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Broncos Fans Debate World's Ugliest Win Over Jets

Bo Nix's stats would have made Tim Tebow point and laugh — but a win is a win.
September 30, 2024
Running back Javonte Williams had a reason to smile after the Broncos' victory over the New York Jets on September 29.
Running back Javonte Williams had a reason to smile after the Broncos' victory over the New York Jets on September 29. Denver Broncos
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Fans of the Denver Broncos were universally pleased by the squad's 10-9 road win over the New York Jets yesterday, September 30. But most of those weighing in on social media seemed perplexed about how the hell it happened.

That makes sense given the stunningly gruesome sequence of events that led to the W. The game took place during a persistent rainstorm that left rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who, having played part of his college career at the University of Oregon, should have been accustomed to the challenges of handling a wet football, looking as if he was trying to throw while wearing a pair of oven mitts. He wound up connecting on twelve of his 25 passes for just 60 yards — a stat line capable of making Tim Tebow point and laugh. And while he registered his first touchdown through the air, wide receiver Courtland Sutton had to use every inch of his six-foot, four frame to snag the pigskin before it sailed over his head.

In short, Nix's performance would have needed to undergo a twelve-hour makeover before qualifying as ugly. But he and his fellow Broncos emerged victorious, anyhow, thanks in large part to the Jets matching, and narrowly exceeding, their level of ineptitude — which, for Broncos Country, provided at least a modicum of satisfaction, since the man under center for New York, Aaron Rodgers, once appeared to be bound for Colorado but chose the Big Apple instead.

Rodgers's flirtation with Denver reached its first peak in April 2021, when rumors were rife that he would leave his longtime professional home of Green Bay in order to rescue the franchise from post-Peyton Manning mediocrity. Even after a draft-day deal failed to take place, the Broncos' braintrust remained so besotted with the idea of Rodgers in orange that the following January, they named eminently unqualified Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett as the unit's next head coach. Management types never acknowledged that the Hackett hire was intended to lure Rodgers to Colorado, but everyone with an operational cerebral cortex understood that was the goal — and it failed spectacularly.

Rodgers subsequently signed a new contract to stay in Green Bay as a precursor to him heading to NYC, leaving Denver with declining Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson as a consolation prize.

And we all know how that worked out.

Of course, the Rodgers-Jets marriage hasn't been an unqualified pleasure ride, either. He missed all but four plays of the 2023-2024 season after tearing his Achilles tendon in his regular season debut for Gang Green, and the start to the latest campaign has been okay at best. Coming into Sunday, New York had a 2-1 record, but Rodgers's only better-than-decent performance had been against the New England Patriots, currently one of the weakest outfits in the NFL. And in the first half against the Broncos, he was only slightly more effective than Nix. The Jets managed just two field goals in the first couple of quarters, with the first only happening because of a fumble.

It could have, and probably should have, been much worse. But the Broncos' defense proved stout once again — a trend for which defensive coordinator Vance Joseph, the object of ire last season, deserves plenty of credit. Even without lead tackler Alex Singleton, who tore his ACL amid Denver's startling defeat of the Tampa Bay Bucs seven days earlier, the defense has quietly become a strength rather than a weakness.

Meanwhile, the Broncos' moribund running game suddenly snapped to life in the second half. Javonte Williams wound up netting 77 yards on the ground — an average game for many running backs, but a veritable bonanza by his recent standards — and Jaleel McLaughlin chipped in another 46. Moreover, after the rainfall lightened, Nix managed to connect on just enough passes for Denver to record ten points — the aforementioned TD to Sutton and a field goal by Will Lutz.

Granted, the slender 10-9 lead seemed unlikely to hold up. After a Jets fumble and scoop six that would have sealed the game never made it onto the scoreboard because head coach Sean Payton had unwisely used all of his challenges already, Lutz hooked what would have been a clinching three-pointer. But Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein missed a last-second boot of his own, prompting Rodgers, sitting on the bench, to throw a towel over his head in disappointment. His reaction was pretty much the only beautiful moment of the day.

Afterward, the Denver faithful on X tried their best to put a good face on the outcome. Here are our favorite twenty examples.

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.
Contact: Michael Roberts
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