The Broncos might have stumbled upon some answers on Thursday night
Oct 2, 2020, 6:44 AM
I know. I know. It was the Jets. Everyone in Broncos Country need to keep reminding themselves of that fact. Denver getting their first win of the season on Thursday night is a moment that should be tempered by the fact that their opponent was a borderline junior varsity team.
That’s true. And it’s why the 37-28 victory shouldn’t cause anyone to think that Vic Fangio’s team has suddenly righted the ship and is going to rattle off a bunch of wins in a row. The playoffs aren’t suddenly back in the conversation.
But to discount everything that happened at MetLife Stadium would be equally as dangerous. There were a lot of positives to take away from the game, things that went well beyond the final score.
The biggest takeaway was the fact that Denver’s defense showed some life. For the first time all season, and one of the few times during the Fangio era, they were the aggressors; they were making plays and forcing the opposing offense into mistakes.
Largely, this was the result of the head coach’s willingness to try something new. Rather than continually trying to get pressure on the quarterback by rushing four defenders, Fangio dialed up a few blitzes. And it worked. On the night, the Broncos sacked Sam Darnold six times, which doubled the team’s total from the first three games combined.
It also helped Denver slam the door on the Jets. Leading 30-28 in the fourth quarter, a scenario that was ripe for another late-game collapse by the Broncos defense, Fangio’s crew was able to sack Darnold on a fourth-down play near midfield that sealed the victory.
But it wasn’t just the defense that got creative. Offensively, Denver opened up the playbook, as well, despite the fact that they were playing a quarterback who was making his first NFL start. Rather than just dink-and-dunk, Pat Shurmur’s offense actually stretched the field, with multiple deep throws. The result was a 37-point outburst, a number that nearly matched the Broncos total output on the season.
Mixed into those two big positives were a lot of individual performances worth noting.
Obviously, Brett Rypien was very good in his debut as a starter. The quarterback was 19 of 32 for 242 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Yes, he threw three interceptions, which helped the Jets take the lead in the fourth quarter, but he didn’t get rattled. Rypien responded by leading the Broncos on a nine-play, game-winning drive. That showed some moxie.
Jerry Jeudy was one of the beneficiaries of the quarterback’s gumption. The rookie caught the first touchdown of his career on Thursday night, a highlight-reel grab on a 48-yard pass play. The fact that Rypien was willing to throw it deep, something he did on multiple occasions against the Jets, helped the No. 15 overall pick show his playmaking abilities for the first time as a pro.
That approach also benefitted Tim Patrick. The wide receiver who has been tabbed with filling Courtland Sutton’s shoes had a big night, hauling in six passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. His biggest play, aside from the score, came when he caught a 31-yard strike from Rypien on the team’s game-winning drive.
It wasn’t just the offense that saw standouts, however. On the other side of the ball, it was Bradley Chubb who had his breakout game. The linebacker, who is still finding his groove after tearing an ACL last season, had 2.5 sacks on the night. The biggest came just before the two-minute warning, when he corralled Darnold on fourth-and-three at the 50.
That helped preserve the win, one that was set up in large part by Denver’s underappreciated kicker. Brandon McManus booted a 53-yard field goal with 3:13 to go in the game to put the Broncos ahead 30-28, a clutch kick by any definition. It was his second make from 50-plus yards on the night. McManus is an offensive weapon that most teams would love to have on their roster.
All of this adds up to the Broncos finally getting into the win column. At 1-3, their season is far from on the right track, but it’s also not an unmitigated disaster. That would’ve been the trajectory with a loss to the Jets.
Now, there is something to build upon. Stay creative. Stay aggressive. And see if on a rainy night in New York the Broncos didn’t stumble upon some answers.
