The Denver Broncos are now 2-2 this season after beating the New York Jets on Sunday. The game was ugly for the offense, but a win is a win – and the defense is playing outstanding football.
I like when the culture of the Broncos changes. In recent years, they would not have won such a game – now, it’s different.
I also like contemplating life and sports when driving around with the top down on my old Jeep Wrangler TJ! The following is a result of those trips during the week.
Buckle up, let’s take a ride through my thoughts.
Vance Joseph on a Mission
There is no doubt the Broncos beat the Jets because of the defense. The offense did enough, but it was the defense that was relentless against Jets QB Aaron Rodgers. Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph has been on a mission – and mission has been accomplished almost every week this season.
From the first play on, the Broncos were getting to Rodgers and making him uncomfortable. The rush did their job, and the coverage from cornerback Pat Surtain kept star wide receiver Garrett Wilson from doing much on Sunday. Joseph is an aggressive play caller, and he’s channeling his inner Wade Phillips.
Joseph is no longer scheming up complicated or hybrid looks to confuse an opponent. That’s still part of his defense, but now Joseph is just sending the house and trusting his players to make a play. That aggression and simplicity has helped the Broncos defense become one of the best in the league.
Today was the first time EVER that Aaron Rodgers had 0 TD at home when he played the entire game
The Broncos defense is legit, and their play will help the team win more games than some thought possible. Joseph’s mission is to help the Broncos win, and his efforts should get him the opportunity to be a head coach again in the future.
Is Javonte Back?
We haven’t seen the real Javonte Williams in a few years. As a rookie, Williams was a tackle-breaking phenom. He was my no.1 graded back that year in the NFL draft, and I was elated when the Broncos drafted him in the second round. In 2021, Williams broke a tackle once every six carries (leading the league) and looked like a budding star for the Broncos.
Then, a horrific knee injury early in the 2022 season knocked his career off track. Yes, Williams miraculously returned for the 2023 season, but he didn’t look the same. Instead of breaking tackles all the time, Williams only broke a tackle once every 20 carries – one of the worst marks in the league.
This season, Williams looked like he did last year – not good. That was the case until this Jets game. The wet field meant Williams could not dance as much as he was doing in the first three games. This helped him get to-and-through the hole faster. Plus, the Broncos were using more zone plays – a forte of Williams – and that helped him gash the Jets on the ground for 77 yards on 16 carries.
Javonte Williams played 59% of the snaps, with 16 carries, 13 routes and 3 targets
80 yards is by far his best game of the season
Is Williams back? Well, we need to see more. I think both sides may be figuring things out. If Williams stops dancing and Payton calls more zone plays, it could be that Williams is back to being himself.
Strnad Improving
Justin Strnad has been a solid special teams player for the Broncos over the last few years but he was supposed to be more. When he was drafted out of Wake Forest in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft, Strnad was seen as a player who could solve the inside linebacker woes for the team. The Broncos haven’t been the same at the position since Danny Trevathan moved on after the 2015 season.
Instead, Strnad struggled with injury and did not shine when he got opportunity to play on defense. Entering Week 4, the Broncos needed Strnad to do more as starting inside linebacker Alex Singleton was lost for the season with a knee injury he suffered in Week 3. Yes, the team added guys like Kwon Alexander and Zach Cunningham, but those new additions weren’t ready for the Jets game.
Strnad was ready.
He sacked Rodgers on the first play, and Strnad played most of the defensive snaps for the Broncos and finished with four tackles. It was his first action as a starting defensive player since 2021, and he had the best game of his pro career.
In his first start in three years, Broncos LB Justin Strnad played 57 of the 74 defensive snaps yesterday.
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) September 30, 2024
Losing Singleton sucks but having a guy like Strnad step up and shine really helps this Broncos defense. It’s just further proof that players can change and improve at various points in their career.
