3 Takeaways from Jets' Week 7 Win vs. Broncos
These aren't the same New York Jets of recent years. And they've been proving that on a weekly basis this season.
On Sunday, the Jets continued their hot start to the 2022 campaign with a 16-9 win over the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. It was their fourth straight victory and improved the team's record to 5-2.
New York hasn't won four games in a row since a five-game streak from Weeks 12-16 of the 2015 season. It has also already exceeded its win total from the 2021 campaign, when it went 4-13 in its first year under head coach Robert Saleh.
Here are three takeaways from the Jets' Week 7 victory.
Hall's Long TD Run Overshadowed by Injury
Of course, the Jets' only touchdown on Sunday came from Breece Hall, the rookie running back who has electrified the team in recent weeks.
The 21-year-old broke off a 62-yard TD run in the first quarter, giving New York a 7-0 lead and appearing to set himself up for another big performance.
However, Hall's day took a turn for the worse in the second quarter, when he was carted off after suffering a knee injury. After the game, Saleh indicated that he may have torn his ACL. If that's the case, his debut NFL season will be over.
"He's a heck of a football player," the Jets head coach told reporters. "When you lose great football players, it's not good."
The Iowa State product's absence would be a major blow to the New York offense. After his exit on Sunday, the Jets scored only nine points on a trio of Greg Zuerlein field goals.
Hall scored a touchdown in each of the team's past four games, and he had just recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game in a Week 6 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Michael Carter had only 29 yards on 13 carries in Sunday's win. So, if Hall is done for the year, New York will need to figure out how to get its run game going in the weeks ahead.
Big Plays by Defense Helping Fuel Turnaround
In 17 games in the 2021 season, the Jets' defense had seven interceptions. Through the first seven weeks of the 2022 campaign, the unit has already notched the same number.
The defense has taken a huge step forward this season, as evidenced by its big-play ability, and it continued that progression on Sunday.
The Jets held the Broncos to 324 total yards and allowed only one touchdown (a two-yard scoring run by Latavius Murray late in the first quarter). Plus, Lamarcus Joyner picked off Denver fill-in quarterback Brett Rypien late in the third.
In 2021, New York allowed an NFL-high 397.6 total yards per game. This season, it ranks 10th best in the league at 314.7. Watching from the sidelines, Carter thinks the unit is even better than that.
"We have the best defense in the league," he said, per The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt. "It's hard to lose when you've got a defense that good."
Even though Sunday's performance came against Rypien and a struggling Broncos offense, it was still another impressive showing by the Jets. And with so many young players on defense, the unit is likely to continue improving throughout the rest of 2022.
Jets Riding Momentum into Crucial Stretch
During the Jets' 5-2 start, they've played only one game against an AFC East rival. In Week 5, they hosted the Miami Dolphins and recorded an impressive 40-17 victory.
However, New York still has five divisional games to play, and a few are coming up soon.
The Jets will be at home each of the next two weeks for a pair of AFC East matchups, as they'll host the New England Patriots in Week 8 and the Buffalo Bills the following week. Then, after New York's bye, it will be going on the road to face New England in Week 11.
This stretch could determine whether the Jets have a legitimate chance to win their first AFC East title since 2002. Right now, they're only a half-game back of the Bills (5-1), which had their bye in Week 7.
Even if New York doesn't capture the division crown, it's in a solid position to reach the playoffs for the first time since the 2010 season. Its remaining non-divisional games include matchups against the Chicago Bears (2-4), Detroit Lions (1-6) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5).
If New York continues to play as well as it has in recent weeks, though, it could be capable of even beating top teams. So, it will be interesting to see how the Jets stack up to the Bills and Patriots in head-to-head action.