Broncos scouting report: How Denver matches up against Jets and predictions

Jets (0-2) astatine Broncos (2-0)

When: 2:05 p.m., Sunday.

Where: Empower Field astatine Mile High.

Radio/TV: 850 AM, 94.1 FM/KCNC-4.

Weather: Sunny with a precocious of 88 degrees.

Broncos-Jets series: Broncos are 20-16-1 successful 37 games dating backmost to 1960; Denver won 37-28 successful past gathering down Brett Rypien successful Week 4 past year.

Key matchup

OLB Von Miller vs. RT Morgan Moses

With Bradley Chubb connected injured reserve, the Broncos request Von Miller to proceed to re-assert his Pro Bowl signifier and use unit to rookie backmost Zach Wilson.

Miller’s matchup volition beryllium chiefly against seasoned close tackle Morgan Moses, who was thrust into a starting relation due to the fact that of a genu wounded to near tackle Mekhi Becton. That wounded successful Week 1 forced New York to determination George Fant to near tackle and bring Moses disconnected the bench. Moses signed with the Jets successful the offseason aft making 96 consecutive starts for Washington from 2015-20.

With each the shuffling on New York’s front, that presents an accidental for Miller (three sacks and 5 tackles successful 2021) to person different productive game. But the extracurricular linebacker isn’t penning disconnected the Jets’ beforehand oregon the quality of Wilson to evade unit and widen plays.

“You can’t truly number retired immoderate of these rookies,” Miller said of first-year quarterbacks. “They’re each talented, and they conscionable get much and much talented and much and much fearless each azygous year. Zach Wilson, he’s played a batch of large shot (in college). He went to BYU, and I’ve been a instrumentality of his and his playing benignant conscionable similar (Jaguars QB) Trevor Lawrence. This is his team, and I expect him to beryllium fearless and propulsion the shot down the tract and scramble and bash each the things that rookies bash best.”

Opposite of Miller, Malik Reed (10 vocation sacks) volition besides person his chances to get to Wilson, arsenic volition rookies Jonathon Cooper and Andre Mintze, some of whom volition spot immoderate rotational snaps.

Who has the edge?

Quarterback

Teddy Bridgewater has been a antheral connected occurrence truthful far, completing 54 of 70 passes (77.1%) with 4 touchdowns and nary interceptions. Meanwhile, Zach Wilson is coming disconnected a nightmarish four-interception crippled against the Patriots and hasn’t settled successful yet. Edge: Broncos

Running back

Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams person been sharing carries done the archetypal 2 games, and either backmost is susceptible of popping disconnected for 100-plus yards. New York features Williams’ assemblage teammate, Michael Carter, positive Ty Johnson and Tevin Coleman. Edge: Broncos

Receiver/tight end

Courtland Sutton is coming disconnected a vocation crippled against the Jaguars (nine catches for 159 yards), and the choky ends are playing well. Wilson’s favourite people has been Braxton Berrios, and the Jets besides diagnostic Corey Davis and speedster Denzel Mims. Edge: Broncos

Offensive line

Broncos close defender Graham Glasgow is expected to instrumentality aft missing Week 2 with a bosom issue, which should boost the team’s extortion and tally blocking. Veteran George Fant anchors New York’s near side, and Jets halfway Connor McGovern is an ex-Bronco. Edge: Broncos

Defensive line

Denver’s starting trio of Shelby Harris, Mike Purcell and Dre’Mont Jones has been heathy and productive done 2 weeks and the Broncos person been much than stout against the run. Up beforehand for New York, Quinnen Williams has Pro Bowl potential. Edge: Even

Linebacker

With Bradley Chubb (ankle) and Josey Jewell (pectoral) connected injured reserve, Malik Reed gets the motion for Chubb astatine extracurricular linebacker other Von Miller and Justin Strnad makes his archetypal NFL commencement astatine inside. C.J. Mosley is the Jets’ starring linebacker. Edge: Broncos

Secondary

Denver’s inactive missing Ronald Darby (on injured reserve with a hamstring injury), but rookie Pat Surtain II is coming disconnected a beardown showing successful his archetypal NFL start, which featured a pick. New York’s cornerbacks are an highly young portion and liable to beryllium exposed. Edge: Broncos

Special teams

The Broncos are struggling successful kickoff coverage, highlighted by the 102-yard TD instrumentality from Jacksonville’s Jamal Agnew past week. The different units person been mostly solid, and Brandon McManus is 5-for-5 connected tract goals. New York’s kicker is rookie Matt Ammendola. Edge: Broncos

Tale of the tape

* Through Week 2

By the numbers

5 — The fig of years it’s been since the Broncos started 3-0. In Gary Kubiak’s 2nd and last season, Denver finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs.

4 — Teddy Bridgewater is lone the 4th QB successful NFL past to open a play with 2 TDs, nary interceptions and a 75.0% completion percent (minimum 12 attempts) successful each of his archetypal 2 games.

100% — Denver’s conversion complaint connected 4th down this twelvemonth successful 5 attempts. That’s already 1 much fourth-down conversion than the Broncos had each of past year, and 2021 is Denver’s archetypal clip with aggregate fourth-down conversions successful back-to-back games since 2002.

43.6% — The percent of times the Broncos defence has allowed a touchdown successful the reddish portion since Fangio took implicit successful 2019, which ranks archetypal successful the league. Opponents person recovered the extremity portion successful 48 of 110 trips.

10 — The magnitude of sacks allowed by the Jets’ violative enactment this year, which ranks last.

Betting/fantasy

Line: Broncos -10.5

This is simply a immense dispersed for a comparatively unproven team. Yes the Jets aren’t precise good, but the Broncos person beaten 2 subpar opponents and haven’t been this large of a favourite since 2017, erstwhile Denver mislaid 23-10 to the Giants astatine location contempt New York being a 13.-5-point underdog. That’s not to accidental past volition repetition itself Sunday, but laying the points feels similar a gamble here.

Prop bet: Zach Wilson over/under 1.5 interceptions (minus-205)

Bet the over. The Broncos secondary is bare aft 2 interceptions of Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence past week, and Wilson has looked mislaid speechmaking coverages implicit the people of his 5 interceptions this season. Plus, the Broncos are apt to instrumentality an aboriginal pb and ne'er look back, meaning Wilson is going to person to effort and aerial it retired to get the Jets backmost into the game.

Fantasy play: RB Javonte Williams

Gordon has much rushing yards truthful acold (132 to 109), but the elusiveness Williams showed successful Week 2 is mounting the signifier for a breakout game. That’s particularly existent if the Broncos proceed to predominate clip of possession arsenic they person truthful acold this season. This is the week that Williams posts his archetypal 100-yard game, which volition beryllium cemented by respective agelong runs against a bushed Jets defence successful the 2nd half.

Post predictions

Mark Kiszla, columnist: Broncos 24, Jets 10

Teddy B and the Gang deed each enactment and spell 3-0 during the soundcheck. The existent performance connected the large signifier starts adjacent week.

Kyle Newman, bushed writer: Broncos 27, Jets 10

Zach Wilson throws 3 interceptions, with Pat Surtain II getting a prime for a 2nd consecutive week. And the Broncos offense’ settles successful instantly with an opening-drive TD, past rides Javontae Williams and Melvin Gordon to victory.

Ryan O’Halloran, bushed writer: Broncos 21, Jets 13

I wouldn’t interaction the double-digit point-spread for the Broncos adjacent astatine what should beryllium a raucous Mile High. They grind retired a win, led by moving backmost Javonte Williams’ 112 yards rushing and 3 takeaways.

Sean Keeler, columnist: Broncos 27, Jets 17

Uncle Vic is 4-2 with the Broncos erstwhile facing rookie quarterbacks, portion his defenses allowed 19.6 points per crippled to NFL tenderfoots. Not rather Bill Belichick-level Jedi mastery, but bully enough. Especially erstwhile a packed, raucous location has your back.