Broncos rally for 10-9 lead on Jets in 4th quarter

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — For a while during the offseason and preseason, one of the glowing characteristics of rookie quarterback Bo Nix was he rarely makes the same mistake twice.

Even if that’s not quite true as evident by Nix’s struggles throwing through the first-half rain here Sunday, it is accurate to say mistakes or rough patches do not get the rookie down. Nix overcame a woeful first half in slick conditions by connecting multiple times for big plays with top receiver Courtland Sutton in the second half as the rain tapered off. Nix finished the drive with the first touchdown pass of his NFL career, an 8-yard lob to a wide-open Sutton, who had to go up for the ball and then toe-tap both feet before going past the end line.

Nix threw 4 interceptions in his first two games, but none in his last two. With Vance Joseph’s Denver defense playing so well, not turning the ball over is key No. 1 for Nix.

Nix and Sutton through the air, and Jaleel McLaughlin and Javonte Williams on the ground led the Broncos on an 87-yard, go-ahead scoring drive in the third quarter to give the Broncos a 7-6 lead on the New York Jets.

The Broncos now lead, 10-9 with 8:55 remaining in regulation after the Jets’ Greg Zuerlein and Denver’s Wil Lutz exchanged field goals on a soggy late-September Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium.

Maybe next time, the Denver defense can stay on the tennis courts but the  Broncos’ offense has to practice outside in the rain.

It steadily rained all morning and through the first half of the AFC game between the Broncos and New York Jets here on a soggy Sunday afternoon in late-September at MetLife Stadium. The wet remnants of Hurricane Helene that disrupted much of the Broncos’ practice preparation during the week at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia made its way to the Meadowlands.

It rained so bad Friday at the Greenbrier, the Broncos held a walkthrough practice at the resort’s indoor tennis and pickleball courts. Then again, had the Broncos instead went home and practiced in the dry, hot conditions of Denver, would that have been any better?

There was no way to prepare to play a game in such inclement conditions. The rain and slick artificial surface here Sunday clearly hampered the respective offenses. At halftime, the Jets lead the Broncos, 6-0 on two short, Greg Zuerlein field goals.

At the 2-minute warning of the first half, the two teams had not yet cracked 100 yards in combined total offense.

The rookie Nix and 40-year-old Rodgers were both negatively affected by the elements in the first half. Nix was 7 of 15 for -7 yards at the half. He attempted a couple downfield throws but they were so far off target, Broncos coach Sean Payton mostly had him throw behind-the-line or short, wide passes. (Thus the -7 yards.)

Rodgers wasn’t that much better, going 4 of 11 for 22 yards before he hit a wide open Alan Lazard across the middle for 25 yards on the first play after the 2-minute warning.

The first quarter ended with the score 0-0 and the two teams combined for just 21 yards of total offense – 15 yards for the Jets; 6 for the Broncos.  

But the rain pretty much stopped in the second half, which coincided with the Broncos establishing a strong running game. Williams had 15 carries for 74 yards early in the fourth quarter while McLaughlin added 41 yards off 7 carries.

Nix, meanwhile, was 3 of 7 in the third quarter, but for 60 yards with all three and 60 going to Sutton. 

Rodgers also heated up as he was 17 of 29 for 180 yards as the game approached the midway point of the fourth quarter.

The first quarter also ended with the Jets at the Broncos’ 1 yard line. A fumble by running back Tyler Badie gave the Jets good field position and a 34-yard pass interference penalty on Broncos’ cornerback Riley Moss put them there. (Badie was injured on the play and carted off the field with a back injury.)

The Denver defense, outstanding again, stopped Jets’ running back Bryce Hall short of the goal line on his first two running attempts. Then an incomplete, trhrowaway pass by Rodgers. Then a false start by the Jets. Late in the third quarter, the Jets had 13 penalties accepted for 90 yards. The Broncos had four, but for 59 yards.

Perfect! First and goal at the 1 and the Jets settle for a Greg Zuerlein field goal.

It almost matched the series of futility the Broncos’ offense had on their first possession. After Broncos’ safety Brandon Jones forced receiver Garrett Wilson to fumble and Moss recovered at the Jets’ 30, Nix and the Broncos’ offense were in great shape. But a penalty and couple negative plays had the Broncos going backwards.

Rain or no rain, the Vance Joseph-coached Denver defense was impressive. First play of the game, Joseph had his new starting linebacker, Justin Strnad, come on a blitz. Strnad, in his first defensive snap in three years, sacked Rodgers for an 8-yard loss. Strnad also had a tackle for loss as he stepped up big in place of star linebacker Alex Singleton, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury last week at Tampa Bay.

Per source, Singleton will undergo surgery on his torn right ACL on Oct. 15 in Los Angeles. Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the operation. Singleton suffered the injury during Brandon Jones’ interception return last week at Tampa Bay. That was the eighth defensive play of the game. Singleton played 49 more defensive play on the torn ACL – an incredible feat of strength.

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Singleton is a known disciple of the True Movement Method, which is a three-dimensional system that focuses on stability, mobility and strength, particularly with the quad, hamstring, groin and calf muscles pregame. That may have been why he was asymptomatic until there was swelling after the game, which prompted medical exams and the revelation of the ACL damage.

Rookie receiver Devaughn Vele and tight end Lucas Krull were again among the Broncos’ players on the game-day inactive list. …

Before the game, Jets offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and former Jets’ quarterback Zach Wilson exchanged pleasantries on the field. Wilson was once again the Broncos’ emergency No. 3 QB. …

The Broncos’ top receiver at halftime was running back Javonte Williams with one catch for -1 yard. Rookie receiver Troy Franklin was the second-leading receiver with 2 catches for -2 yards. …

Nix connected with Courtland Sutton on a left-to-right crossing route for 23 yards on the first possession of the second half, but the Broncos went backwards from there and punted.

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