NY Jets: 3 keys to victory against the Denver Broncos in Week 3

As the 17th-century saying goes., it's always darkest before the dawn. And when it comes to the current state of the 2021 NY Jets, you get the feeling that things are going to get darker before the team sees a hint of light in their sky.

Off the heels of last week's 25-6 loss to the New England Patriots at home, a defeat that saw the franchise's anointed quarterback Zach Wilson throw four interceptions in front of his home crowd for the first time, the 0-2 Jets now travel to Denver to face the 2-0 Broncos.

According to WynnBet, the Broncos are currently double-digit favorites (10.5) at home. The Jets are the largest underdogs in Week 3 of the NFL season.

Although two weeks is not a significant enough sample size to truly gauge the overall quality of teams, thus far, to paraphrase an infamous line from the late Dennis Green, the Jets are who we thought they were.

The NFL's youngest team is experiencing growing pains, as expected by many.

The Broncos, on the other hand, might be better than people initially thought. Most experts felt that Denver's defense, led by one of the game's best defensive minds in Vic Fangio, was going to return to elite form.

Based on the return of Von Miller and all the high-profile acquisitions in the Broncos secondary like Patrick Surtain Jr, to go along with the likes of Kyle Fuller, Justin Simmons, Kareem Jackson, and others.

But what has stabilized Denver to this point has been the steady and spectacular play of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. The steady part has always been a strength of his, but the spectacular part is what has alluded Bridgewater's career to this point.

With a strong defense, good running backs, a solid offensive line, and one of the league's most talented young group of pass-catchers, Bridgewater might be in the ideal setting to shake his label as a "bridge" quarterback and become the front-line starter he was projected to be.

Back when the former first-round pick made the Pro Bowl in his second season before a severe training camp injury in 2016 changed his career trajectory.

Empower Field at Mile High doesn't have the same feel of intimidation that Mile High Stadium had back in the day. But playing at Denver in those elements is still as challenging now for opponents as it has been throughout the years.

With Denver looking like a legitimate playoff contender this season, the Jets have their work cut out for them on Sunday.

It’s written outside the visitor’s locker room at Empower Field at Mile High: “Elevation: 5,280 feet above sea level. Altitude sickness is real.”

Many have debated whether the altitude advantage for Denver is more psychological than physical. But no matter, Gang Green is going to need to elevate their game in Week 3 to have a chance.

Here are what I believe to be the top three keys to the Jets getting what seems like an improbable victory on the road against the Broncos this Sunday.

3. The NY Jets need to slow the game down for Zach Wilson with their rushing attack

Zach Wilson followed Robert Saleh's 'All Gas No Brake' mantra to the letter last week against New England.

Unfortunately, Wilson went too fast, never slammed on the brakes, and crashed on multiple occasions during last week's home opener to the tune of four interceptions.

Some of Wilson's poor throws weren't entirely his fault, but even his coach said after the game that the rookie quarterback needed to play a more boring style by taking what the defense gave him rather than forcing the issue and trying to be the hero on every play.

Lost by some in the Jets' offensive woes a week ago was that they ran for 152 yards on the ground, averaging 4.9 yards per run in the process. The Broncos' rush defense, in Week 2, allowed 75 yards rushing, 4.7 yards per rush to Jacksonville on 16 carries.

It's no secret that the strength of Denver is their pass defense. They are ranked third overall in the league because of it. A week ago, rookie QB Trevor Lawrence threw for only 112 yards to go along with two interceptions. The Jaguars averaged only 3.6 yards per pass attempt.

The Jets need to stay committed to their running game. Even if there is tough sledding early on.

Success in New York's rushing attack could help set up Wilson for easier throws down the field off of play action. One of the calling cards of the "Shanahan" offense is the ability to manufacture big plays through deception.

Broncos country knows it all too well, from years of watching Alex Gibbs, Mike Shanahan, and Gary Kubiak utilize the system to near perfection.

The Jets can slow down the Broncos pass rush, who will be playing this game without Bradley Chubb. Create hesitation by Denver's linebackers and operate under manageable third-down situations by creatively scheming different runs and play action plays off of them to keep the Broncos defense off balance.

The Broncos are not only playing this game without Chubb, as mentioned above, but they also lost linebacker Josey Jewell to injury. Denver's weak point on defense, if you want to call it that, is the inexperience of their inside linebackers, Alexander Johnson, Justin Strnad, and Baron Browning.

The Jets need to test the Broncos' young linebackers. There could be an opportunity for some big plays in the ground game, provided that the Jets can repeat what they did a week ago.

The Jets rushing tandem of Michael Carter and Ty Johnson played very well last week. The team needs more of the same in Denver. I am sure that Carter would love to show out with his former North Carolina running mate and friend RB Javonte Williams on the opposite side of the field.

2. The NY Jets young secondary needs to elevate their game

The most pleasant surprise to this point of the early season has been the Jets' secondary. The team's young defensive backfield of Bryce Hall, Brandin Echols, Javelin Guidry, Michael Carter II, and company have held their own in the opening two weeks.

Marcus Maye deserves his fair share of credit for the Jets' positive play in the secondary. Especially considering the fact, the team lost veteran defensive back Lamarcus Joyner for the season. Just like last year, Marcus Maye has been the glue that has held the back end of the team's defense together.

But on Sunday afternoon, Gang Green's secondary will be facing their stiffest challenge of the season thus far. They will be going up against Denver's talented young group of pass catchers at wide receiver and tight end.

Despite losing Jerry Jeudy, who paced the team in receiving in Week 1, Denver still boasts a multitude of quality targets in their passing game.

Some of the names for Denver might not stand out to the casual NFL fan. But people will get the know the likes of Noah Fant, K.J. Hamler, Tim Patrick, and Albert Okwuegbunam before long.

Denver has two extremely athletic tight ends and a great combination of speed and size at the receiver position.

The Jets' safeties and their young corners and linebackers will be tested heavily in Denver by this versatile group.

However, the Broncos' biggest threat in the passing game is Courtland Sutton. 'Mini Megatron,' the 6-foot-3, 216-pound stud out of SMU, missed nearly all of 2020 due to a knee injury.

But he's back with a vengeance and is coming off of a monster game last week against Jacksonville. Sutton registered nine receptions for 159 yards against the Jaguars, repeatedly beating their defense down the field, whether he was covered or not.

Sutton has the physical tools to be as dangerous as Calvin Johnson was in his prime. What's held Sutton back from fully realizing that potential has been injuries. The Jets need to find a way to keep him in check on Sunday.

The Broncos' passing attack has already shown hints of how explosive it can be in the early going of the season, as Bridgewater proved last week, throwing down the field on multiple occasions to the tune of over 300 yards.

In the past, defenses would challenge Bridgewater to throw deep into tight windows. But that game plan hasn't worked out for opposing teams so far in 2021.

Robert Saleh has a sign in the defensive meeting room that says 'Eliminate Explosive Plays.' That message must resonate this week against Denver, or the Jets will get blown out as most prognosticators expect them to.

1. NY Jets QB Zach Wilson must show that he can bounce back from adversity

Saying all the right things is great, but doing them is a whole other story.

After last week's meltdown against New England, Zach Wilson was apologetic for his poor performance against the Patriots, and he promised to learn from his mistakes. He blamed himself for the team's loss and told the media that the fans were correct in booing him.

It was exactly what you wanted to hear from Zach Wilson. The problem is that one of the things that made Zach Wilson the second overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and the apple of a lot of people's eyes as a quarterback prospect, is his confidence.

Wilson's game at BYU was about confidence in his ability to make spectacular plays happen using his mobility and elite arm talent. The knock on Wilson was his propensity to play "hero ball."

Early in his very young NFL career, Wilson has already shown flashes of his ability to make heroic plays happen. He has otherworldy throwing skills, and he knows it. Therein lies the problem.

Wilson's throw-it-up-there playing style has even taken his receivers off guard. After reviewing Wilson's interceptions against New England, it looked like Wilson was expecting Corey Davis and others to make spectacular plays on the other side of his throws.

It's something that Wilson's receivers at BYU became accustomed to over time. To paraphrase a line from Marty McFly in Back to the Future, the Jets wide receivers aren't ready for that yet.

Asking Wilson to tone his game down might be a whole new way of operating for him as a quarterback. Can he play it safe and still maintain what makes him unique? Learn how to pick his poison.

After Sunday's loss to New England, the defensive coordinator mentality of Robert Saleh came out when he told the media that Wilson needs to learn that it's ok to play "boring ball." Saleh publicly implored his rookie QB not to try and force the issue, looking for big plays.

Once upon a time, the Jets had a first-round quarterback in Chad Pennington, who was a master at playing boring ball. He didn't have the throwing talents of Zach Wilson, but Pennington had high accuracy on passes down the field, and that was because he was exceptional at picking his spots.

Pennington knew when to throw the ball, and more importantly, when not to. He was a great student of the game.

Wilson has been praised heavily for his work ethic and study habits by everyone around him. But until he shows that he can craft his madness into method, there will be more Sundays for Wilson like the last one.

Sunday is Wilson's biggest test thus far as an NFL quarterback. He's facing an excellent defense on the road, a week after a humbling performance in his home debut. Can he bounce back and learn from his experience, or will the growing pains continue?

If Wilson does get up off the mat and turn things around this quickly, then it might be the first sign that the Jets truly got the right quarterback to lead their franchise into the light.

If he doesn't, then it will be just another step through the darkness.