Red-hot Jets won't face Broncos QB Russell Wilson

DENVER — Things have changed very quickly for the Jets.

When they were 0-1, critics skewered them after they attempted 59 passes against Baltimore. Robert Saleh went to bat for his players, saying he was “keeping receipts” on all those who mocked them. Critics dumped on Saleh for that as well.

The Jets are 4-1 since then and are playing inspired football. They already have matched last season’s win total and will go for their fourth straight victory Sunday against the Broncos, who won’t have quarterback Russell Wilson because of a hamstring injury.

Brett Rypien will get his second career start. He beat the Jets in 2020 in his only other start.

Denver (2-4) hasn’t lived up to expectations. The Jets have exceeded the expectations that many had for them. Now the skeptics are wondering if they have to make sure they stay grounded amid their success.

“That’s crazy how that happens,” receiver Corey Davis said. “Everybody was just talking crazy about us, ‘Same old Jets,’ whatever it is. Now they’re saying we got to stay humble, which we will.

“We got the right group of guys in there that will keep the young dudes humble. But I don’t see anything as far as being arrogant or cocky. We still got work to do.”

Unnecessary drama has struck the Jets. Receiver Elijah Moore requested a trade because he’s unhappy about his lack of involvement, and he will be inactive Sunday.

The Jets still have more than enough to win, which shows how quickly things have changed. When the schedule came out, this was a game that many projected as a Jets loss. Not anymore, but the Jets, who are 3-0 on the road, are not paying attention to outside expectations anyway.

“Our mindset and our whole thought this whole offseason was to prove that we belong where we think we belong,” linebacker C.J. Mosley said. “That’s been our same motivation, same motto, same daily routine since the wins started happening.

“We know how this league goes: We can lose the next two or three and it will be right back to [square one].”

Denver’s offense is sputtering under new coach Nathaniel Hackett. The acquisition of Wilson has not paid immediate dividends. The Broncos are averaging an NFL-low 15.2 points, have dropped three straight overall and have scored only two touchdowns in their three home games.

Denver lost lead back Javonte Williams to a torn ACL. His replacement, Melvin Gordon, was benched in the second half of the Broncos’ previous game, but Hackett said Gordon will start Sunday. The Broncos have talented receivers in Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy.

The Jets believe Denver is close to breaking out. “The receiving corps in my opinion is one of the top receiving corps in the NFL,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “They’ve been that close to hitting on a lot of explosives, so it’s just a matter of us playing really tight on the back end, being assignment-perfect, technique-perfect, because they’re a team in my opinion very close to exploding offensively.”

The Jets will use a formula similar to what they did last week in Green Bay against Aaron Rodgers. They will let the front four rush — Quinnen Williams was dominant with two sacks and a forced fumble — and trust cornerbacks D.J. Reed and Sauce Gardner to contain Denver’s receivers.

The bigger challenge for the Jets will be on the other side of the football. The Broncos have a top-three defense and allow only 290.3 yards per game.

The Jets have been running and taking care of the football in the last two games. They rushed 33 times in each and Zach Wilson attempted only 39 passes with no touchdowns or interceptions. If the Jets continue to pound the ball with Breece Hall and Michael Carter, teams could load up and force them to pass more.

“Each and every week is going to be a little bit different,” offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said. “We might be the exact same as last week or we might be the exact opposite, or it might be somewhere in between. You never really know. Our guys know what the plan is each and every week. I’m confident they’re going to go execute it.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.