It wasn’t pretty, Jets’ minus-10 net passing yards — the fewest in any NFL game since 1998. It was enough for the Denver Broncos to escape London with an ugly 13-11 victory over the winless New York Jets on Sunday, as Patrick Surtain II and the Denver defense spent much of the morning harassing Justin Fields into one of the worst statistical offensive performances in NFL history.
“It wasn’t art,” Broncos coach Sean Payton said afterward. “But it was a win — and that’s what we came here for.”
Every time Surtain looked up, another Bronco was on top of Fields. Denver’s defense sacked the Jets quarterback nine times, including a game-clinching takedown by Jonathon Cooper and Justin Strnad on a fourth-and-8 from the Broncos’ 44-yard line with under two minutes to play.
The Jets finished with minus-10 net passing yards, the fewest in franchise history and the lowest total allowed by any NFL defense since the Chargers’ infamous minus-19 game against the Chiefs in Ryan Leaf’s third career start in 1998.
“It felt like we were everywhere,” said Cooper, who finished with two sacks. “We knew if we could keep Fields in the pocket, we’d make life miserable for him.”
Fields completed just 9 of 17 passes for 45 yards and was constantly under siege behind a collapsing offensive line. The Jets managed a mere 82 total yards — the lowest by any team this season.
While the Broncos’ defense carried the load, rookie quarterback Bo Nix did just enough to get the win. Nix completed 19 of 30 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown, a 16-yard strike to tight end Nate Adkins late in the first quarter that gave Denver a 10-6 lead.
Nix also led a poised 12-play, 65-yard drive in the fourth quarter, capped by Wil Lutz’s 27-yard field goal with 5:12 remaining — the difference in the game.
“Bo’s growing up fast,” Payton said. “He didn’t force anything today, and in a game like that, that’s exactly what we needed.”
Evan Engram led Denver’s receivers with five catches for 42 yards, and the Broncos converted a key fourth-and-5 early on the Adkins touchdown drive to keep momentum alive.
For the Jets (0-6), it was another frustrating chapter in a nightmare start to Aaron Glenn’s head coaching tenure. New York has now opened 0-6 for just the third time in team history (1996, 2020).
Glenn’s team was undone by offensive ineptitude, poor clock management, and untimely penalties — including a third-quarter holding call on guard Quinn Meinerz that resulted in a safety, briefly giving the Jets an improbable 11-10 lead.
Even stranger, the Jets inexplicably let the clock run out at the end of the first half with the ball near midfield and a chance for a Hail Mary. Cameras caught a visibly frustrated Garrett Wilson gesturing toward Glenn as the team left the field.
Glenn defended the decision postgame, saying, “We didn’t want to risk a turnover before halftime since we were getting the ball to start the third.”
The Jets finished the first half with just 32 total yards, the lowest by any team through two quarters this season. Despite that, kicker Nick Folk kept them close, going 3-for-3 on field goals before Glenn elected to pass on a long attempt late in the fourth quarter — a decision that backfired when Fields was sacked on fourth down.
The Broncos (4-2) have now won three straight, capping a grueling two-week road swing that began with last Sunday’s comeback win over the previously unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles.
“It was a long trip,” Nix said. “We could’ve folded, but we found a way. That’s what good teams do.”
Still, Payton wasn’t thrilled with his team’s offensive execution. Denver went 5-for-15 on third down and committed six penalties, several of which stalled drives.
“We’ve got to clean up a lot,” Payton said. “But I’ll never complain about a win overseas.”
Broncos: Return home to face the New York Giants next week at Empower Field at Mile High before a Week 12 bye. Jets: Host the Carolina Panthers next Sunday as they continue to search for their first win of 2025. Their bye comes in Week 9.
