NFL

The Broncos are a defensive-based team, and that's what they need to be right now

  • Jeff LegwoldOct 12, 2025, 05:45 PM ET

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      Jeff Legwold covers the Denver Broncos at ESPN. He has covered the Broncos for more than 20 years and also assists with NFL draft coverage, joining ESPN in 2013. He has been a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Selectors since 1999, too. Jeff previously covered the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans at previous stops prior to ESPN.

LONDON — As the Denver Broncos closed out their 13-11 win over the New York Jets, coach Sean Payton could see clearly how they got it done.

Despite a résumé full of record-setting NFL offenses, Payton suddenly finds himself with a defensive powerhouse that pushed, pulled and thumped to an odd victory over the Jets on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Denver gave up only 82 yards and no touchdowns to New York. The win moved the Broncos to 4-2 on the season.

Payton was asked after the game whether he thinks his team has a defensive personality. He said, “Well, it was a defensive team [Sunday], and I hope it’s a defensive team all season. In order to win, I think that’s extremely necessary in our league. And, man, they were something.”

Denver finished with nine sacks, the second-highest total in a game in franchise history and the most the Broncos have had in a game since 1996. Eight Denver players had at least a half sack, and outside linebacker Nik Bonitto got his eighth sack of the season. The Broncos now have 30 total over six games.

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New York quarterback Justin Fields finished 9-of-17 for 45 yards. And the Jets’ minus-10 net passing yards were the fewest by an opponent in Broncos history, breaking a record of minus-7 net set in 1971 (vs. Chicago Bears).

“I was pretty shocked when they told us after the game,” Bonitto said. “That’s pretty funny.”

Yet, when the third quarter ended, the Broncos’ struggles on offense and special teams left them trailing 11-10. They had fumbled on their first offensive series. They surrendered a 72-yard kickoff return. They had a holding penalty in the end zone for a safety. And after their only touchdown of the game in the first quarter, they ventured inside the Jets’ 40-yard line just once.

But the swarming pass rush — bolstered by a versatile and physical secondary, with Surtain as the hub of the coverage wheel — took control. And it certainly had Payton’s attention in a season where the Broncos have already been in five one-score games. The Broncos have already dealt with two walk-off losses — to the Indianapolis Colts (Week 2) and Los Angeles Chargers (Week 3).

“Did I want this to be a one-score game? No, but it was,” Payton said. “So, fortunately, we’ve been able to go with what maybe last year was an Achilles’ heel. … You just hope to get through it. You’re disappointed you’re in a dogfight like that, but you’re in it, and you’ve got to figure it out.”

The Jets scored field goals on their first two possessions. Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin fumbled at Denver’s 37-yard line, leading to one. Then they allowed a 72-yard kickoff return to Kene Nwangwu, giving New York the ball at the Broncos’ 24-yard line for another. But the Jets still didn’t run a play inside the Broncos’ 20 on either of those two drives, and the defense made its statement for the day.

Roughly three hours later, the Broncos closed the deal much the same way. The Jets had a first-and-10 at the Denver 46 with 1:56 to play, but the Broncos’ defense forced an incompletion and had two sacks on the next four plays — including a sack split by outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper and safety Brandon Jones on fourth-and-8.

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Broncos defense comes up with game-sealing sack

Jonathon Cooper and Brandon Jones get to Justin Fields to seal the game for the Broncos.

The Broncos have given up only 31 points in the past three games combined, and they have now had three games this season in which they’ve allowed 106 net passing yards or less. They are also first in the NFL in defensive EPA. As a result, the Broncos have their best start in any of Payton’s three seasons with the team. Denver has three of its next four games against teams that were in the bottom half of the league in offense heading into this weekend’s games: the New York Giants (next Sunday), the Houston Texans (Nov. 1) and Las Vegas Raiders (Nov. 6).

“It’s almost impossible what they did,” Broncos quarterback Bo Nix said. “It was impressive. … They’d be a fun defense to watch, probably an awful defense to play against.

Nine sacks is a lot of sacks.”