The Denver Broncos return home for their week seven matchup against the New York Jets on Sunday. What can we expect from the team this time around?
Two of the most surprising stories of the short 2022 season so far are the Broncos and the Jets. The 2-4 Broncos haven’t even come close to meeting the expectations that many had, and the 4-2 Jets are firmly in a playoff spot and have already hit their win total from last year.
Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh appears to have this team trending in the right direction. How are the Jets on both sides of the ball, though? Well, they are scoring the 10th most points per game in the NFL, and they are allowing the 17th most points per game in the NFL, so their defense is average in the category that matters most.
The Jets have the 12th most passing yards in the NFL this year, but Zach Wilson has thrown just 572 passing yards in the three games he’s played in. The Jets have the 17th most rushing yards in the NFL, and the Broncos are at 18th, so the rushing game isn’t anything overly special.
The Jets have been able to take advantage in opportunities that have presented themselves, which is a mark of a well-coached team. New York gets called for the 14th most penalties in the NFL, and they are clearly a team with holes, so the 4-2 record should not be overly concerning.
However, the Denver Broncos are in such a tough place at 2-4 with the injuries they have suffered. Their rushing attack is fine, but Russell Wilson and the passing game have not been able to get going. The Jets have a solid passing defense, allowing the 12th least yards.
It’s not going to be as easy to move the ball as it was during some points against the Chargers, but Denver should be able to do something. Having home field advantage is going to be huge for the Broncos. Zach Wilson hasn’t really been much better than he was last year, so the Broncos’ secondary, which helped pitch a shutout when these two teams met last year, should have a good day.
The Jets’ offensive line has gone through some issues in 2022, so I’d also expect the Broncos’ pass rush to get home. I see this being another low scoring, close game like most have been for Denver. They’ve simply gotten in their own way, but perhaps being at home will help turn the tides their way for this one.