Broncos vs. Jets: Top 5 takeaways from Week 5 matchup

In the Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets Week 5 matchup, Gang Green came out on top thanks to a complete team effort. Here are the top five takeaways from the game.

The New York Jets made a statement in Week 5 and played a complete team game in all stages as they defeated the Denver Broncos by the score of 34-16. After the first drive of the game, the Jets settled down and dominated the Broncos. The Jets played with a chip on their shoulder and were able to leave this game victorious.

With the victory, the Jets are 2-3 and will rest up and get ready to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6 at home. In this game, the team had many questions but they seemed to answer them all with excellent play. They will look to continue to build on this victory with a big game in Week 6 against a scrappy Colts team in front of their home crowd at MetLife Stadium.

This is a great opportunity for the Jets to even up their record before they face a tough NFC opponent in the Minnesota Vikings. Let’s take a deeper look at this Week 5 contest.

5. Sam Darnold has a bounce-back performance

Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold had a bounce-back performance with excellent poise and determination. Darnold struggled and did not look prepared the previous weeks, but in Week 5, he settled into the moment and delivered when his team needed it. He was able to convert key third down plays to maintain drives and didn’t miss a beat.

Darnold was able to go 10 for 22 in passing and threw for 198 yards. He threw three touchdowns and no interceptions. He finished with a 98.1 quarterback rating which is a good boost after being horrific the previous three weeks. Darnold managed the game well and wore out the Broncos defense.

He looked comfortable in the pocket and made excellent throws to Robby Anderson and Terrelle Pryor for touchdowns. He was able to generate plays on the run which was impressive. He also converted key third downs and short plays by attempting the quarterback sneak up the middle.

The offense kept the football for a good portion of the second half and kept the defense relaxed. They held onto the football for 28 minutes and 54 seconds which is a great sight to see in the time of possession battle.

Next: 4. Jets defense delivers big time

4. Jets defense delivers big time

After struggling these past three weeks, the looked defense played very well throughout the game. They were able to set the tone after struggling in the beginning. They were able to make key defensive stops and from it all, they were having fun and even had an interception.

With putting pressure on quarterback Case Keenum all game, the defense kept him in check. The defense only gave up 92 yards in rushing and 344 on passing.

They improved big time from over the past few weeks as they stepped up and executed well. The secondary played very well with the absence of Trumaine Johnson who was out with a quad injury and Buster Skrine who left the game with a concussion.

The defense showed plenty of different coverages to confuse Keenum which he had a hard time to adjust to. The secondary and defensive line put plenty of pressure and made him feel so uncomfortable all day long that it enabled them to set the tone of the time. Leonard Williams had a huge game with three quarterback sacks and a few batted passes, talk about a way to prove he’s still worth keeping around for the future.

Next: 3. Wide receivers finally have a productive game

3. Wide receivers finally have a productive game

The Jets wide receiver corps of Robby Anderson, Jermaine Kearse, and Terrelle Pryor showed up when their numbers got called. These three players combined to total up 169 yards of the 512 yards in total offense.

For three consecutive weeks, Anderson and Kearse and Pryor were a no-show. They weren’t utilized as they should be but Sunday they came up big.

They made big plays for touchdowns and made clutch plays on 3rd down conversions. Anderson had an excellent 76-yard touchdown reception and another touchdown on a fade route to end the half. Pryor had an excellent go route touchdown catch and was finally involved on offense.

Kearse had a key catch to convert a late third down. He is still trying to get back into the form he was after coming back from injury. If they can continue this success, they will improve the passing game even further.

Next: 2. Commitment to the running game proved successful

2. Commitment to the running game proved successful

With the running game not being utilized last week, the Jets went back to it and it was a huge success. Isaiah Crowell and Bilal Powell totaled 35 carries for 318 yards and one touchdown for Crowell.

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The both of them were very effective throughout the game and the running holes opened up quickly thanks to the offensive line. The running game averaged 9 yards per carry.

Crowell and Powell delivered compared to these past few weeks when offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates went away from the ground gamed for a few weeks. Crowell capitalized with a 77 misdirection run to break the game open.

Powell and Crowell are two different type of runners which is an excellent dynamic to have on offense. Crowell is an efficient cutback runner and Powell is a speed runner. If both are able to do this every game, the Jets will prove many doubters wrong in the football world.

They need to continue using what works since at the end of the day, the Jets are built to run the football and not rely on the passing game heavily. This win over the Broncos should prove that the Jets could hurt you on both the running and passing aspect of the game when they execute it correctly.

Next: 1. Offensive line delivers consistency

1. Offensive line delivers consistency

The New York Jets offensive line has struggled for three weeks straight but Week 5 was a totally different outcome as they delivered consistency this time around. They were able to keep Von Miller and Bradley Chubb quiet throughout the game. Give credit to Spencer Long, Brian Winters, and Kelvin Beachum who lead the push and made the Broncos frustrated due to not being able to get Darnold.

The offensive line was struggling against excellent pass rushers and it was a big reason why they endured a three-game losing streak. Week 5 was a different story as the offensive line allowed Darnold to execute plays without having to get pressured and stay up by not allowing multiple sacks.

They opened up big enough holes to allow the running game to have a big day as well as the passing game, all in all, it showed the potential of what this unit can accomplish. It was great to see the offensive line execute its assignments and communicate on who is covering who. Hopefully, this is something they can build on and do it for the rest of the season.