The Good, Bad, & Ugly from Broncos' 13-11 Win Over Jets

We continue sifting through the aftermath of the Denver Broncos' ugly win over the New York Jets in London.

RECORD DATE NOT STATED 12th October 2025; Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, England; NFL, American Football Herren, USA UK Football, Denver Broncos versus New York Jets; Denver Broncos Linebacker Jonathon Cooper sacks New York Jets Quarterback Justin Fields, ripping his helmet off in the process. | Ian Stephen / IMAGO / Action Plus

The Denver Broncos survived a surprisingly close battle with the New York Jets in London, squeaking out a 13-11 victory. A win is a win in the NFL, but there are some glaring issues with the Broncos that better opponents than the 0-6 Jets will look to fully exploit.

Unfortunately, even though it was a win, there was more bad and ugly than good to discuss, but we’ll start with the defensive masterclass put on by the Broncos.

The Good: Suffocating Defense

Denver’s offense and special teams failed to show in London, but the defense played lights out despite the enormous amount of time it was on the field. The Jets finished the game with -10 passing yards, with only nine completions and 92 rushing yards for a grand total of 82 yards of offense.

The pass-rush-happy Broncos notched nine sacks with eight different defenders getting in on the action. Jonathon Cooper led with two sacks, the last of which closed out the game. Safety Talanoa Hufanga proved yet again that he was well worth the money Denver gave him in free agency, as he had a key pass breakup against Garrett Wilson on the Jets' final drive and sacked Fields once.

Even with Sean Payton at the helm, this team’s identity is firmly defensive.

The Bad: Offensive Ineptitude

Bo Nix and the Broncos' offense have failed to take the next step needed to be taken seriously. The first half was solid for Nix, who had 125 yards and a touchdown, but fell off a cliff in the second half with only 49 yards passing.

The Broncos' run game couldn’t get anything going, only gaining 63 yards as a team with J.K. Dobbins carrying the rock 14 times for 40 yards. The play-calling didn’t do the players any favors, as this was easily Payton’s worst-called game this year.

Late in the game, Payton called a play with only two receivers running routes on the same side of the field, which were predictably covered, leaving Nix with no choice but to eat a sack. With a young quarterback and an offensive-minded head coach, the Broncos seem hard-pressed to move the sticks, let alone put points on the board.

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The Ugly: Special Teams & Yellow Laundry 

Denver Broncos v New York Jets International Series 12 10 2025. International Series Denver Broncos Wide receiver Marvin Mims (19) tackeld for kick-off return during the International Series match between Denver Broncos and New York Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, United Kingdom on 12 October 2025. London Tottenham Hotspur Stadium London, United Kingdom. | Manjit Narotrax / IMAGO / Pro Sports Images

The decision to let Jets special teams coordinator Chris Banjo walk after last season to bring in Payton’s buddy Darren Rizzi has been disastrous. The Broncos had one of, if not the best, special teams units in 2024, but they’ve been one of the worst in the league this year.

The Broncos' coverage units have been dreadful in setting up Marvin Mims Jr. for returns, and they're allowing opposing returners to gain too much yardage. Worse still, the Broncos remain undisciplined, committing six penalties for 37 yards, which doesn’t sound like much, but they came at key moments.

New starting left guard Matt Peart had two holding calls that negated first downs, while All-Pro right guard Quinn Mienerz was flagged for holding in the end zone, resulting in a safety that handed the Jets their first lead of the game. Peart committed three total penalties and looked lost as Ben Powers' replacement, a role he might not be in for much longer.

The Broncos can’t afford to be this fast and loose with the fundamentals every week if they want to be a contender this year. True playoff-caliber opponents will bend them over their knees.

The Takeaway

An ugly win is still a win, and the Broncos will be back stateside to host the New York Giants in Denver. That being said, the outlook for this team is grim if it can’t figure out how to be consistent on offense and shore up this unimpressive and sloppy special teams unit.

An offense helmed by Payton has no excuses to be as weak and uninspired as it currently is.