Maybe it was the wipes.
Something got into the Jets on Sunday as they became a big-play offense and a swarming defense
. The win snapped a three-game losing streak and moved them to 2-3 this season. Denver fell to 2-3.
The Jets had six plays of more than 30 yards after having four such plays in their first four games. Running back Isaiah Crowell broke the franchise record for rushing yards in a game with 219 on 15 carries, including a 77-yard touchdown. After his touchdown, Crowell just dropped the ball to the turf, a departure from his butt-wiping celebration two weeks ago in Cleveland. That celebration got him fined by the NFL but also landed him an endorsement last week with “Dude Wipes,” a toilet-paper substitute.
The wipes seem to work for Crowell.
He was not the only star on offense, though. The Jets rolled up 512 yards, their most since 2013. Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold threw three touchdown passes, including a 76-yarder to Robby Anderson, who had two receiving touchdowns in the game. On defense, the Jets sacked Broncos quarterback Case Keenum four times and kept the Denver offense off balance until it piled up some garbage-time yards.
It was the Jets’ first win since Week 1 in Detroit and gives them hope of turning their season around as they play three straight games at home to open October.
“I think we finally got to a point where enough is enough,” said defensive end Leonard Williams, who had two sacks. “We lost three in a row. Hopefully, going forward we don’t need to lose anymore to play this way and learn how to win and continue to win. Not get too high or too low and just continue to play ourselves. I think we came out here and did a great job of winning at home, and we have two more home games coming up. Hopefully, we can continue this energy.”
That energy looked shaky early in the game. Bilal Powell, who finished with 99 yards rushing, fumbled on the Jets’ first possession. The Broncos recovered at the Jets’ 20 and scored three plays later on an 8-yard touchdown pass from Keenum to Courtland Sutton, giving Denver an early 7-0 lead.
It was Crowell who lit the fuse for the Jets early in the second quarter, when he broke around the left side and raced through the Denver defense for a 77-yard touchdown to tie the game. Suddenly, the life was back in the stands at MetLife Stadium and on the sideline. Crowell averaged 14.6 yards per carry, the highest in NFL history for a player with at least 15 carries, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
Three minutes later, the Jets’ big-strike offense hit again. This time, it was Darnold finding Anderson on the left side of the field as he beat Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby for a 76-yard score and a 14-7 lead. The two would connect again just before halftime on a 35-yard touchdown to go up 21-10. The two just missed hooking up for a big pass last week in Jacksonville. This time, they were on the same page and the Broncos paid.
“I’m starting to feel the rhythm of Robby’s timing and how fast he gets downfield,” Darnold said. “It’s awesome. … Like I said last week, it’s just a matter of time until we click and our offense is rolling on all cylinders. It’s going to be fun to watch us in the next couple of weeks.”
While the offense was putting up big plays, the defense was shutting down the Broncos. After some early success running the ball, Denver did very little until the fourth quarter, when the game was already decided.
A week after getting embarrassed by the Jaguars abusing them, the Jets defenders focused on communication and cleaned it up.
“We made [communication] a huge point of emphasis this week,” linebacker Darron Lee said. “I don’t think it’s been made a bigger point of emphasis since I’ve been here, honestly. We just went out and executed. We’re looking to build on it. Regardless of our wins in the past, we’re not lowering our guard anymore. We did, and we lost three games straight. We’re making sure that doesn’t happen again.”
Lee said the Jets spent the week talking about it in meetings and in practices. Several defensive players said it was a very good week of practice. The players held an extra meeting by themselves on Friday to reinforce the game plan.
“We were just tired of losing,” Lee said. “Really last week communication was probably the biggest thing overall. I don’t think it’s ever been that bad since I’ve played here all across the board, myself included. It was just unacceptable. Enough was enough.”
The Jets tacked on a late touchdown from Darnold to Terrelle Pryor, who made a beautiful, one-handed grab on the play, to go up 34-10 before Denver scored a window-dressing touchdown.
The Jets face the Colts next week at MetLife before the Vikings come to town. The big question this week will be whether the Jets can start a winning streak.
“It’s awesome to be able to get a win,” Darnold said. “Any win, we’ll take it. I feel like every week in the league is a different challenge and it’s a hard challenge, but again, we’re capable of winning a lot of games. Every single week we’re going to come out looking to win and have that fiery passion that we had today early and just continue to ride this wave.”
