Jets-Broncos: New York Must Step Up Where Denver Excels

Kill the Clock, Kill the Spirit

When the Broncos beat the Jets 27-0 in 2005, their offense held the ball for over 42 minutes. New York is coming fresh off a game where they held the ball for over 40 minutes against one of the NFL's best defenses.

It's essential that New York do the same to Denver. They need to exhaust the defense, put points on the board, and keep Cutler and friends off the field.

The Broncos' chances of shutting down the Jets' offense are slim-to-none. But that can all change if the game turns into a shootout.

New York can't risk letting Denver put up points quickly and often, because it could make Brett Favre try to force passes that aren't there.

The game needs to be about tempo and control. With the emergence of Dustin Keller, and the explosion of Thomas Jones, the Broncos' defense could make life a lot easier for Favre and his weapons.

The New York Jets lead the league in keeping long drives, and every football fan knows how important that is. There aren't many things more deflating than a 12-play, eight-minute drive that ends with points.

And that's exactly what New York will need to do against an explosive offense.

Avenging 1998

The Broncos won that game fairly. There were no bad calls, and no dirty plays. They just came right out after halftime and exploded on New York.

They went on to win the Super Bowl, and the Jets went on to be their old selves, losing Vinny Testaverde in Week One of the season when they were picked as early favorites.

But halftime has been the story of the Jets for a long time. It's been two different teams after the half in a few games this season.

The Jets can jump out to early leads, stifle an offense, and dominate in the first-half—only to come back out in the second-half and let their opponents right back into the game.

When Denver comes to the Meadowlands on Sunday, Jets' fans want to see that tradition snapped in half. Don't allow any second-half adjustments to be effective.

For the sake of the fans that collapsed after the AFC Championship game, for the fans that are hesitant to crown the 2008 Jets as the real deal, New York must play another complete game against a team we still resent a decade later.

Angel Navedo is the Head Writer at NYJetsFan.com, boasting Jet Fuel Radio, frequently updated news and opinions, and a premier fan community. He is also the Community Leader for the New York Jets on Bleacher Report.

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