Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets: Full Report Card Grades for Denver
The Denver Broncos improved to 4-1 on the season with a 31-17 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday.
The Broncos put together a balanced offensive attack and ran for more than 100 yards for the first time this season. Defensively, the Broncos shut down the New York rushing attack.
Though it may not have been as comfortable as it seemingly should have been, the Broncos held on for a victory despite leading by just seven points late in the fourth quarter.
The Broncos will next face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football in Week 7.
Read on for more on this game, including report card grades for each position.
Quarterback
1 of 10
The Jets came into the game with a good plan to defend against Peyton Manning. The Broncos quarterback was forced to be much more mobile than he likes to be.
Still, Manning was able to put together a solid game.
He completed 22 of 33 passes for 237 yards with three touchdowns. He didn't turn the ball over once. The three touchdowns on the day put Manning at 506 for his career, leaving him just two short of Brett Favre's all-time record.
"Peyton Manning now just two touchdowns behind Brett Favre after workmanlike win over hapless Jets: http://t.co/0z679UZeiv
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) October 12, 2014"
There is a very good chance Manning will break that record on national television next week when the Broncos host the San Francisco 49ers.
Grade: A
Running Back
2 of 10
No Montee Ball? No problem.
Getting the first start of his career, Ronnie Hillman paced the Denver rushing attack with 100 yards on 24 carries.
Coming into the game, the Jets gave up an average of just 83 yards rushing per game. The Broncos gashed them for 138 on Sunday.
In addition to Hillman, rookie Juwan Thompson carried the ball eight times for 38 yards. Both Denver running backs averaged more than four yards per carry.
"In his first career start, Broncos RB Ronnie Hillman has posted his first career 100-yd rushing game.
— Patrick Smyth (@psmyth12) October 12, 2014"
It was nice to see the Broncos finally get the running game going, as both backs looked better than Ball has all year. Denver used the run to set up the pass and control the clock, which was a huge factor in winning this game.
Grade: A-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
The Broncos offense is made all the more dangerous by the talented weapons for Manning.
It was another big game for the two players named Thomas, as Demaryius followed up his big performance last week by catching 10 passes for 124 yards and a touchdown. He made some great grabs on the sideline as well, showing just how good his hands are.
On the very first play from scrimmage, Manning bought some time and hit Demaryius for a 54-yard gain.
Julius Thomas only made four catches, but two of them went for touchdowns. Is there a better red-zone target in the NFL right now? Thomas has nine touchdown catches on the year.
Emmanuel Sanders had a quieter game than we're used to seeing this season, catching just three passes for 38 yards. He did make a catch in the second quarter where Manning split two defenders with the ball. Had he not lost his balance, Sanders likely would have scored what would have been a 68-yard touchdown.
Wes Welker was almost shut out in this game, but the one catch he had that went for eight yards produced a key first down late in the fourth quarter, allowing Denver to chew up more clock.
Grade: A-
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Offensive Line
4 of 10
The Denver offensive line did not have its best game Sunday.
Early on, the O-line could not keep the Jets pressure off Peyton Manning and was getting beaten badly up front. However, it was able to open up plenty of holes in the running game against one of the league's best run defenses.
Penalties hurt the Broncos in this game as Manny Ramirez, Louis Vasquez and Ryan Clady were all called for holding penalties. In fact, the refs caught Clady twice.
Much like he did on the first play of Super Bowl XLVIII, Ramirez snapped the ball over Manning's head. Luckily, Wes Welker was able to run back and pounce on it. Still, Ramirez needs to work on dealing with crowd noise and knowing that just because Manning steps up toward the line, it doesn't mean snap the ball.
Still, you have to give the offensive line credit for keeping Manning upright as the game went on and giving him a clean pocket to throw from. If the game progressed the same way it started, with Manning having to roll out and evade pressure, we may have had a different result.
Grade: C+
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The Broncos did a very good job of getting pressure on Jets quarterback Geno Smith in this game. They did an even better job of slowing down the running game.
The Jets gained just 31 yards on 15 carries. The defensive line accounted for four of the team's seven tackles for loss.
DeMarcus Ware was in the face of Smith on many occasions, getting one sack, one tackle for loss and two quarterback hits.
Derek Wolfe may have played his best game of the season as he came up with five tackles and one pass defensed.
Terrance Knighton and Sylvester Williams were both stout in the middle, and Malik Jackson got after the quarterback as well and batted down a pass down. Unfortunately for him, he was called for roughing the passer on the same play.
Quanterus Smith even got in on the act, jumping up and knocking down a pass similar to the way J.J. Watt routinely does.
Grade: B+
Linebackers
6 of 10
Von Miller played another solid game on Sunday, even if he did leave briefly.
After putting his head down to stop Jets running back Chris Ivory, Miller went face first to the turf and was slow to get up. He was taken off the field to be observed for a concussion and was allowed to return.
Miller had two sacks on the day to go with his four quarterback hits, two tackles for a loss and one pass defensed. He is definitely back to being the disruptive force that he was prior to missing much of the 2013 season.
Danny Trevathan left the game very early after suffering a lower-leg injury. He did not return, and his status will be something to monitor in the coming week. In relief, Brandon Marshall stepped up to tie for the team lead with seven tackles.
Rookie Corey Nelson also had seven tackles, an encouraging sign. However, another rookie made a bad mistake.
Following a short brawl after a kickoff, Lamin Barrow threw a punch and was ejected from the game. He can probably expect a fine as well.
As usual, the Broncos could not figure out to stop an opposing tight end. Rookie Jace Amaro caught 10 passes for 68 yards and a touchdown on the day.
Grade: B-
Secondary
7 of 10
The Jets rarely tested the Denver cornerbacks in this game, instead trying to work the middle of the field with their young tight end. Eric Decker did catch six passes and a touchdown, but the Broncos did a good job of covering the New York wide receivers.
T.J. Ward was beaten on the touchdown to Jace Amaro early as the rookie just used his physical size to take the ball out of the air. Ward should have been able to make the play.
Late in the game, Aqib Talib intercepted Geno Smith as he threw from his own end zone, returning it 22 yards for a touchdown to put a cap on the win.
Rookie Bradley Roby had a strong performance, tallying two passes defensed to go along with his first career sack.
Grade: B+
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Broncos got a good effort out of their kicking game on Sunday as Brandon McManus opened the game with a 37-yard field goal and added four extra points. That should help his confidence going forward.
Punting the ball, Britton Colquitt was excellent as always. He averaged 44.0 yards on his eight punts, but none was more important than his last one.
After the Jets forced a punt with just over one minute remaining in the game, Colquitt dropped a punt at the New York 5-yard line, essentially burying any final hopes the Jets may have had.
There wasn't much from the Denver side as far as kick returns went, but Andre Caldwell made a very curious decision in the fourth quarter.
After the Jets narrowed the Broncos' lead to 24-17, Caldwell brought the ensuing kickoff from very deep in his own end zone and only got it out to the 6-yard line before being tackled. This brought the Jets crowd alive and created a very disruptive situation for Peyton Manning and his offense, which were backed up toward their own end zone.
This easily could have ended in disaster. If Caldwell is going to continue to be the kick returner, he needs to play smarter.
When Walter Powell of the Jets muffed a punt, Steven Johnson recovered in the second quarter, which seemed to breathe life into the Broncos, who were down 7-3 at the time. This was one of the key plays of the game, as it completely shifted momentum.
Grade: B-
Coaching
9 of 10
If the Broncos haven't developed a killer instinct to this point under this regime, they likely never will. Perhaps it doesn't exist in John Fox?
Yes, this is the NFL, and yes, anything can happen in any given game. But the Broncos are a far superior team to the New York Jets, and there is just no excuse for them to be within seven points late in the fourth quarter.
This is something that has gone on in Denver for years, and it will eventually come back to bite the team.
With Peyton Manning, the Broncos throw the ball as well as any team in the league. So even if you're up three scores, continue to do what you do best. Why does Fox always seem to take his foot off the gas pedal?
Why can't the defense figure out how to cover a tight end? That's nothing new either.
Denver gets by because it has Manning, who is incredibly good. The coaching staff needs to work on the team's preparation skills.
"#Broncos HC John Fox on team's 11 penalties -- "We were on the wrong side of that.''
— Jeff Legwold (@Jeff_Legwold) October 12, 2014"
Eleven penalties in one game? That can't continue.
Grade: C-
Overall Grades
10 of 10
Quarterback: A
Running Back: A-
Wide Receiver/Tight End: A-
Offensive Line: C+
Defensive Line: B+
Linebacker: B-
Secondary: B+
Special Teams: B-
Coaching: C-
Overall Grade: B-
The Broncos got the win and that's the important thing, but they shouldn't have struggled against a 1-4 Jets team.
Peyton Manning was excellent as usual, and teams are going to have an increasingly difficult time defending Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas.
Getting the running game going was the biggest thing the Broncos should take from this game. The 138 yards they put up against the Jets on the road is something they can build upon.
But it still feels like this team wins despite questionable calls from the coaching staff. The Broncos are one of the NFL's best teams, without doubt, but they could be even better. Preparation must be addressed because they will get a solid San Francisco team in Week 7.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
