Head coach Sean Payton and the Denver Broncos gave the New York Jets every opportunity to pull out a victory on Sunday afternoon.
Somehow, after two botched practices and a missed field goal in a rainy MetLife Stadium, the Broncos escaped with a victory. The Broncos beat the Jets, 10-9, despite Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers setting up a perfect game-winning drive in the final moments. This brought both teams to 2-2 on the season.
The Broncos jumped within one point after a Wil Lutz field goal midway through the fourth quarter. Rodgers and the Jets then had numerous opportunities to regain the lead and win the game, but each time they failed.
First, Rodgers almost fumbled the ball while trying to rush for a first down. He appeared to bump his knee awkwardly while being taken down for the sack, and he moved slowly for the remainder of the contest. This forced a punt and gave Denver the ball back late in the period.
After a quick three-and-out, the Jets got the ball back with plenty of time. But their next drive lasted just 45 seconds and Rodgers was sacked for a 10-yard loss on fourth down.
Despite taking over at the Jets’ 35-yard line, the Broncos only managed to gain 3 yards. So with less than 90 seconds left, Payton opted to attempt a 50-yard field goal instead of punting to pin the Jets deep. Of course, this placement attempt failed.
So Rodgers came back for one last chance, and he almost got the Jets there. The Jets quickly got within field goal range, but after an incomplete pass on third down, the Jets had to attempt a 50-yard attempt from kicker Greg Zuerlein. That one was also off.
In the end, the Broncos pulled out the surprise victory by one point. Naturally, Rodgers looked incredibly frustrated after Zuerlein’s basket went wide right.
Rodgers went 24 of 42 for 225 yards in the loss. It was the fifth time in Rodgers’ career that his offense failed to score a touchdown in a game. Braelon Allen led New York in rushing with 34 rushing yards, and Mike Williams had 67 yards on four catches. Allen Lazard, who was hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for flashing gun symbols with his hands after a catch in the second half, added 58 yards on five grabs.
Even though they got the win, the Broncos offense struggled all day. Quarterback Bo Nix went 12 of 25 for 60 yards. He totaled -7 yards in the first half and completed only five passes in the final 30 minutes of the contest. Nix threw the game’s only touchdown in the third quarter when he found Courtland Sutton for an 8-yard score. Sutton had 60 yards on three catches. Javonte Williams added 77 yards rushing.
The Broncos return home with back-to-back wins under their belt. Sure, it looked like the Broncos were trying to pull out a win on Sunday afternoon, but, surprisingly, the Jets couldn’t take advantage.
