EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Defense travels.
The past 10 days, Denver’s defense traveled a lot.
From Denver to Florida to West Virginia to New Jersey.
And now back home to the Front Range with a road sweep in the bag after a second straight dominating performance delivered a second straight upset win on the East Coast, this one a 10-9 Vance Joseph master class against the New York Jets.
“I thought Vance called a great game as he’s done all year,” inside linebacker Justin Strnad said after making his first start of the season. “He prepared us so well for this game and I can’t thank him enough.”
Joseph’s group was humming from the first play and came through just about every time Denver needed it on a rainy, offensively challenged afternoon at MetLife Stadium.
Strnad came free and logged the first of five sacks against future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers on the game’s first play. That drive ended in a turnover when safety Brandon Jones punched the ball out from receiver Garrett Wilson on a short completion.
Neither team logged a first down until the second quarter, but the Broncos defense generated a decided edge in big plays, which helped tilt the field position in their favor. They sacked Rodgers three times in the first half and two more in the fourth quarter while protecting a 10-9 lead.
The last of the quintet was the biggest.
Joseph sparred with Rodgers from the sideline on the Jets’ penultimate drive, blitzing him on the first two plays after the two-minute warning — both incompletions — before showing pressure but only rushing four on third-and-10.
Rodgers, out of rhythm, threw another incompletion.
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Jets coach Robert Saleh kept the offense on the field and the Broncos defensive coordinator showed all-out blitz.
This time, they brought it. P.J. Locke stormed off Rodgers’ blind side and blasted him for a sack and turnover on downs.
“That’s one of them ones that, as soon as ‘V.J.’ called it I was like, ‘I know this is going to hit home,’” outside linebacker Nik Bonitto told The Denver Post. “It always does. It came through and P.J. made a big play once again.”
Locke sensed an opportunity and didn’t miss.
“I seen the back kind of show up in the ‘A’ gap and I knew I was either going to have the tackle or I was going to come free,” he said. “And I just used what I’ve been working on and what we’ve been working on as a team — I just dipped under the tackle and I had a clean shot.
“Great call by ‘V.J.’”
Indeed, the Broncos made Rodgers uncomfortable throughout. He hadn’t been sacked five times in a game since December 2020 and had gone 40 starts without that many on his ledger. They pressured him consistently, too, even when they didn’t get him to the ground.
“It’s tough to do against him,” head coach Sean Payton said. “He’s real good with his protection IDs. He’s someone who, he knows if he’s short one (in protection) and he knows right away. … He’s extremely smart.”
The pressure mattered.
From left to right, Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II, safety P.J. Locke (6), safety Brandon Jones (22) and cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian (29) celebrate after Locke sacked New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers on a 4th and 10 late in the 4th quarter at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
A goal-line stand from first-and-goal at the 1 certainly mattered — a four-point swing in an eventual one-point game.
“That was huge,” defensive end Zach Allen said. “Obviously the ball’s on the less-than-1-yard line and to be able to do that — and to do it kind of two weeks in a row with Tampa, it speaks to us as a defense. Never give up.
“Then up front, the guys that we’re playing with are really playing at a high level and really bring the energy every day.”
The little things mattered just as much. A year ago the Jets rolled to 234 rushing yards against Denver at Empower Field.
On this day, which quickly turned into a weather-impacted slop-fest, New York managed just 64 yards on 23 carries, including 4 yards on 10 carries for Breece Hall.
“At halftime, as a head coach, I liked the way this game was going,” Payton said.
Even at the end, though, the defense needed just a little bit of help. Denver’s offense had mounted one scoring drive — an 11-play, 87-yard march capped by Bo Nix’s first career touchdown pass, an 8-yarder to Courtland Sutton — but failed to put the game away after Locke’s fourth-quarter sack. They went three-and-out and Wil Lutz missed from 50 yards to keep the score at 10-9
Rodgers moved the Jets into scoring range quickly but the Broncos defense stood up one more time and forced Greg Zuerlein into a 50-yard attempt, too.
No good. Ballgame.
Denver entered both road games around its practice week at The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia as touchdown underdogs. They won both on the strength of a defense that’s playing as well as it has in years.
Now they head West with a record level at 2-2 and back-to-back home games against Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Chargers on deck.
“I want to get back home to some sunlight. I feel like I haven’t seen the sun since we left Tampa Bay,” Locke said.
Because of the clouds and rain, sure, but also because his defense is playing lights out. They’ve got 12 sacks over the past two weeks and have allowed just one offensive touchdown in their past 30 full drives defended dating to the first quarter of Week 2 against Pittsburgh.
Denver Broncos safety Brandon Jones (22) forces a fumble from New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson (5) in the first quarter at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. on Denver Broncos cornerback Riley Moss (21) recovered the fumble. (Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
“Coach Payton just kept telling us that these two road games are going to define us as a team. Not for the season but for creating an identity for ourselves,” Locke added.
If that identity truly formed in the past 10 days, it’s one powered by the defense. It’s one that trusts this group will get a stop when it needs to, will rattle quarterbacks with regularity and is capable of taking the ball away.
A group that took this stretch as a challenge and came out of it feeling like it can make some noise.
“I just think that collectively we were able to build a bond and build trust in one another during that time period,” said Pat Surtain II, who once again took an opposing top receiver out of the game by locking down New York’s Garrett Wilson. “Coming out here and getting this win today, it’s the icing on the cake. I think this paid dividends for us moving forward.
“Obviously we’re going to keep on building that team chemistry moving forward and looking to the next weeks ahead.”
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