Gritty performance propels Broncos to victory in the Meadowlands

It's not how you start—it's how you finish.

Despite looking dreadful on offense to start the first half against the New York Jets , the Denver Broncos found life in the second half. Coupled with a ferocious outing from their defense, it was just enough to help secure a much-needed victory on the road.

After an impressive Week 3 performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , fans across Broncos Country were hoping to see some continued development and progression from quarterback Bo Nix. Alas, that didn't come to pass this afternoon. Nix and his companions struggled immensely and certainly weren't firing on all cylinders this Sunday.

Sixty net passing yards is atrocious and unacceptable. If the Broncos want to continue to win games, they are going to have to do much better than that. I certainly believe they will but approaching that with caution is reasonable. What we have seen to date simply isn't sustainable and one can remain skeptical until proven otherwise.

But sometimes football can be ugly. That's precisely what today was. Even so, we can take acknowledge some positive developments on that side of the ball. Their rushing attack was rejuvenated in the second half and was a major factor in the team's success. Javonte Williams had a big bounce back game. He played with vision and tenacity, and several tough runs helped lead to two scoring drives.

Additionally, the offensive line did a fantastic job of winning in the trenches in both facets. Despite a lackluster aerial attack, Nix wasn't sacked. The five up front did a tremendous job of keeping him clean for most of the game and paved the way for a formidable rushing attack. That Jets' defensive line is no joke and the Broncos' offensive line won the day.

It wasn't a lot, but 10 points was good enough to get the win, though it wouldn't have if with Defensive Vance Joseph didn't craft and call another tremendous gameplan. It's time to give Joseph his flowers. He more than deserves it.

His ambitious and aggressive play calling has been the hallmark of the Broncos' season to date. Better yet, the production and results have been even more impressive. It's a confident group with a lot of swagger and energy. Even with only having one first-round pick on the defensive roster, they are balling out and making plays every single week.

Despite being down two starts in Alex Singleton and Baron Browning, the Broncos' defense harassed Aaron Rodgers all game long and held them to nine points. Overall, they registered 5 sacks, 14 quarterback hits, and the Jets' offense converted just four third downs on seventeen attempts. That's quite an accomplishment for Joseph and his players.

But it gets even better. According to CBS, it was the first time in Rodgers' Hall of Fame career where he played the whole game didn't have a touchdown at home. Today's defensive performance was truly one for the record books, folks. Without question, this is certainly the best defense we have seen since the No Fly Zone and Super Bowl 50 championship team.

Fans have a reason to be concerned about Sean Payton, Nix, and the rest of the Broncos' offense after four games played. Quite simply, they have a lot of work to do on that side of the ball for fans to be confident about the direction they are headed.

Nevertheless, they should be over the moon for how Joseph and his defensive have started off the season. It might just be the best defensive unit in the National Football League. Just think of how good they could be if the offense finally hits its stride.

Today's gridiron battle wasn't pretty, but all that matters is that the Broncos came away with the victory. One week at a time, one game at a time. Next week's objective? Beating the Raiders for the first time since 2019. Wouldn't that be nice?