As the New York Jets prepare for their Week 6 matchup against the Denver Broncos at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Gang Green travels across the pond still hunting for their first victory this season.
Listed as 7.5-point underdogs by FanDuel Sportsbook, New York will need to follow these three keys to success to secure its first win under Aaron Glenn and hand the 3-2 Denver Broncos their first loss since Week 3.
Justin Fields must get the ball out quickly
If the Jets want any chance to move the ball against Denver, Fields has to speed up his process. The Broncos’ front is relentless. After leading the NFL with 63 sacks a year ago, they’re back on top this season with 21 through five games.
That pass rush was on full display last week against Jalen Hurts, when Denver racked up 14 pressures and six sacks. Per Next Gen Stats, five of those sacks came with a standard four-man rush, showing how easily they can disrupt an offense without blitzing.
For Fields, that’s a dangerous matchup. He tends to hang onto the football longer than almost anyone in the league, which leads to unnecessary hits and drive-killing sacks in the pocket. According to Pro Football Focus, his average time to throw of 3.24 seconds ranks as the league’s second-slowest, faster than only Chicago’s Caleb Williams.
That hesitation has hurt New York’s offense. Fields has already lost 93 yards on sacks (seventh-most) and is tied for the league lead with three fumbles. To give the Jets a chance, he’ll need to trust his reads, make quicker decisions, and keep the Broncos’ pass rush from taking over the game early.
Fields downplayed his time-to-throw when speaking to reporters this week, claiming it is not a “credible” stat, but the results speak for themselves.
Pile up sacks on Bo Nix
The Jets’ pass rush has been nearly invisible since the opener, managing just seven sacks in five games.
Four of those came in Week 1 against Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers, but the production has fallen off a cliff since. Despite facing injury-depleted offensive lines in Tampa Bay, Miami, and Dallas, New York has struggled to generate any consistent pressure.
In Week 4, the defense failed to record a single quarterback hit on Tua Tagovailoa, and the following week, their lone sack came when Dak Prescott gave himself up, sliding short of the line of scrimmage to avoid contact.
With defensive end Jermaine Johnson returning from a three-game absence due to an ankle injury, the team’s pass rush will receive a much-needed boost against Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos.
Johnson logged six pressures in a game-and-a-half to open the year. That’s almost as many as Micheal Clemons, Braiden McGregor, and Tyler Baron have combined for all year (seven).
READ MORE: Jets must learn from prior mistake with Jermaine JohnsonStay balanced between the run and the pass
First-year offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand faces one of his toughest challenges yet against a Denver defense that ranks among the league’s best against both the run and the pass.
Unlike previous weeks, the Jets can’t rely on pounding the ball four or five times in a row and expect success. The Broncos thrive on diagnosing predictable play-calling, and if New York falls into that trap, the offense could stall early.
For the Jets to leave London with their first win under Engstrand, they’ll need a balanced, creative approach that keeps Denver guessing on every snap.
The Broncos’ worst defensive performance of the season came in Week 3 against the Indianapolis Colts, who kept the Broncos on their toes with a nearly 50-50 split of runs and passes. The Colts finished with 34 pass attempts to 32 rush attempts, resulting in 473 total yards (306 passing, 167 rushing), no turnovers, and 29 points.
To succeed in London, Engstrand must look to emulate the model displayed by Colts head coach Shane Steichen.
