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Oct 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end John Franklin-Myers (98) and cornerback Pat Surtain II (2) against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

5 Matchups Broncos' Star Defenders Must Win Against Jets

Originally posted on Denver Broncos on SI
By Erick Trickel | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 6:33 PM ET

While the Denver Broncos have performed well defensively this season, they've had fall-apart moments, sometimes due to their play, and others because of penalties. Even though the New York Jets have struggled offensively, they have a good rushing attack and a quick passing game, which is where the Broncos have struggled the most.

Denver needs to play cleanly on defense and prevent the Jets from doing what they do best. For that to happen, the Broncos need to win these five matchups on defense, focus on shutting down the Jets' rushing attack, and force them to pass the ball.

Let's dive into this week's key defensive matchups for the Broncos.

CB Patrick Surtain II vs. WR Garrett Wilson

These two have gone against each other a few times before, with each side getting their wins. This year, Wilson has clearly been Justin Fields' top target in the passing game, and it’ll only grow with Allen Lazard ruled out of the game, putting more pressure on Surtain, who has not had the cleanest season.

However, Surtain has still done a solid job of shutting down top receivers, matching up against a specific assignment on 50% of routes four different times, with three of those being the opponent's top receiver. He held those top receivers to under 40 yards receiving.

It's an intriguing matchup because Wilson has been near perfect when going against man coverage, with nine catches on 10 targets for 122 yards and four touchdowns. Surtain has been in man-coverage for nearly 54% of his defensive snaps this season.

LB Alex Singleton vs. RB Breece Hall

The biggest liability for the Broncos' defense has been Singleton, especially in the run game and when covering running backs. This opens the door for Hall to carry the Jets to success if Singleton can’t figure it out, or if the Broncos can’t cover the aging linebacker's play.

One thing the Jets love to do is to use motion to dictate running lanes, and Hall has been exceptional on such runs with 259 yards, 13 first downs, and 10 explosive runs, while averaging 5.6 per carry. The Jets can use that motion to force pressure on Singleton and dictate running lanes.

The Broncos can help cover it by doing what they did for most of the game against the Philadelphia Eagles: putting Talanoa Hufanga closer to the line of scrimmage. It won’t erase Singleton's issue, especially in coverage, but it can help cover them.

OLB Nik Bonitto vs. OT Olu Fashanu

Bonitto has to be the early favorite for Defensive Player of the Year with seven sacks in five games, as he leads all qualifying pass rushers in sack rate and pressure rate. He has been the best pass rusher in the NFL through five games this season.

This will put Bonitto against Fashanu for most of the game. Fashanu has been the worst pass-protecting left tackle in the NFL so far this season. He leads all tackles in pressures allowed, and has the third-lowest pass-blocking efficiency in the NFL.

A big reason for Bonitto’s success is how quickly he gets off the snap and his speed in challenging the arc of offensive tackles. When you add in Fields’ tendency to drift back in the pocket, there is an opening for Bonitto to control the game if he can be cautious enough of the quarterback as a runner.

DL John Franklin-Myers vs. OG Joe Tippmann

Franklin-Myers has had a quiet season so far, but he has done quite well throughout. However, he did get a little shaken up against the Eagles, and the Broncos need him against the Jets' weak offensive line.

Tippmann hasn’t been a terrible guard this season, but he has struggled a lot in pass protection and as a run blocker. Even though run defense isn’t Franklin-Myers' strong suit, there is an opening for success.

If Franklin-Myers can create enough havoc, it will either force the Jets to shift attention his way, opening the door for D.J. Jones and Zach Allen, or it will force them to live with the havoc he's causing.

The focus of the Broncos' defense needs to be on stopping the run and forcing the Jets to become one-dimensional. That's the first step to achieving defensive dominance, and if they can do that, the Broncos' pass rushers can take over the game.

OLB Jonathon Cooper vs. OT Armand Membou

Membou has been phenomenal as a rookie, both in pass protection and in the run game. Cooper has also done quite well this season and has consistently made an impact in both phases.

The Jets have a weak offensive line, with Membou being the best one by far. If Cooper forces the issue with Membou, it could create a domino effect with the Jets' offensive line. If Cooper can’t, the Jets could leave Membou on an island with trust and focus their other four linemen on the Broncos' other pass rushers.