DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 17: Justin Simmons #31 of the Denver Broncos and Pat Surtain II #2 of the Denver Broncos celebrateduring the second quarter at Empower Field At Mile High on September 17, 2023 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
Two starters and a Pro Bowler return for the Broncos defense against the Jets.
The injury report for the Denver Broncos for Week 5 is encouraging.
The Denver Broncos are coming off their first victory of the season, which came in near-miraculous fashion. The Broncos overcome the team’s second-largest deficit (21 points) to kick off the 2023 season.
This week, the Broncos welcome back former head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who is now the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets. That storyline alone raised the stakes of this game, but Sean Payton’s thermonuclear shaming of Hackett this summer assured that both teams had plenty of bulletin board motivation.S
“It’s not often that an NFL team or organization is embarrassed,” Payton remarked. “And it happened right here. Part of it was their own fault, given how much (crap) time they spent trying to win the offseason – the PR, the pomp and scene, marching people around, and all that.
“We’re not going to do any of that.” This year, the Jets did just that. You observe. ‘Hard Knocks,’ everything. “I see it coming.”
Aside from one defensive breakdown after another, one of the reasons the Broncos started 0-3 was the injury bug (sound familiar?). This week, the squad welcomes back more than one vital member in the hopes of winning two games in a row.
Analysis: Instead of being released after Randy Gregory was traded to San Francisco, the Broncos are re-signing veteran Clark. Denver is likely to get Browning back next week.
Along with Clark’s timely return, the Broncos welcome back Jewell and Simmons to the starting lineup after the two defensive leaders missed the previous two games. Nothing will galvanize Vance Joseph’s hitherto weak defense if that doesn’t happen.
Maintain vigilance over Jeudy’s knee. He recently appeared on the injury report, and that knee could explain why he hasn’t had a 2023 coming-out party.
Williams is another crucial injury to keep an eye on. He was injured early in last week’s game, but the Broncos were lucky to receive a Herculean performance from youngster Jaleel McLaughlin. Whether or not Williams plays in Week 5, expect the Broncos to give him a significant amount of touches.
The Broncos’ defensive line has been atrocious, and the Jets are capable of running the ball. If Purcell is unable to attend on Sunday, it could be a foreshadowing of Breece Hall’s day at the office.
The Jets’ offensive line is hurt, but Becton will be on the field covering Zach Wilson’s blind side. Still, the Broncos have as good a chance as they could wish for to get after the Jets’ quarterback.
Turner, a former Bronco, should be kept an eye on. It would be surprising to see him not suit up after responding to Payton’s criticism of Hackett with a mound of smack.
With all of the ailments in the Jets’ secondary, Russell Wilson might have a profitable day at the office. The Broncos will face a quality defense this week, so don’t get too comfortable.
