much more focused on developing his young quarterback. I think in that regard, he’ll try and build on what was working against Tampa Bay. Hitting some early deep passes forced the Bucs defense to back off the line of scrimmage a bit and the results were positive for the Broncos. If the Jets stack the box early, I’d expect a couple more early deep shots. Hopefully the Broncos can win the toss and take the ball first again. It was a good call and set the tone for the game.
Shawn Drotar
For Payton, they’re all big – this is a man that hates losing, and 2-2 looks a lot better than 1-3. Payton doesn’t want last week’s win to look like a fluke, and to do that, they’ll need to follow it up with a win against a team that might be overlooking them a bit before they travel to London for their Week 5 matchup with the Vikings. The loss of tackling machine Alex Singleton to a torn ACL alters what the Broncos can do defensively, but maybe not as much as fans fear. Cody Barton’s a capable veteran who’s already played more than 50 percent of the defensive snaps this season, and while there’s a reason he hasn’t played as much as Singleton, the drop-off may not be all that massive. That said, the Broncos can’t blitz Rodgers like they did Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay last week; Rodgers knows all the tricks, and the Broncos will have to play the Jets a little more honestly, depending on cornerbacks Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss to handle their assignments effectively.
Aniello Piro
The Jets are not the same team as they have been in years past. That said, I don’t think Rodgers and the offense have hit their stride yet, and could potentially be overlooking the Broncos with a trip to London coming the following week. Losing Alex Singleton is a big blow to the Broncos defense, but if they are able to keep the game close, I think Sean Payton can dive into his bag of tricks and figure out a way to put up the points as he did against Tampa. I don’t think this game is much bigger than the others, given both teams have a new look and feel.
Mark Knudson
I don’t think last season will have any impact on this game. It’s all about Aaron Rodgers in NYC now, and everything he’s involved with becomes “breaking news.” Because of that, the Broncos in general and Bo Nix in particular shouldn’t be feeling any pressure. It’s all on the guys in green. Denver can play loose – like they did in Tampa – and just let it fly. I expect the game plan to be very similar to Tampa. Be aggressive. The Broncos have nothing to lose and everything to gain.