Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets: Complete Week 6 Preview for New York
The New York Jets are way past pushing the panic button.
The Jets have dropped four consecutive games, with the last being an embarrassing and highly publicized 31-0 thrashing at the hands of Philip Rivers and the San Diego Chargers.
Rumors are flying around about the job security of seemingly every major person in the organization, ranging from head coach Rex Ryan to offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg to quarterback Geno Smith.
To put it simply, the Jets are quickly imploding—and it's only October.
Now, Gang Green must face its toughest challenge to date in Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos, sitting pretty at 3-1, are the favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and they enter Sunday's game as the huge favorite.
New York needs to put together one of its best game in the Rex Ryan era if it is going to pull off the major upset.
Click through to see a full analysis and preview as well as a final score prediction of this crucial Week 6 matchup.
Week 5 Recap
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Week 5 couldn't have gone much worse for Rex Ryan and Co.
After an awful first half, Geno Smith was benched in favor of Michael Vick. The switch didn't really do much though, as the offense didn't pass midfield until midway through the fourth quarter of the 31-0 loss.
The offensive line and receiver corps are also to blame, as neither performed even somewhat decently.
The secondary was its usual awful self, allowing 244 passing yards and two touchdowns before the first half was even in the books.
The second half wasn't much better, as the run defense was dominated by fourth-string back Branden Oliver, who rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown on just 19 carries. He added 68 yards and a score on receptions as well.
New York was dominated in every phase of the game for 60 minutes, as it was outplayed, outcoached and outclassed by San Diego.
When people look back at what prompted Rex Ryan and Geno Smith's fall, this game against the Chargers will play a major role in the story.
News and Notes
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Geno Smith Gets Yet Another Chance
Smith has failed to take a significant step forward in his sophomore season, and he now leads the NFL in both interceptions and turnovers.
Smith's struggles led to his benching in favor of Michael Vick against the Chargers.
However, Rex Ryan is still sticking with Geno, at least for now.
Earlier this week, Ryan remained confident in the West Virginia product, at least publicly, and announced he will start against the Broncos this weekend, per Charles Curtis of The Star-Ledger. A lot of people have given up on Smith already, but Ryan knows his own fate is tied to the former second-round pick. If Smith can step up and become the quarterback the front office projected him to be when they drafted him, he could end up saving Ryan's job.
That's a lot to ask, though.
Eric Decker Prepping to Play His Old Team
Decker was arguably the Broncos most productive receiver in the first two years of Peyton Manning's tenure in Denver, racking up over 2,350 yards and 24 touchdowns in that span.
Despite his success, Denver didn't offer Decker a contract this offseason, and the team eventually signed Emmanuel Sanders as his replacement.
The University of Minnesota product hopes he can make an impact against his former team, especially after sitting out of the Jets blowout loss to San Diego last week.
Decker talked fondly of his time in the Mile High City this week, but said his departure was strictly a result of the "business side" of football, per Jeff Legwold of ESPN.
Obviously, Decker's stats have dropped off this season, as he no longer has Peyton Manning throwing him the ball and has dealt with a nagging hamstring injury.
On Sunday, the 27-year-old needs to put up the kind of stats that he did in Denver if New York is to have a chance of claiming the win.
Do or Die Time for Rex Ryan
Ryan shouldn't really be on the hot seat. He's gotten the most out of his team throughout his tenure, despite limited talent at several key positions, most notably quarterback.
However, after an embarrassing loss that marked the first four-game losing streak of his head coaching career, Rex's seat is blazing hot.
Ryan is well aware that his job is on the line, saying this week "[If] we don't get this thing on the right track, I don't think for a minute I'll be here," per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York.
The bombastic head coach has one of his biggest challenges to date in a historic Broncos offense this weekend, so an immediate turnaround is unlikely.
If the team can show some kind of improvement over last week, maybe Ryan can continue to avoid the of the unemployment line.
Injury Report
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| Player | Injury | Status |
| Damon Harrison | Ankle | Probable |
| Darrin Walls | Knee | Questionable |
| Dee Milliner | Quadriceps | Probable |
| Eric Decker | Hamstring | Questionable |
| David Harris | Shoulder | Questionable |
| David Nelson | Ankle | Questionable |
| Josh Bush | Quadriceps | Questionable |
| Jeff Cumberland | Illness | Questionable |
| Breno Giacomini | Back | Probable |
| Chris Johnson | Ankle | Probable |
| Nick Mangold | Shoulder | Questionable |
| Willie Colon | Knee | Questionable |
*Injury report courtesy of the official website of the New York Jets
Eric Decker is the highlight of the injury report yet again this week, but it appears that he will finally be able to start this Sunday, according to Dom Cosentino of The Star-Ledger.
The Jets passing attack was nonexistent without Decker a week ago, so his return could do wonders for Geno Smith and the offense.
On the defensive side of the ball, the big story is the availability of David Harris.
Harris hurt his shoulder last week, and the injury is apparently pretty "significant," but Rex Ryan is confident the inside linebacker will play, per Rich Cimini of ESPN New York.
Dee Milliner will be ready to go after practicing fully this week, and David Nelson and Darrin Walls are questionable after practicing on a limited basis.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Dee Milliner vs. Demaryius Thomas
Milliner hasn't lived up to his draft billing thus far, but te second-year cornerback has seen his game improve over each of the last few weeks.
However, the Alabama product will face one of the toughest challenges of his NFL life in Broncos wideout Demaryius Thomas.
Thomas, considered one of the best wideouts in the NFL, has recorded back-to-back 1,400-yard, double-digit-touchdown seasons, and he's coming off one of the most breathtaking receiver performances in recent memory, having caught eight passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals last week.
The former first-round pick is a dangerous combination of elite size and blazing speed, and he is undoubtedly Peyton Manning's best offensive weapon.
Milliner will certainly have his hands full on Sunday.
Eric Decker vs. Aqib Talib
The Broncos used much of the money saved from not re-signing Decker to acquire former Patriot Aqib Talib this offseason.
Talib is one of the premier cover corners in the game today, as his size and physicality tend to overmatch opposing receivers.
As New York's No. 1 receiver, Decker will likely be matched up with Talib throughout the contest.
It'll be one of the more physical matchups of the day, as each player likes using their size and strength to get the better of their opponents.
If Decker loses this matchup, New York's offense will have a really tough time moving the ball.
Antonio Allen vs. Julius Thomas
Because of his combination of size and speed, Antonio Allen is one of the few Jets defensive players who can match up with opposing tight ends.
However, Allen was picked apart by San Diego's Antonio Gates last week, as the South Carolina product gave up two easy red-zone touchdowns to the Chargers' future Hall of Fame tight end.
Allen will face an even bigger challenge this week in Julius Thomas.
Thomas's seven touchdown receptions currently leads the NFL, and he's done that in just four games. He's Manning's go-to threat in the red zone, as his athleticism and size are too much for opposing defenses to handle in that part of the field.
Allen must be at the top of his game, or Thomas could be in for a field day.
Jets' X-Factor of the Week: Kyle Wilson
The killer combination of Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas have already been addressed, but that is just half of Denver's quartet of elite offensive weapons.
The Broncos also possess two of the shiftiest receivers in the league in Emmanuel Sanders and Wes Welker. Sanders and Welker are both small players, but they are as shifty and elusive as they come, and they provide mismatches for seemingly every opponent.
Kyle Wilson will likely be matched up in the slot with at least one of the two receivers, and he must contain whomever he is assigned.
If the Jets allow Sanders or Welker to run rampant in their secondary, Manning will simply have too many options at his disposal.
Prediction
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Expect Rex Ryan's troops to put together a much better performance on Sunday than they did last week in San Diego.
Ryan knows his job is on the line, so he'll make sure he will get everything he can from his players.
However, the Broncos are simply in a higher class. Denver is the favorite to reach the Super Bowl from the AFC, and the Broncos possess one of the most dangerous offenses in recent NFL memory, along with an opportunistic defense full of big names such as DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller.
Don't be surprised if the Jets even outplay the Broncos for a quarter of two but end up simply being outclassed by Peyton Manning and the awesome weapons at his disposal.
Gang Green won't be embarrassed, but they'll still be 1-5 when it's all said and done.
Broncos 37, Jets 23
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