Zach Wilson and the Jets ought to know what’s coming when they face the Broncos on Sunday in Denver.
If the Denver defense doesn’t stack the box to stop the Jets rushing attack and dare Wilson, the Jets quarterback to beat them, it will be a shock to everyone.
The 4-2 Jets, winners of their past three games, have won with the run and stout defense. Wilson has been a passenger along for the ride, having thrown only 18 passes last week in Green Bay, completing 10 for just 110 yards.
And he’s fine with those numbers as long as the team keeps winning.
The Broncos’ defense is one of the best in the league, particularly in the secondary, which could make for some tough sledding for Wilson.
“It’s as good of a defense as we’ll see all year,’’ Jets head coach Robert Saleh said. “These guys are legit. They’re hard to move the ball on.’’
The Broncos are allowing 16.5 points per game, the fourth fewest in the NFL this season. They’re 2-4 not because of their defense, but because their offense averages just 15.2 points per game, last in the league.
“This defense is loaded,’’ Jets offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “They’re loaded both with brains and physical ability. I think you can tell the foundation they’ve had for the last, say going into their fourth year. Yes, they have a new [coaching] staff, but it’s the foundation of what they’re doing, is still very much the same and then Ejiro [Evero, the defensive coordinator] coming in, putting his twist, along with his staff.
“They’re fast, they fly around, they’re very smart, they’re never out of position. They’re arguably a top two or three total defense in this league, and for good reason. It shows up on tape. It’s going to be an incredible challenge.’’
Wilson on Thursday sounded like he’s just fine taking on the challenge of the Broncos selling out to stop the run.
“We welcome that, if they want to try and completely take away something and load up, that’s an opportunity for us,’’ Wilson said. “The Packers have a great pass defense, and you see kind of where they’re susceptible there, and we took advantage of that. You just kind of have to feel the game out and see where we can take advantage of what this defense is going to give us.’’
LaFleur insisted that he’s comfortable if the Jets have to rely more on Wilson’s right arm than running backs Breece Hall and Michael Carter to win the game.
“Zach has proven that he can win with his arm, too,’’ LaFleur said. “He did that in Pittsburgh [engineering two fourth-quarter drives in a comeback win]. We’ll see how each game presents itself. Every team usually sticks to their philosophy in how they approach things, but teams usually try to take away what you’re really, really good at and forcing you to do something else so it’s just going to go back and forth.’’
Wilson’s best trait of late is the fact that he hasn’t turned the ball over in the past two games, against the Dolphins and Packers.
“I think he’s ready,’’ LaFleur said. “I think that’s why he’s having a really good start to his year. He missed obviously training camp and the first quarter of the season, and he’s done it several ways. I’ll go back to that Pittsburgh game that if we need him to play quarterback, he can play quarterback. So, we’re not worried about Zach.’’
Wilson has a score to settle in Denver, where he and the Jets lost 26-0 to the Broncos last season in Wilson’s third NFL start as he went 19-for-35 for 160 yards, two interceptions and five sacks.
“It’s going to be a good challenge for us,’’ he said. “I’m excited, especially after what happened last year. I’m excited to go back and play those guys.’’
Asked what he remembers most about that game, Wilson said, “Just not scoring. We just didn’t score. It’s not a fun feeling.’’