The Denver Broncos got a 13-11 win over the New York Jets on Sunday, but many Broncos fans wanted to discuss how poorly the offense played and how concerning it is that the team only beat the winless Jets by two points.
But let's look at the glass half full. All wins in the NFL are meaningful... and how about that defense?
The Broncos put forth a tremendous defensive effort in this game, one that saw new lows on offense. The Jets managed just 82 yards of total offense and went 2-for-15 on third-down conversions in this game, but what really stuck out was the team's passing yards.
Justin Fields completed only nine passes in this game for 45 yards, but the Broncos sacked him nine times in this game, resulting in 55 yards lost. That adds up to -10 net passing yards.
Only 4 NFL teams have taken a snap this week.
— Kyle Soppe (@KyleSoppePFN) October 12, 2025
The Jets rank 32nd for the week in net passing yards pic.twitter.com/8NDI1brl6B
When was the last time the league saw a number that low? You would have to go back to September 20, 1998, 27 years ago. On that day, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Diego Chargers 23-7 and the Chargers put up -19 net passing yards with Ryan Leaf at quarterback.
On that day, Leag completed one of his 15 pass attempts for four yards. Factoring in the times he was sacked gets you to the -19 number. No one has gotten that close to futility until the Jets and Fields on Sunday.
The closest to that before Sunday came in October 2009 when the New England Patriots defeated the Tennessee Titans 59-0. Kerry Collins and the Titans had -7 net passing yards in that game, which was played in a snowstorm.
READ: Winners, losers and one big difference-maker for Broncos in Week 6 win
The name Ryan Leaf is one a player never wants to be connected to. Considered by many to be the biggest draft bust in NFL history, Fields is now on a list with him. But instead of that being due to how badly the Jets played, perhaps the Broncos' defense should be getting more credit for making that happen.
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