As the Broncos approach a Week 4 battle with the New York Jets, Denver knows it will need its best effort to come away with a second consecutive win.

"We're going to have to play our best game in this one," Head Coach Sean Payton said Friday. "These guys are good."

The Jets (2-1) have won two consecutive games after dropping their opener, while Denver (1-2) turned in its best performance of the season in a 26-7 win over Tampa Bay.

Now, the challenge becomes building upon that success.

"Great teams [have] got to stack [wins] — and stack them early," guard Quinn Meinerz said Thursday. "Especially being behind the eight ball, per se, with [an] 0-2 [start]. So, great teams are going to be stacking practices and they're going to be stacking wins, and that starts with execution."

After a week of preparation at the The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, the Broncos now have a chance to snap a two-game skid against the Jets and get back to .500 on the season.

These are the questions that will determine if the Broncos can sweep their two-game road stretch.

CAN THE BRONCOS GET TO AARON RODGERS?

The Broncos' defense brought the pressure in Week 3, as they sacked Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield seven times and recorded nine quarterback hits in the win.

As they look ahead to facing four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers, the unit will again look to make an opposing signal caller uncomfortable.

Through three weeks, the Broncos are tied for fifth in quarterback sacks and bring blitzes at a higher rate than any team in the NFL. Against the Jets, though, the Broncos may look to adjust their strategy. Rodgers, who posted a season-high 118.9 passer rating in Week 3, thrives against the blitz.

Against New England last week, he completed 8-of-11 passes for 91 yards, two touchdowns and a 136.7 passer rating.

"Pressure doesn't bother this guy," Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said Thursday. "He's going to see it. He's seen every kind of pressure you can give him. Obviously, when you're playing a guy like this, you have to be in his head a little bit as far as knowing what he sees and knowing what you're showing him and taking it away. He has seen it all. It's our job to obviously win our one-on-ones. That's the challenge. He's the quarterback; he doesn't catch the ball. So we have to win our one-on-ones, rush the passer, stop the run and do NFL things this Sunday to win."

If the Broncos can disguise their pressure and get to Rodgers with players like Zach Allen and Jonathon Cooper — who have turned in strong starts to the season — then Denver could limit New York's offense. The Broncos, though, know the challenge of facing a player like Rodgers.

"You feel like you're seeing the quarterback we all remember," Payton said Wednesday. "He's quick, the ball is out [and] he's got great command of what they do."

HOW DOES BO NIX HANDLE THE JETS' PRESSURE?

A week ago, quarterback Bo Nix turned in his best performance as a professional as he completed 25-of-36 passes for 216 yards and a 85.0 quarterback rating. He also rushed nine times for 47 yards and a touchdown.

Against a Jets defense that entered Week 4 tied for second in the NFL in sacks and ranks fourth in pass defense, though, Nix will face another stiff challenge. Unlike the Bucs — who tend to bring pressure via extra rushers — the Jets are among the best in the league in bringing pressure with just four rushers. With the unit's ability to disrupt the passer while also dropping seven players into coverage, Jets head coach Robert Saleh's unit poses a difficult test.

"It's a different type of team than we've played," Payton said Wednesday. "These guys generate pressure with a four-man rush, and they do it extremely well. When you're caught holding the ball in coverage and they play a number of different coverages, maybe not as much pressure as we saw a week ago necessarily. In fact, it's dramatically different and yet those guys up front are playing really well."

The Jets also bring pressure from different areas of the pocket. Will McDonald IV ranks second in the NFL in sacks entering Week 4, and he had a pair of sacks and six quarterback pressures in Week 3. On the inside, two-time Pro Bowler Quinnen Williams can push the pocket.

"At that position where he's playing, he's been the best in the league at affecting the quarterback at defensive tackle, and you see it on tape," Payton said of Williams.

Nix, who played his first sack-free and turnover-free game as a pro against the Bucs, will again need to avoid mistakes against the Jets' pressure. His ability to escape the pocket and avoid pressure may ultimately prove to be a deciding factor in Sunday's game.

"When it works right and you're doing it well," Nix said of escaping the pass rush, "it's good to see, and it's efficient for the offense."

Nix, though, will mainly look to continue to build on the success he and the offense found in the passing game against Tampa Bay.

"I thought we caught a great rhythm," Nix said. "We stayed within our strengths, and we moved the ball down the field. Moving forward, we have to find ways to score touchdowns in the red zone, but I thought we did a good job of kind of controlling the game, running the ball how we had to and converting on third downs.

"That's just going to continue to build my confidence and then the offense's confidence. We just have to keep stacking those kinds of games."

CAN THE BRONCOS GAIN THE EDGE IN THE RUN GAME?

The Broncos' run game found its stride a bit in the second half of Sunday's win over Tampa, as Denver rushed for 90 yards and averaged 6.4 yards per carry.

Tyler Badie was the Broncos' leading rusher, and the Broncos promoted him to the active roster on Wednesday.

"He played great Sunday," Nix said of Badie. "He provides extra depth for us at back. He's just another one of those guys in the backfield that can provide explosive plays. We're happy to get him and continue his production. At the same time, Jaleel [McLaughlin] and Javonte [Williams] are going to continue to do what they do and what makes them great. I think we have a really good running back group right now."

Defensively, the Broncos will have to contend with a potent New York rushing attack.

Breece Hall has posted 170 rushing yards and 290 scrimmage yards through three games, and he ranks fourth in scrimmage yards since the start of the 2023 season. Hall has scored at least one touchdown in six consecutive games, which is tied for the longest streak in the NFL.

Against the Broncos, Hall has been particularly productive. A year ago, he set a then-career high with 177 rushing yards in the Jets' win over Denver.

If the Broncos can limit Hall on the ground and get their own rushing game going, it could help tilt the scale in their favor.