Broncos vs. Jets first quarter recap

The Denver Broncos lost the opening coin toss and the New York Jets decided to take the ball to start the second half. Teddy Bridgewater and the Broncos’ offense would start the game from their own 25-yard line.

Bridgewater opened the drive with back-to-back passes to Tim Patrick for six and ten yards. He went on a deep out to KJ Hamler, but the pass sailed on Teddy carrying Hamler out of bounds. On second and 10, Melvin Gordon got the hand off and fought his way inside for a seven yard gain. Then on third down, Graham Glasgow was bulled over giving the Jets a big play to end Denver’s drive.

A great punt downed at the Jets nine-yard line was quickly turned around with an 11 yard pass to get the Jets out of the shadow of their own end zone. The Jets went nowhere from there as they forced a punt after the next set of downs.

From their own 25 yard line, the Broncos began their next drive with an inside handoff to Javonte Williams for three yards. On second down, Bridgewater found Courtland Sutton for the first time of the day for an eight yard gain and a first down.

After a Jets offsides penalty, Williams picked up another eight yard and a first down on the next play that got Denver out to their own 39-yard line. Bridgewater’s next pass found Sutton for a short four yard gain. On second down, Bridgewater was sacked by Quinnen Williams when Lloyd Cushenberry inexplicably left his assignment with Garett Bolles on the play.

What looked like a driver killing sack, Bridgewater instead found a wide open KJ Hamler on third down for a 28-yard gain into the red zone.

Just outside the 10 yard line, Gordon shot out of a cannon up the middle for what looked like could be a touchdown. He was down at the one yard line. Two plays later, Williams would punch it in for his first NFL touchdown to cap an 11 play, 75 yard drive that up over seven minutes of clock.

Broncos 7, Jets 0.

On the Jets next possession, they got a nice four yard run on first down, but after a Zach Wilson incompletion, Alexander Johnson came on a blitz to get the big time third down sack to force a quick three and out for New York.

With the first quarter waning, the Broncos picked up their next possession from their own 36-yard line.

Bridgewater looked like he wanted to go deep on first down, but didn’t like what he saw checking it down to Williams who turned it up field for 17 yard gain. Then Williams would take the next handoff outside for another 14 yard gain to get Denver deep into Jets territory with the first quarter winding down to an end.

The quarter would come to an end with a quick out pass to Albert Okwuegbunam for six yards on second down. The second quarter would begin with Denver facing a third and four.