3 Keys to a Broncos Victory Over Jets

Here's how the Broncos emerge from MetLife Stadium with their first win of the season.

The Denver Broncos have their backs against the wall. A loss to the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football and it'll be open season on Vic Fangio and John Elway, with it being impossible to refute the notion that the Broncos are the worst team in football. 

A win, and the Broncos can begin the process of exorcising the 'Tank for Trevor' demons and maybe parlay that momentum into something good when Drew Lock returns in the next couple of weeks. There's a lot on the line and it's not just pride. 

So, how do the 0-3 Broncos beat the 0-3 Jets? Here are three keys to victory. 

Make 'Em Pay

The book is out on the Broncos. Send the house. 

Denver's last two opponents have blitzed on more than 60% of their snaps. Jeff Driskel proved incompetent and unable to compensate for the blitz, surrendering sack after sack and a safety in back-to-back weeks. 

Enter Brett Rypien, who showed a much better command of the offense and recognition of what the opponent was trying to do. Attacking the blitz is no different than being in the octagon. You've got to find a way to use your opponent's momentum against him. 

Until the Broncos can make an opponent pay for sending the house, the onslaught will only continue. So, how does Denver make them pay? 

First and foremost, it takes an understanding of the offense, offensive line protections, and finding the hot-route. The veteran quarterbacks, when they see it coming, throw into the blitz, knowing that whatever extra guy is coming, odds are he just vacated his zone. That zone, more often than not, will be wide open. 

Screens, draws, crossers, sharply-executed play-action — with an occasional deep-strike connection thrown in for effect — can mitigate the blitz and make defensive coordinators think twice. Here's to hoping offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur can finally adjust now that he has a QB under center with a modicum of football IQ. 

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Protect Rypien

By virtue of his knowledge and preparation, Rypien will protect himself to a certain degree. Whether it's making pre-snap protection calls, sliding help one way or another, and getting rid of the ball quickly, there's a lot Rypien can do himself to mitigate the pass rush and keep himself upright. 

But this is the game where the Broncos O-line needs to show a sense of pride and come together as a starting five. Last week, this unit surrendered six sacks, although most of them were due to Driskel holding onto the ball too long and not getting rid of it. 

Elijah Wilkinson has been replaced at right tackle by Demar Dotson, a veteran who's started the last eight years at the position. The Jets are not the Bucs, Steelers, or Titans front seven. This is a get-right game for the beleaguered Broncos O-line. 

It's bad enough that four weeks in, the Broncos are already on their third quarterback. The onus is on the big boys upfront to ensure that until Lock comes back, there will be no need to turn to yet another signal-caller. The Jets are ranked 16th with just six sacks. The O-line won't get a more favorable matchup than this one. 

Confound and Harass Darnold

Fangio's defense, when complemented correctly and executed, can really confound opposing quarterbacks. Unfortunately, I'm unconvinced the group of players charged with executing it is at a point where it can maximize the best attributes of the scheme. 

That's a natural result of losing your best edge rusher, best defensive lineman, and best cornerback. The D-line complements the off-ball linebackers, which complements the secondary. It's the symbiotic nature of the best defenses in the NFL. 

Fangio is going to be down yet another pass rusher this week with Jeremiah Attaochu having been ruled out but that doesn't mean Bradley Chubb can't pop off. Jets left tackle Mekhi Becton is banged up and he's a rookie. It's time for Chubb to eat.

Because if the Broncos don't find a way to disrupt Sam Darnold, he can have himself a day. Think back to the last time the Broncos faced the Jets in 2018, Darnold was kept in check for the most part but all it took was three leak-type big plays to put the dagger in Denver. 

Darnold threw three touchdowns and the Jets embarrassed the Broncos, trouncing them at MetLife Stadium. That game featured two different coaching regimes on both sides. These two squads are different but one of the common denominators is Darnold. 

Even if it means blitzing, Fangio has to find a way to affect Darnold in the pocket because it will lead to mistakes. This could be the game the Broncos defense plays the predator and opportunistically feeds off its opponent. 

Darnold has arguably the worst supporting cast in football. So the focus has to be getting to him. If Fangio can find a way to do that, it'll result in a couple of takeaways and an extra possession or two, plus maybe a short field here and there, which could be all that Rypien needs in his first career start to bring home a 'W'. 

Follow Chad on Twitter @ChadNJensen and @MileHighHuddle.