Jets middle linebacker Jamien Sherwood was all over the field on Sunday against Denver in London, leading the defense with 13 total tackles (6 solo), a QB hit and a pass defensed. As good as his effort and the strong play of the defense for 60 minutes were, the result left an empty feeling.

"There's no moral victories," Sherwood said. "Obviously, everybody's upset, because our record is not who this team is. We are not a 0 and 6 team. We do not practice, we do not come to work, we do not approach any day as 0 and 6. We are a good football team, so especially in games like today, where we come up short, it's very frustrating, because we know what we should be and we know what we're capable of."

Sherwood and the defense got a boost in the 13-11 loss to the Broncos by the return to the field of edge Jermaine Johnson, who missed three games with an ankle injury, and the play of CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr., who was acquired recently in a trade with Tennessee. The two former Florida State players each made an impact on the game (Brownlee also played at Louisville and Johnson also spent time at Georgia). The defense held Denver to 78 rush yards and limited QB Bo Nix to 168 pass yards and was able to get off the field consistently on third down as the Broncos were 5-of-15 (33%) on third down.

"Both of them ... Jermaine, happy to see him back here, because he had his injury [torn Achilles tendon], I had the same one," Sherwood said. "It's exciting to see him out there, making plays, getting comfortable, playing fast, not thinking about anything.

"Jarvis, we knew he was going to be a great addition to our team, because we watched him when he was on the Titans. He made some big plays, some positive stuff out there. So obviously all that goes hand in hand. We played as a unit today. We got some key pieces [back]. Everybody was more comfortable. We eliminated gray areas in our defense, and we were able to play fast."

Brownlee's Instant Impact

In his second game since joining the Green & White from the Titans, CB Jarvis Brownlee, Jr. didn't wait long to make a play.

Three plays into the game, he wrenched the ball out of the hands of Denver receiver Troy Franklin, and the fumble was recovered by S Andre Cisco. It was the Jets' first takeaway of the season and led to the game's first points when Nick Folk converted a 52-yard field-goal attempt.

After taking only 7 snaps (12%) in his Jets debut against Dallas, Brownlee played 41 (68%) snaps against Denver while making 6 tackles and 1 TFL.

"I wasn't ready last week, my ankle was still bothering me," he said. "But today, I felt comfortable, really good."

The hard-hitting Brownlee played in all 17 games for Tennessee last season, logging 92 total tackles, 9 TFL and 10 pass defenses.

Speaking about the turnover, he said: "Just playing with effort and just trying to make a play with my guys. Not even make a play, but make a stand, just to get us off the field and eventually [the ball] popped out. But that just comes from playing hard, playing with effort, and playing with a chip on my shoulder. ... It felt great just to get one."

Johnson Is Back With an Edge

After missing three games, edge Jermaine Johnson played with an edge in his return. And a teammate of his for a time at Florida State, CB Jarvis Brownlee, Jr., took note of Johnson's impact.

"That's a guy you got to kind of calm him down," Brownlee said. "He plays with the edge. But it's been like that since I've been in Florida State, and I'm just happy to have him back. He's a great player."

Johnson who got the Jets' only sack of Nix in the game, contributed with 5 tackles, a TFL and a QB hit as he eased back into the rotation on the D-line, playing 38 snaps (63%).

"I'll be a thumb pointer," Johnson said, referring to a gesture of pointing to himself. "I control what I control. I think all of us are doing that, and we're just going to keep attacking it like that. I know it could've looked different if I didn't miss those games. So that's just where my head goes, and I know that's where these guys' heads are going to go, and the staff as well. We just got to keep being thumb pointers. Look in the mirror to see what we can improve on. And I know we're never going to be finger pointers."