Here’s a look at which stock improved or declined after the Broncos’ 10-9 win over the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon.
Stock Up
OLB Nik Bonitto: Denver’s third-year outside linebacker attacked Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers with ease. New York faced a third-and-6 in the second quarter when Bonitto flew off the edge to bring down Rodgers. Left tackle Tyron Smith didn’t stand a chance. Bonitto finished with a sack and a couple of pressures against New York. The most impressive thing about the performance was his run defense. The Jets were pinned at their own 1-yard line when Bonitto and defensive end John Franklin-Myers came together to tackle running back Breece Hall. Bonitto took it upon himself to improve as a run defender in the offseason. Those strides have been noticeable through four weeks.
CB Ja’Quan McMillian: A big part of Denver’s defensive success has been the secondary, highlighted by strong play from McMillian at nickel cornerback. He plays a physical brand of football that was on display in the first quarter. On third and long, Rodgers tried to hit Allen Lazard, but McMillian blanketed the wideout and broke up the pass. This season McMillian has 21 tackles and allowed a 72 passer rating as the nearest defender, according to Next Gen Stats.
DE John Franklin-Myers: Denver’s defensive end had every reason to smile after Sunday’s contest. With the Jets attempting to reach the end zone in the final seconds of the second quarter, Franklin-Myers sacked Rodgers for a 7-yard loss. Franklin-Myers finished with three tackles and a pair of quarterback hits. He has recorded a sack in back-to-back games. More importantly, his presence up front has taken the attention away from defensive end Zach Allen, creating more opportunities for his teammate to create pressure at a high rate.
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Denver’s offensive line: It was another strong week for the Broncos offensive line. On Sunday, Denver didn’t allow a sack on five pressures. Quarterback Bo Nix has been pressured 14 times but hasn’t been sacked for two straight weeks — a major improvement from the first two games. The unit also played an integral part in helping the Broncos record 126 rushing yards. Denver has averaged 131 rushing yards during its two-game win streak.
Stock Down
Third-down offense: Denver struggled on third down, going 0 for 7 in those situations on Sunday. This season, Denver has the second-worst third down conversion percentage in the league at 24.6%. The Broncos have 12 carries for 25 rushing yards on third down, while Nix has completed 22 of 44 pass attempts for 187 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
HC Sean Payton: After Payton authored arguably his best game as Denver’s head coach last week, the Broncos had their worst offensive half in his tenure. Denver’s passing game was a complete mess and struggled to push the ball down the field. Payton’s decision to stick to the run game in the second half worked, but he almost cost his team the game in the fourth quarter. With 1:46 to go in the fourth quarter and an opportunity to seal the game, Denver went away from Javonte Williams carrying the ball. Nix threw a short pass to Williams for a 4-yard gain on second-and-10. And on third down, Nix scrambled for a one-yard loss, giving the ball back to the Jets.
WR Troy Franklin: Nix and Franklin’s connection from their Oregon days has yet to translate to the NFL. Against New York, Franklin had two catches for minus-2 yards on four targets. There were a few times during the game when Nix tried to hit Franklin down the field, but they weren’t on the same page. During Denver’s first drive of the game, Franklin was called for offensive pass interference.He has the speed to open up the field for Denver, but it’s going to take time for him to adjust to the pro level.
WR Marvin Mims Jr.: Mims has had one catch for nine yards in 26 offensive snaps over the last two games. He didn’t receive a target in Week 4. Against the Jets, the Broncos needed a dynamic pass-catcher outside of Courtland Sutton. It’s becoming clear that Mims might not fit that role. He appears to be getting phased out of the offense, as Franklin has received more offensive snaps than Mims over the last two weeks.
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