As the Jets ride a 3 game-winning streak into this weekend, they travel to the Mile High City to take on the struggling Denver Broncos. The biggest news for this matchup is that Broncos' new starting QB and long time Seahawks QB Russell Wilson will be out of this game. Can this potentially excel the Jets into their fourth victory in a row? We will have to wait and find out.
For today's injury report, starting with the Jets, the injury report is light this week which is a good sign, but DE Jermaine Johnson remains out this week with an ankle injury and S Ashtyn Davis is Questionable with a hamstring injury. Although not injury related, after a very heated week with Jets WR Elijah Moore regarding his trade request, HC Robert Saleh has declared him as inactive this week and WR Denzel Mims will be activated for this matchup in his place. For the Broncos, 7 players are listed on the injury report with significant names being QB Russell Wilson, who is now out with hamstring tightness, and Josey Jewell who is listed as questionable.
For the team preview for the Broncos, offensively speaking, it has been nothing short of a struggle since Russell Wilson came into town, but with him unable to go tomorrow, that will open the gates for another QB some Jets fans might have familiarity with. That QB is Brett Rypien. His only start in his NFL career came on Thursday Night Football back in 2020 at Metlife Stadium against who? You guessed it...the New York Jets. Unfortunately, the Jets were on the losing side of that battle, with former Jets QB Sam Darnold taking snaps under center back in that game. There really isn't too much to say about this guy. He only had 2 passing attempts in the 2021 season with Denver and hasn't really played much since the Broncos last met the Jets 2 seasons ago.
In the backfield, the Broncos have RB Melvin Gordon III and Latavius Murray to work with after losing star young RB Javonte Williams for the duration of the season. In the receiver pool, star wideouts Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy will look to pose threats in this game, but with the level that Jets CBs "Sauce" Gardner and DJ Reed have been playing at, it could be a difficult day for these guys to get going. Overall, this offense is at a major deficit tomorrow and the Jets' defense must find a way to get revenge on the inexperienced Brett Rypien for what happened at Metlife just 2 seasons ago.
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| Broncos QB Brett Rypien makes his first start with the Broncos since facing the Jets back in 2020 |
This defense has the ability to have a lockdown secondary with quality pressure coming from their LB's and it is typical to see them line up in a Tampa 2, with their 2 safeties Kareem Jackson and Justin Simmons playing back. The leader of the secondary without a doubt though is star CB Patrick Surtain II, who like "Sauce" Gardner is a lockdown man-to-man coverage CB. The Jets must find ways to play conservative football offensively and continue to use the ground-and-pound game with RB Breece Hall to succeed.
In order for the Jets to be on the winning side of this game, they must play conservative football offensively. With the thin air in the Mile High City, the players will become tired a lot quicker than normal as well, so it will be key for OC Mike LaFleur and DC Jeff Ulbrich to rotate guys in and out as frequently as possible in order to keep good game flow. Offensively, Jets QB Zach Wilson can't try to play like Superman and throw too much, but rather he should play small ball. With a stout defense with the Broncos, it is the best way to break them down piece by piece. Defensively, the Jets should keep working off of their last few performances and look to make big strides once again against an inexperienced QB. The opportunity for a victory in the Mile High City is definitely there for the taking.
For my game prediction this week, I definitely see this being a closer and lower-scoring game than most fans might hope for, but with two good defenses coming to play against each other tomorrow, how could you expect any less? Even in a low scoring game, I do believe the Jets will find their way on top and use that 4th quarter energy to propel them to victory. I will take the Jets winning this one by a low score of 14-10.
-Miles Chamberlain
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| Jets QB Zach Wilson continues to make strides in his second year in the NFL |
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