Broncos vs. Jets: Breaking Down Denver's Game Plan

The Denver Broncos came out of their bye week in spectacular fashion. In Week 5, the Broncos went back to being the pass-happy team they were last season and it paid off in a big way. They were able to give the Arizona Cardinals their first defeat of the season, beating Arizona 41-20 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

This week, the Broncos travel east to take on the 1-4 New York Jets. The Jets sit at the bottom of the AFC East, and this should shape up to be an easier win for Denver.

The quarterback situation might be in flux for the Jets as Geno Smith has not looked good in the starting lineup. The Jets can run the ball with both Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson receiving playing time at the position. The receivers are led by former Broncos receiver Eric Decker, but this is not shaping up to be a "revenge" game like we saw when Steve Smith of the Baltimore Ravens played against his former team, the Carolina Panthers, earlier this season.

Denver’s passing game flourished last week, and the team should use a similar recipe for success against a poor Jets secondary. The running back position will have a new starter as Montee Ball was lost for likely several weeks with a groin injury he suffered in Week 5.

The Broncos defense should be able to tee off against an inexperienced quarterback. Their defensive front should also be able to stand strong against the Jets’ rushing attack. If the Broncos offense builds a big lead (likely), then making plays for the defense could come even easier.

Let’s take a look at how the Denver Broncos will attack the New York Jets on both sides of the ball.

When the Broncos Run the Ball

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The Broncos wisely abandoned balance against the Cardinals in Week 5. They rushed the ball only 28 times against Arizona while Peyton Manning had 47 passing attempts. Expect that formula to continue going forward as the Broncos’ identity crisis has ended. This team is a passing team first, a passing team second and a rushing team third.

With Ball suffering from a groin injury, the team should turn the lead back duties over to third-year back Ronnie Hillman. The scatback has not officially been announced as the starter, but all signs point to him getting the first crack at the job.

On Wednesday, Manning praised Hillman for his work so far in 2014.

“It’s a good opportunity for [RB] Ronnie [Hillman]. Ronnie has played at different times and different amounts but when you’re the starting back and you’re running out there in pregame warmups as a starting back, there’s a different hat that you wear so we’re counting on him in the run game, pass game and pass protection. There is no question he has a burst that is pretty unique when he gets the ball in his hands and it’s our job to give him the space.” Manning concluded, “At the same time, we’re counting on him to handle all parts of playing running back.”

The Jets have a tough defensive front, ranking sixth in the NFL with only 83.0 rushing yards allowed per game. The defense has only given up two rushing scores to date.

The Broncos aren’t designed to do what the Chargers did to the Jets rushing defense in Week 5. San Diego ran the ball 40 times for 162 yards and one rushing touchdown—and they did that mostly with undrafted free agent Branden Oliver.

Hillman may get the start, but we’ll also see C.J. Anderson and Juwan Thompson mixed in. The back who has the most similar style to Oliver is Anderson.

In fact, Mike Klis from The Denver Post told me in a recent interview on my ESPN Radio show that he could see Anderson eventually taking over as the starter for the Broncos.

“Ronnie Hillman is ideally a 1B back. He’ll get the first crack, but going forward at some point this season—and I’m just speculating here—I can see a scenario where eventually C.J. Anderson is the starter and Ronnie Hillman is his backup.”

The running game is a bit up in the air right now. Hillman should get a chance, but if he falters and Anderson looks better, the team could have a quick hook for Hillman. Thompson did not participate in practice on Wednesday with a knee injury, but he could throw his hat in the ring as well.

When the Broncos Pass the Ball

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Denver looked fantastic through the air against the Cardinals in Week 5, with Manning passing for 479 yards. He also joined Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with 500 or more passing touchdowns in a career. He reached the mark in 49 fewer games and 1,381 fewer attempts than Favre.

Manning’s four touchdowns put his career number at 503—only five short of Favre’s all-time mark.

A big reason why the team looked better as a passing team was the play of Demaryius Thomas. He struggled the first three weeks of the season, catching only 13 passes for 141 yards and one touchdown. In Week 5, Thomas hauled in eight passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns—setting a new franchise record for receiving yards in a single game.

Manning noticed Thomas’ improved play in practice last week.

“I thought he had a better week of practice last week. Just kind of going back to there are really no secrets. He practiced better, he was on top of his assignments and he caught the ball better.” Manning continued, “That’s what you want to do every single week and that’s what he expects to do every single week and we’re looking for that consistency in everybody on our offense.”

In addition to Thomas and his elite level of production, the Broncos also continued to get strong play from Emmanuel Sanders. For the third week in a row, Sanders had over 100 yards receiving in the game. Sanders’ speed takes the top off the defense, but he also excelled in short and intermediate routes as well. He’s one of the toughest receivers in the NFL, and Sanders is fearless when running routes over the middle.

Add in tight end Julius Thomas and slot receiver Wes Welker, and you have the makings of the league’s most dangerous passing attack.

The Jets secondary is not feared whatsoever. They have a league-best 17 sacks in 2014, but they’ve allowed more touchdown passes (12) than all but one team this year. The lone interception generated this season is tied with New Orleans and Jacksonville as the worst in the league.

This could be an outstanding day for Manning and the passing game.

When the Jets Run the Ball

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The Jets feature a two-headed backfield in 2014. Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson are splitting reps as they work to grind down opponents and set up play-action passing.

With a shaky quarterback situation, the Jets need to get as much out of their ground game as possible. Like many teams, the Jets could try to play "defense" by keeping Manning and the Broncos on the sidelines. This would require a great day from the ground game, and they would have to control the time of possession on Sunday.

Ivory is the "thunder" in the Jets backfield. He is a powerful runner who can run through arm tackles with ease, and he is also quite elusive in the open field. Ivory is a natural receiver out of the backfield, and he’s tough to bring down when he builds a head of steam.

Johnson gives the Jets backfield its "lightning" because of his speed and big-play ability. He’s not the same player he used to be (it’s been a while since CJ2K), but Johnson can still get by the defense in the blink of an eye.

Broncos head coach John Fox talked about his team’s approach for the Jets this week.

“Our guys look at the tape. They don’t look at records. That’s for people outside—fans or whoever. They watch tape, that’s what they do, study. And they’ve got a good football team. They lead the league in sacks. Defensively, they’re like fourth against the rush. Offensively, they’re top five in rushing. They’ve got a great back and a quarterback that can make things happen with his feet and arm.” Fox concluded, “Their head coach, Rex Ryan, we have great respect for. He went to back-to-back AFC Championship Games, so that’s what we look at.”

Denver’s rush defense is ranked seventh in the NFL, and they allow an average of 88.3 yards rushing per game. The Jets could find it tough to run on the Broncos—and they may almost completely abandon the ground game if Denver builds a big lead early.

When the Jets Pass the Ball

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The Jets offense is not built to be a pass-happy scheme. Geno Smith is in his second year, and he’s struggled to make much happen through the air. Last week in the blowout loss to the San Diego Chargers, Smith was replaced by Michael Vick—and that exact scenario could unfold once again this week if Smith doesn’t play better.

Broncos cornerback Chris Harris knows the team must be ready for Smith’s style of quarterback play.

“Right now, he’s just trying to figure out himself and what he’s trying to do on offense. He has the ability to make all the throws, so we’ve just got to be ready for that. It’s going to be a lot more throws on the run, so a lot of boots, misdirection things.” Harris emphasized, “That’s the difference when you play a running quarterback: It’s not a lot of dropback passes. It’s more bootlegs and trying to get them on the run, so we’ve got to be ready for that.”

If he can play with a minor hamstring injury, former Broncos wide receiver Eric Decker will be the Jets' best wideout on the field. Harris looks forward to competing against his former teammate.

“I played against Decker in college, so I already know what type of competitor he is. Even him being here, he’s always been a tough guy to go against. So I’m looking forward to it, and I’m pretty sure he’s looking forward to it.” Harris exclaimed, “I’m excited to play him.”

Another weapon in the passing game to watch out for is rookie tight end Jace Amaro. The Broncos have historically struggled against athletic "move" players like Amaro, and he could be a threat if (when) the Jets are forced to play "catch-up" football.

The Broncos pass defense is ranked 23rd in the league right now, and they average 258.5 passing yards allowed per game. Over four games, the Broncos have only surrendered five passing scores, have three interceptions and 11 sacks generated in that span.

Summary 

This is likely to be an easy win for the Broncos on Sunday. They travel and have an early game on Sunday morning, but they need to take care of business against a vastly inferior opponent.

The sign of an elite team is the ability to smash opponents that have no business being on the same field. Yes, the Jets are that bad—and the Broncos need to prove that they are incredibly superior to their opponent on Sunday.

While the ground game is in transition mode without Ball, the passing game is just starting to look like it did last year.

Manning and the aerial attack could take care of business early against the Jets. That would open things up for the ground game later in the game.

All quotes and injury/practice observations obtained firsthand. Record/statistical information provided via email from the Denver Broncos unless otherwise noted. Contract and salary-cap information provided by Spotrac.com. Transaction history provided by ProSportsTransactions.com.