Chubb is back, and the timing couldn’t be better
Bradley Chubb had seen this movie before. And cripes, did he hate the ending.
“All week, we talked about how we can’t be the same team,” the Broncos’ outside linebacker said after notching 2.5 sacks — including a huge one late — to help power Denver to a 37- 28 win at the New York Jets . “We can’t be the same team that’s up two points and ( their) offense drives down with two minutes left to go and they kick the field goal and we lose by one. So we wanted to, as a defense, put the game in our hands and shut everything down.”
Chubb effectively put the game, and Denver’s first win, in his mitts with 2: 05 left in the contest and the Jets, down two, facing fourth- and- 3 at the 50.
Thoughts of the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars celebrating early last fall at Mile High danced in Chubb’s head. At least, until he pulled off a rip move that basically turnstiled Jets backup left tackle Conor McDermott. The Denver defender fended off the 305- pound lineman with one hand while knocking down New York quarterback Sam Darnold, who was taking a short drop, with the other.
“And to be the leader of that ( surge) and get the dude down on fourth down, it’s just amazing,” Chubb recalled after the tilt. “And have those guys rally around me and rally around each other, it’s just really cool.”
More cool: Chubb’s 2.5 sacks were the most he’s recorded in a game since notching three against the Rams on Oct. 14, 2018. Even cooler: They were his first in an NFL contest since Sept. 29, 2019 against Jacksonville — a gap of more than a year. The Broncos’ first- round pick in 2018 out of North Carolina State tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during that September game against the Jags, ending his 2019 campaign in Week 4.
“He’s been back,” coach Vic Fangio said. “I don’t think he’s back to where he was prior to the injury. But we can’t forget that this guy is 11 months removed from his ACL surgery.
“If you talk to anybody who’s had that, it takes a little longer before you feel 100 percent. Bradley is fighting through that, some of it is mental. This guy is a warrior and he’s going to continue to get better and better.”
The Broncos’ pass rush looked significantly better against an admittedly poor Jets front than it had during the previous two contests. Fangio also mixed in more blitz packages than usual, chucking pressure up the middle that looked eerily similar to what the Buccaneers had so effectively tossed at Denver earlier in the week during a 28- 10 Broncos loss at Mile High.
The Broncos sacked Darnold six times on Thursday night, opening the floodgates for linebacker Josey Jewell ( 10 tackles, two sacks), linebacker Alexander Johnson ( six tackles, one sack) and defensive end Shelby Harris ( a half- sack, two quarterback hits).
“Anytime you bring pressure, it opens up lanes for your regular stuff,” said Chubb, who finished with two tackles for losses, five stops and five quarterback hits on the evening.
“So I felt like ( that pressure) helped us out a lot. And it helped us get back there a lot and we caused a lot of havoc and I’m glad we were able to do that ( Thursday). Hopefully we can keep building on it and get back there to ( Patriots quarterback) Cam ( Newton) next week.”