The Lead
A week after lining up against a Chicago secondary that was missing several starters, the Broncos will face a difficult test on Sunday in the highly regarded New York Jets secondary, led by first-team All-Pro selection and reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year Sauce Gardner.
After Thursday's practice, rookie wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. highlighted the Jets' physicality as one of the characteristics of the secondary that stands out on tape.
"Defensively for me, it's the secondary," Mims said. "Going against those guys, it's a real, talented group. [The] defense overall plays really hard, physical defense. We kind of know what we're going against. We just have to go out there and execute."
Ahead of his first meeting with Gardner, Mims added that eluding physical contact from the second-year corner needs to be a key part of the Broncos' receivers' execution.
"Very long, tall cornerback [who] moves well," Mims said of Gardner. "He has long arms so his reach is critical. If you let him get his hands on you, it's over. At the end of the day, just try to keep his hands off you and move at good speed."
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy said he is focusing on his own performance and skillset over stressing over the talent in his opponent's defensive backfield.
"He's a good corner, but at the end of the day, it's what I do, not [what] the DB [does]," Jeudy said.
Jeudy also talked about his intentions to score his first touchdown of the season. Though he's made a couple big-time catches in crucial situations — such as a third-down conversion in the fourth quarter of last week's win over the Bears — he's looking to build off last season's total of six touchdown catches.
"I feel like it's coming," Jeudy said. "Of course, I'm hungry. … I want to try to get in the end zone. I'm going to keep staying patient, and it's going to happen sooner or later."
