DENVER (AP) — The spice that Sean Payton injected into the Jets-Broncos matchup by trashing Nathaniel Hackett last summer has mostly dissipated with both teams awash in bigger concerns than the flap that raised hackles in New Jersey and eyebrows everywhere else.

Still recovering from losing Aaron Rodgers minutes into his debut in gotham green, the Jets (1-3) have lost three in a row.

They're encouraged, however, by Zach Wilson's performance last weekend when he did a spot-on impression of Patrick Mahomes before the Chiefs escaped the Meadowlands with a 23-20 squeaker.

Payton has been plagued by many of the same problems for which he excoriated Hackett, such as game management and communication issues, and he lost his first three games with Denver, including a 50-point blowout at Miami, before winning his first game last week.

After Denver rallied from a three-touchdown deficit to hand the Bears their 14th consecutive loss, Payton promised not to sugarcoat the ugly win but did say the team could celebrate “then get ready to go next week and we can dive into the whole Jets fiasco stuff.”

Yet, he deflected a day later when asked if he'd reached out to Hackett or Jets coach Robert Saleh to apologize as he said he would. Payton insisted he sufficiently addressed the matter two days after his critical comments were published, calling them a mistake and saying he regretted saying what he did.

Saleh, too, demurred when asked this week if Payton had reached out — “I will leave that between he and I" — and besides, he added, it's ancient history as far as he's concerned.

“In football terms, that was 15 years ago, 20. It's more like 25 now,” Saleh said. “But it's long gone. We are a different football team than we were in training camp, so are they. We are just going out to play a football game. The reality is that coaches don't play, it's the players.”

Hackett, who was fired after going 4-11 in Denver, said he never heard from Payton. Asked if he would be open to chatting with him Sunday, Hackett said, “Let's put it this way, everyone: This game is about those guys out on that field. This game is not about me.”

And no, Hackett insisted, he doesn't take any satisfaction in knowing that the problems he dealt with last season persist in Denver under his successor.

“I haven’t really watched their offense,” Hackett said.

Had he paid attention, he'd see that Russell Wilson is having a much better season. He already has nine touchdown throws, seven shy of what he had all of last season.

But the O-line is plagued by pre-snap penalties and Wilson often has to burn timeouts just as he did in 2022.

Safety Justin Simmons embraced ex-Broncos coach Vic Fangio, now coordinating the Dolphins' defense, in Miami last month and he said he plans to do the same if he sees Hackett after this game.

“I have nothing but amazing things to say about him,” Simmons said. “I loved him as my coach. It's unfortunate it didn't work out. It was tough throughout the year he was here but for me it was still a lot of fun and I have nothing but respect for him and how he takes care of his business.”

VINTAGE RUSS

Saleh spent two years in Seattle with Russell Wilson and four years scheming against him in San Francisco. He said he sees a vintage Russell Wilson his season.

“He’s lost weight from last year. He looks good. He’s moving around really well. He’s creating off schedule, like I’m used to seeing," Saleh said. "His arm is alive. He’s throwing the ball accurately. They’re doing a really nice job. They’re moving the ball.”

ZACH ON TRACK

Zach Wilson silenced his naysayers — including Hall of Famer Joe Namath — for at least one week when he had perhaps the best performance of his career against K.C.

With fans clamoring for newly signed backup Trevor Siemian, Wilson completed a career-best 28 passes, threw for two TDs and ran for a 2-point conversion to go with a career-high 105.2 passer rating.

Next he’ll face a struggling Broncos defense with a chance to show last week was no fluke.

“I’m proud of him,” center Connor McGovern said. “Like everybody says — Coach Saleh, everybody in the locker room — we trust him. ... We all have his back.”

BACK TO THE SCENE

Jets running back Breece Hall (left ACL) and right tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker (torn triceps) will play their first game in Denver since they both suffered season-ending injuries against the Broncos last season.

“I think last year was just a very unfortunate turn of events,” said Vera-Tucker. “I really don't think about that at all. I'm just going to go out there and play my game and pray I come out healthy this time.”

Hall leads the Jets with 210 yards rushing and Saleh said this week that Hall no longer has any snap limits.

CUTTING EDGE

OLB Nik Bonitto will get his second start for the Broncos. He had a 2½-sack performance last week highlighted by a fourth-quarter strip-sack of Justin Fields that Jonathon Cooper returned for the tying TD after supplanting veteran Randy Gregory in the starting lineup.

Seventy-two hours later, the Broncos jettisoned Gregory, who had just three sacks and missed 11 of 21 games since signing his $70 million, five-year free agent deal in 2022.

Jets' Zach Wilson looks to keep playing loose and confident after his impressive outing vs. Chiefs

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Maybe it was Zach Wilson's headband.

The New York Jets quarterback scrapped his signature look last Sunday and went out and had arguably the best overall game of his brief NFL career.

“As the weather starts to cool down a little bit, I feel like I don't need it as much,” a smiling Wilson said Thursday. “I brought it back out these last two practices, but it's slowly going away.”

It's a matter of function, not fashion, Wilson insists, to keep the sweat out of his eyes. But headband or not under his helmet, Wilson went from being vilified last week by frustrated fans and critical media as a hopeless case to being praised for his playmaking and potential as a piece of the Jets' future in the span of four quarters.

“Yeah, just playing loose, playing free, momentum being on our side, getting drives going,” Wilson said.

Sudden success can do that for a player. The key is capitalizing on it and doing it again.

That's what Wilson is facing Sunday when he takes on the Broncos and their struggling defense in Denver.

“He’s done a great job blocking everything out and continually growing as a quarterback within the system,” offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett said. “I appreciate that about him and he knows that he has a lot more to give and we're just going to continue developing.”

In the Jets' 23-20 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Wilson set a personal high with 28 completions while throwing for 245 yards and two touchdowns with a 2-point conversion run and a career-best 105.2 quarterback rating.

Despite that production, Wilson was disappointed after the game for fumbling away a snap that Kansas City turned into a game-sealing drive. He told his teammates the loss was on him and echoed that when he spoke to reporters.

“I think that growth is one of the most exciting things in football, is feeling improvement as an offense, individually (and) all the guys around,” Wilson said. "So for me, it really comes down to how can I have been better in that game? Yes, there was good things, but how can I take the things that would have helped us be even better?

“We didn’t win the game, so everyone needs to find those little things of how we can be better. And I absolutely found those things. So I do think there is excitement to say I can’t wait to try those again this next week and try to fix those things and reapply those things for the next week.”

Otherwise, the doubters and critics will be back in full force.

Wilson understands that's the fickle nature of sports and fandom, but he has also made a habit of tuning out the noise outside the facility.

“I think the great thing about that game was as good as everybody was saying that he did, he knows how much better he can be,” Hackett said. "I think that’s always great. You always want to grow in this game. ... I think it’s one of those things that he looks back at and goes, ‘Wow, look at all these other opportunities I had, and I played good.’

“I think for him it’s just continually growing. Don’t get too excited, don’t get too upset and stay the same and keep developing.”

The 24-year-old Wilson simply looked different against the Chiefs. He outplayed Patrick Mahomes for much of the game and was making the type of plays the Jets have seen only in flashes in Wilson's two-plus seasons.

“What I was feeling out there was similar to what I feel like I’ve been feeling since OTAs,” Wilson said. "So I think it felt good to be able to finally bring something from practice and the rhythm, the momentum, getting first downs. And this isn’t just me, it's the whole offense together. Being able to move the ball that way I think felt awesome.

“And that’s something that needs to be the standard to do every week.”

As far as his headband, well, that'll be a game-time decision in Denver.

“Yeah, we'll see,” Wilson said with a laugh. “Maybe I'll wear it this week, I don't know. I'm not superstitious like that.”

NOTES: CBs D.J. Reed (concussion) and Brandin Echols (hamstring) and LB Samuel Eguavoen (ankle) didn't practice for the second straight day. ... S Tony Adams (hamstring) was a full participant and on track to play after missing two games. ... The Jets signed OL Xavier Newman to the practice squad and released OL Adam Pankey from the practice squad. Newman was waived by Tennessee on Monday. He was signed by the Titans last year as an undrafted free agent out of Baylor and has experience with current Jets offensive line coach Keith Carter.

NEW YORK JETS (1-3) at DENVER (1-3)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS

BETTING LINE: Broncos by 1 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook

AGAINST THE SPREAD: New York Jets 2-2; Denver 0-3-1

SERIES RECORD: Broncos lead 21-17-1.

LAST MEETING: Jets beat Broncos 16-9 on Oct. 23, 2022, in Denver.

LAST WEEK: Jets lost to Kansas City 23-20; Broncos won at Chicago 31-28.

JETS OFFENSE: OVERALL (30), RUSH (20T), PASS (31), SCORING (25T)

JETS DEFENSE: OVERALL (23T), RUSH (28), PASS (16), SCORING (14)

BRONCOS OFFENSE: OVERALL (14), RUSH (20T), PASS (10), SCORING (10T)

BRONCOS DEFENSE: OVERALL (32), RUSH (32), PASS (31), SCORING (32)

TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Jets even; Broncos minus-2.

JETS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Zach Wilson. The embattled Wilson had perhaps the best game of his NFL career against the Chiefs, completing a career-high 28 passes including two for TDs with a personal-best 105.2 passer rating. That came after a week filled with heavy criticism as fans, including Hall of Famer Joe Namath, called for Wilson to be benched. If Wilson can have another solid performance, it could go a long way in the Jets — and their fans — feeling more confident with him under center with Aaron Rodgers out with a torn left Achilles tendon.

BRONCOS PLAYER TO WATCH: OLB Nik Bonitto. The second-year pro supplanted an ineffective Randy Gregory last week at Chicago and had 2 1/2 sacks, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. He came up the biggest in the fourth quarter with a strip-sack of Justin Fields that led to Jonathon Cooper's scoop-and-score touchdown that tied the game the Broncos went on to win. On Wednesday, the Broncos parted ways with Gregory just 18 months after he signed a five-year, $70 million contract. Gregory had just three sacks in 10 games for Denver, which Bonitto almost matched in his first start of 2023.

KEY INJURIES: Jets CB D.J. Reed was in the concussion protocol to start the week, but coach Robert Saleh was optimistic about Reed’s chances of playing. ... Backup CB Brandin Echols is out with a hamstring injury. ... S Tony Adams (hamstring) could return after missing the past two games. ... Denver S Justin Simmons (hip) is hopeful to return after missing the past two games and watching his defense allow 98 points during his absence. Both Frank Clark (hip) and Baron Browning (knee) practiced this week, but aren't expected to return against the Jets. RB Javonte Williams (hip) is sidelined and that creates an opportunity to get rookie speedster Jaleel McLaughlin more snaps.

SERIES NOTES: The highlight, at least for Denver, was the 1998 AFC championship. After falling behind 10-0, John Elway led the Broncos to 20 third-quarter points and the defense forced a half dozen Jets turnovers in a 23-20 win that propelled the Broncos to a second straight Super Bowl win in Elway's farewell game, 34-19 over Atlanta in Super Bowl 33. Both franchises have fallen on hard times of late. The Jets own the longest playoff drought in the NFL, having last made the postseason party in 2010. The Broncos own the second-longest drought. They haven't reached the playoffs since winning Super Bowl 50 on Feb. 7, 2016.

STATS AND STUFF: The Jets are looking to avoid a four-game losing streak. They have lost nine of their past 10 games going back to last season. ... After entering last week going 8 for 37 on third down — a 22% conversion rate that ranked last in the NFL — the Jets went 5 for 12 against the Chiefs. ... RB Breece Hall returns to Denver, where he suffered a torn ACL nearly a year ago and had his promising rookie season end. Hall has bounced back in limited carries so far this season and has already become the first Jets player with two runs of 40 or more yards in a season since Isaiah Crowell in 2018. ... WR Garrett Wilson has 104 receptions in 21 games, reaching the 100-catch milestone faster than anyone in team history. Wayne Chrebet did it in 23 games. ... WR Xavier Gipson became the 14th player in Jets history and the seventh rookie to have at least one kickoff return, one punt return, one reception and one rush in a single game. ... LB Quincy Williams had 13 tackles against Kansas City, joining Marcus Maye (2020) as the only players in team history with 10 or more tackles, two tackles for loss, two passes defensed and a quarterback hit in a game. ... The Jets haven’t allowed a second-half touchdown since Week 16 of last season, a span of seven games that ties Cincinnati (2022) for the longest streak since 2000. ... New York ranks first in the NFL in red zone defense, having allowed just three touchdowns in 12 opposing red zone possessions. ... QB Russell Wilson is enjoying a bounce-back season after a career-worst year under former head coach Nathaniel Hackett, who returns to Denver as the Jets' offensive coordinator Sunday. ... The matchup got spicy when Broncos new head coach Sean Payton disparaged Hackett in an interview in July in which he criticized his predecessor for one of the worst coaching jobs in league history. Hackett was fired after going 4-11 last season and quickly landed in New York, where he was a big reason the Jets lured Aaron Rodgers, who got hurt minutes into his Jets debut. ... The Broncos' 21-point second-half comeback at Chicago last week is tied for the biggest comeback in the NFL this season (New York Giants vs. Arizona in Week 2). ... With his 32nd fourth-quarter comeback, QB Russell Wilson moved into the top 10 in league history. ... Wilson's nine TD passes are just seven shy of the number he had all of last season and he is one of two QBs (Brock Purdy) to have a 105.0 or higher passing rating in three games so far. ... Wilson is 3-0 against the Jets with nine TDs, one INT and a 132.6 passer rating. ... RB Jaleel McLauglin had 133 scrimmage yards last week. ... WR Courtland Sutton is one of four players to catch a TD pass in three of the first four games. His three TD receptions are his most since 2019. ... S Kareem Jackson had eight tackles and a game-sealing interception at Chicago after illegal hits in each of Denver's first three wins led to a trio of fines totaling $45,961.

FANTASY TIP: Jets RB Breece Hall leads the Jets with 210 yards rushing on 32 carries. It was at Denver last season that Hall's sensational rookie season came to a premature end with a torn left ACL in the midst of a big game. He had 72 yards on four carries, including a 62-yard touchdown scamper when he got hurt. Coach Robert Saleh said Hall has no more snap limits, so expect the Jets to cut him loose against the league's worst run defense.