Melvin Gordon rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns, including a 43-yard score with 1:48 remaining, to help lift the Denver Broncos to a 37-28 victory over the New York Jets on Thursday night.
In a battle of two teams battered by injuries, the Broncos managed to emerge victorious despite third-string quarterback Brett Rypien throwing three interceptions that helped keep the Jets in the game. Rypien was making his first career start in place of Drew Lock and Jeff Driskel and actually played well except for the passes he threw to the wrong team.
Rypien completed 19 of 31 passes for 242 yards with two touchdowns and the three interceptions for Denver.
Sam Darnold’s legs gave the Jets their first lead of the entire season on their opening drive of the game. Darnold evaded a sack in the backfield, dodged a tackle in open space and somehow scampered for a 46-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
That lead lasted just shy of a quarter as Brandon McManus converted a 40-yard field goal and Jerry Jeudy stole a pass from Rypien away from Pierre Desir for a 48-yard touchdown that put Denver out in front, 10-7, early in the second quarter.
Gordon scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown in between a pair of Sam Ficken field goals as the Broncos took a 17-13 lead into halftime. Ficken would add his third field goal of the night on a 32-yard attempt to pull the Jets within a point at 17-16.
The Broncos appeared to grab control of the contest as McManus converted a 54-yard field goal and Rypien tossed his second touchdown pass of the night, a 7-yard strike to Tim Patrick, as Denver’s lead ballooned to 27-16 with just over 14 minutes remaining. However, Ficken would convert his fourth field goal of the night from 54 yards out and the Jets would pick off Rypien twice to help them re-take the lead.
Desir intercepted Rypien and returned it for a 35-yard touchdown that made it a 27-25 game after a failed two-point conversion. Brian Poole then picked off Rypien on the next drive, which led to a 35-yard Ficken field goal as the Jets took a 28-27 lead. Desir also had the first interception of Rypien on a bad attempted throwaway.
A nine-play, 40-yard drive by Denver led to a 53-yard McManus field goal to re-take the lead, 30-28, with 3:08 left to play. The Jets had a chance to answer but the effort sputtered when Bradley Chubb sacked Darnold on fourth down at the two-minute warning. Gordon then iced the game with his 43-yard romp on the very next snap as he bounced the play outside and picked up a block from Rypien on the way to the end zone.
The Jets defense also was responsible for six personal foul penalties on the night: three roughing the passers, two unnecessary roughness and a facemask (also against Rypien). The penalties were on Terrell Basham, Steve McLendon, Alec Ogletree, Bradley McDougald and two on Quinnen Williams.
