Following a close loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, the New York Jets bounced back with a 31-21 victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 5. The Jets snapped a three-game losing streak with the win against the Broncos, improving to 2-3 on the season.
The Jets outscored the Broncos 23-8 in the second half to seize control of the contest. It also helps that New York had 34 minutes and 36 seconds of possession in the win compared to Denver having the ball for only 25 minutes and 24 seconds.
Buy Jets TicketsWith the Jets getting back in the win column, here are our six immediate takeaways from Sunday’s showdown with the Broncos.
Breece Hall finally got unleashed in the offense
Before the Jets took on the Broncos, Robert Saleh made it clear that Breece Hall was no longer going to have a snap count as he recovers from a torn ACL. The second-year back responded by galloping for 177 yards and a touchdown on 22 attempts, including a 72-yard touchdown run. He also caught all three of his targets for 17 yards. If the Jets want to get back into the playoff picture in the AFC, Hall needs to remain heavily involved in the offensive gameplan.
There still seems to be a disconnect between Zach Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett
It wasn’t a stellar outing by Zach Wilson, by any means, in the win over the Broncos. Outside of a late-game interception to Pat Surtain II, Wilson avoided making mistakes and made some plays when he needed to. There still seems to be a disconnect between Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett, which is severely holding back the offense. The third-year quarterback completed 19 of his 26 attempts for only 199 yards. Wilson will certainly need to perform closer to how he did in Week 4 versus the Kansas City Chiefs when the Jets host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6.
Garrett Wilson needs more plays schemed for him
While the Jets came away with the win, it was another disappointing outing for Garrett Wilson. The stud pass catcher notched only three receptions for 54 yards on seven targets in Sunday’s matchup against the Broncos. Wilson is arguably the most talented player in the offense and there should never be a game where he touches the ball only three times. Even if the Jets don’t use him on jet sweeps, they can scheme up quick passes to Wilson to get him more involved moving forward.
Quincy Williams was making plays all over the field
The defense was a significant reason why the Jets won on Sunday, and Quincy Williams stood out at the linebacker position. Williams was flying from sideline to sideline, racking up nine combined tackles, three quarterback hits, two sacks, and a tackle for loss. His second sack was a strip sack of Russell Wilson that resulted in a fumble recovery touchdown by Bryce Hall to seal the game late in the fourth quarter. The athletic linebacker continues to prove he’s emerging as one of the best at his position in the NFL.
Xavier Gipson made his first mistakes on special teams
Xavier Gipson has been a bright spot on special teams since scoring a game-winning punt return touchdown for the Jets in Week 1. But in Sunday’s win, Gipson struggled on special teams, fumbling the ball twice on punt returns (he lost one of them). In Gipson’s defense, it appeared to be the sun shining in his eyes that prompted him to lose the ball on the punt before his second fumble. The undrafted rookie can bounce back with a positive performance in Week 6 versus the Eagles.
Alijah Vera-Tucker exited with a calf injury
The offensive line of the Jets isn’t exactly a deep unit, and it could be even more thin moving forward. Alijah Vera-Tucker exited with a calf injury and he would be ruled out for the rest of the game. Vera-Tucker is arguably New York’s most reliable offensive lineman and his ability to play guard and tackle is invaluable. It remains to be seen if Vera-Tucker’s injury will force him to miss any time, but the Jets can’t afford him to be sidelined for long if they want to get back on track offensively.
