Jets vs. Broncos preview

DANDY DUO

At the start of the season, expectations were low for the Jets wide receivers but as the team enters Sunday’s game at Denver, Jermaine Kearse and Robby Anderson have proven to be a dynamic duo. The pair recorded back-to-back 100-yard games this season in Weeks 12 and 13, marking the first time that’s been done since the Giants’ Odell Beckham and Ruben Randle did it in 2014. Anderson and Kearse combined for 515 yards and three touchdowns the last two weeks. On the season, the pair has combined for 12 touchdowns, which is tied for third in the AFC among wide receiver duos.

Anderson beats you with speed on deep routes and slants. Kearse can hurt a defense with over-the-middle routes.

But Anderson and Kearse won’t be the only duo worth thinking about. The Broncos have Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders on the field to counter. Those two have each had 100 or more receiving yards in the same game seven times since 2014, the most in the NFL during that span. Should the Jets pair hit 100 yards again, they would be tied for second in the NFL with three games totaling at least 100 yards.

Much like Anderson and Kearse, Sanders is the speed guy and Thomas is the possession receiver who is very physical.

SECONDARILY . . .

The Jets secondary had one of its worst games of the season last week against the Chiefs. They gave up 79- and 40-yard touchdown receptions in the loss. The Jets also allowed a pair of touchdowns to tight end Travis Kelce. Nickel corner Rashard Robinson made his debut on defense and couldn’t cover Tyreek Hill, who ran past him to catch a 79-yard touchdown. Robinson was benched afterward for Darryl Roberts. Todd Bowles said he’s not sure who will play nickel corner in Sunday’s game against Denver. It might not matter if the Jets fail to contain starters Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders.

“In the secondary, you got to have short-term memory,” cornerback Buster Skrine said. “I feel like we have a talented group and we have short-term memory and a lot of people have confidence on that back end. That’s what you got to do. It’s not like we’re going to go out there and people are going to stop throwing the ball. So the best corners, safeties, have short-term memory.”

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

The Jets are 1-4 on the road and finish the season with three of their last four games away from MetLife Stadium.

On the season, the Jets are averaging just 17.4 points on the road, those numbers must increase given the remaining teams on the schedule.

After facing the Broncos, the Jets visit New Orleans, then have their home finale against the Chargers on Christmas Eve before finishing the season at New England on New Year’s Eve.

The Jets opened the season 0-2, both road losses at Buffalo and Oakland. As the season progressed, the Jets suffered a pair of bad losses, at Miami and Tampa Bay, where they blew a pair of fourth-quarter leads. The only road victory was in Week 5 at Cleveland.

Finishing games became a theme for the Jets until their 38-31 win over the Chiefs last week. But that was at home, not on the road, where they’ve allowed 45 points to the Raiders and 31 points to the Dolphins.

“No, there’s not a theme,” Todd Bowles said. “It’s been the same, as far as the same way that we struggled at home in certain games, we didn’t close them out. We have to bring our own energy and try to close out the fourth quarter.”

15-19-1

The Jets’ all-time record against the Broncos. Their first meeting was Sept. 23, 1960, when the then-New York Titans beat the Broncos, 28-24, at the Polo Grounds.

24

Punts by the Jets’ Lachlan Edwards that have landed inside the opponents 20-yard line, which is tied for fourth in the AFC.

5

Rushing touchdowns by quarterback Josh McCown tied for the most by an NFL quarterback this season.

9

Touchdowns scored on third down this season by the Jets, the third-best record in the NFL. Quarterback Josh McCown has also completed 70.8 percent of his passes on third down, best in the NFL.