Field Level Media
Sep 26, 2021
Teddy Bridgewater threw for 235 yards Sunday while the Denver Broncos' defense harassed rookie quarterback Zach Wilson throughout their third straight win, a 26-0 shutout over the New York Jets in Denver.
Wilson, the No. 2 overall pick in last spring's NFL Draft, endured a second consecutive miserable game against a defense able to pressure him with consistency. He completed 19 of 35 passes for 160 yards with two interceptions and was sacked five times.
New York (0-3) managed just 43 yards on the ground and finished the day with just 162 total yards. It hasn't scored a touchdown since the fourth quarter of its Week 1 loss at Carolina.
The Broncos have benefited from a soft schedule. None of the three teams they've played have won a game yet, but they have won all three games by double figures, giving them a nice run-up into a tougher portion of their schedule that starts next week at home with Baltimore.
Bridgewater completed 19 of 25 passes, piloting an efficient offense that finished with 344 yards and made few mistakes, aside from a meaningless goal-line fumble by Javonte Williams in the fourth quarter that denied Denver a potential touchdown.
Denver initiated scoring with 3:27 left in the first quarter when Williams sliced into the end zone from the 1 to cap a 75-yard drive that lasted 7:10. The Broncos boasted a 130-6 advantage in total offense in the period.
Their offense methodically added on while the defense continually frustrated New York's punchless attack at every turn. Brandon McManus hit a 45-yard field goal 10 seconds into the second quarter, his first of four on the day.
Melvin Gordon's 1-yard run with 56 seconds remaining in the first half upped the margin to a comfortable 17-0 at intermission.
McManus tacked on 47, 21 and 36-yard field goals in the second half to finish off the scoring. The Jets' best scoring chance ended in the first minute of the fourth quarter when Wilson's fourth-and-1 pass from the Denver 25 fell incomplete.
Alexander Johnson had two of Denver's five sacks.
--Field Level Media