Broncos survive shaky offensive night in London
The Denver Broncos escaped a friction-filled Sunday in London with a 13-11 victory over the New York Jets, a result built more on defense and late-game poise than on explosive offense. The win, Denver’s fourth of the season, moves the team to 4-2 as they set their sights on a Week 7 home date with their MetLife Stadium co-tenants.
Defensive showcase overrides offensive struggles
On the surface, the box score reads modestly for both offenses, but the Broncos’ defense carried the load in a game that never felt comfortable for fans of high-flying scoring. Jets quarterback Justin Fields was sacked nine times and the Jets totaled just 82 rushing and passing yards combined. The Broncos held a high-variance attack at bay, with pressure repeatedly collapsing the pocket in critical moments and forcing quick decisions that rarely allowed for sustained Drives.
New York’s inability to find the end zone loomed large. A late first-half sequence saw a holding penalty in the end zone by Broncos guard Quinn Meinerz that flipped the score to put the Jets ahead 11-10 at one point, underscoring how tenuous the Jets’ night remained. But Denver’s defense answered when it mattered, bending without breaking and setting the stage for the eventual game-winning field goal.
Bo Nix and the Broncos’ late surge
On offense, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix showed flashes, especially on a late fourth-quarter drive that flipped the game to Denver’s favor. After a quiet stretch in the second and third quarters—one of the more puzzling slumps in recent memory for a quarterback who had flashed capability—the wheels finally clicked as Nix completed four passes on a critical march that culminated in Wil Lutz’s go-ahead field goal in the fourth quarter. The sequence proved to be the difference, punctuating a game otherwise dominated by mistakes and missed opportunities.
Earlier, Nix did connect for a touchdown on the final play of the first quarter, but the Broncos were unable to sustain offense for the majority of the game. A sack on third down late in the contest essentially sealed the Jets’ fate, leaving New York with one last, desperate chance that went nowhere after a sack on fourth down. The decision to attempt a 62-yard field goal on that drive instead of attempting the longer kick added to the afternoon’s tense, high-stress feel for both teams.
What the game means for the Jets and Broncos moving forward
For New York, the loss stings more because it drops them to a rough offensive showing—just 82 total yards—the latest reminder that sustaining consistent offense remains a work in progress. The Jets now prepare to host a struggling Panthers squad in their next game, hoping for a blueprint that translates into more points in a crowded AFC East landscape. The end-of-half sequence, where the Jets opted to drain the final 35 seconds instead of trying a fourth play, drew further questions about coaching philosophy and risk tolerance under pressure.
Denver, meanwhile, can lean on a defense that kept the Jets at bay long enough for a late-game rally. The upcoming matchup with the Giants, another test for a revitalized offensive approach, will be a litmus test for how quickly the Broncos can translate defensive strength into more consistent scoring opportunities. If Nix can find rhythm earlier and the running game surfaces more reliably, Denver’s ceiling will look markedly different from this London outing.
Looking ahead
As both teams head into their next weeks of the schedule, questions linger about quarterback play, clock management, and the ability to convert red-zone opportunities. For the Jets, a hard look at late-game decision-making is warranted, while the Broncos will hope to bottle the late-game mojo into a more complete performance that doesn’t require a defensive shoulder to carry the load every week.
