Denver Broncos: Grading week three game versus Jets
Defense Grade, A+
It was fairly easy to see why the Denver Broncos defense gets the A+ grade here. Any time you pitch a shutout you deserve praise from both coaches and fans alike.
On Sunday, the Broncos had arguably a complete game defensively from the first to the fourth quarter. The defense has been a strong suit for the longest time. Even dating back to Peyton Manning’s 2015 season. It is the team’s best unit. Now with potentially an offense and offensive playmakers galore, it is nice to see the team as a whole play more cohesive together.
All during Sunday’s action, the Denver Broncos pressured Zach Wilson, getting into the young rookie quarterback’s face. Wilson has had an unfortunate first few weeks with Carolina’s defense, Patriots’ defense, and Broncos defense in consecutive weeks.
One of the pressures the entire game came from both Malik Reed and “Fountain of Youth” Von Miller. Miller really looks like a form of his older self. Another testament Fangio was correct in saying 2020 Miller is the best Miller we’d see.
Reed is another breath of fresh air. While Reed is a great depth player, the loss of Bradley Chubb forced Reed to play a larger part on defense. Cooper did not get a sack on Sunday, but even he created some pressure on Wilson.
The nice sight of the game after the loss of Chubb was Dre’Mont Jones. Jones is very close to leaping into that elite tier of defensive linemen. The Broncos defensive lineman destroyed former Bronco Connor McGovern handily. If Jones can consistently put these types of games along with Miller and company, then the pass rush will be steady all year long.
For three straight weeks, the Denver Broncos have created turnovers on defense. Something Fangio’s defense has not yet done in his time with the team. Both Justin Simmons and Caden Sterns had interceptions on Sunday.
Simmons’s interception was the Pro Bowl and All-Pro safety reading Wilson’s eyes then jumping the route of the wideout. The best in the league showed why he is the best on Sunday.
Sterns was the other recipient of another interception. While the Jets receiver should have caught the ball, Sterns has made it known in a short time he is always been around the ball. Ever since stepping foot into the system defensively, the team has raved about his progress.
If Sterns can become that playmaker behind Simmons and Kareem Jackson it will be a long night for quarterbacks. The same goes for defensive backs who did not allow hardly anything to Wilson’s receivers all game.