World News : Broncos, Jets trade field goals, tied at 3 at half

DENVER (World News) -- Nick Folk made up for an earlier miss, hitting a 21-yard field goal to help the New York Jets head into halftime tied at 3 with the Denver Broncos on Thursday night.

Folk had a chance to give the Jets the lead just before the first half ran out, but his 61-yard attempt was short and wide left.

For the most part, the Jets bottled up Tim Tebow and an offense that was customized just for him. The popular yet polarizing quarterback was more effective with his arm than his legs, throwing for 50 yards through the air and rushing for 11.

Mark Sanchez didn't fare much better against the Broncos' swarming defense that was led by rookie Von Miller. Sanchez completed 14 of 17 passes for 104 yards.

The Broncos caught the Jets by surprise on the first play of the game - a pass from Tebow down the sideline that Demaryius Thomas hauled in for a 28-yard gain.

From there, it was a mix of conventional (Willis McGahee up middle), option (Tebow bluffed a run and flipped a pass to Lance Ball) and unconventional (Eric Decker attempted a long pass only to overthrow Thomas).

But the Jets stuffed the drive when they halted McGahee on fourth and short.

However, New York's offense couldn't capitalize on the momentum, with Sanchez getting sacked by Elvis Dumervil and Miller on third down.

T.J. Conley shanked a punt that traveled only 13 yards and set the Broncos up at the Jets 34. The Broncos turned that into a short field goal from Matt Prater.

Shonn Greene was going to receive a bulk of the carries with LaDainian Tomlinson (left knee) out of action, but Greene injured his ribs in the first quarter and his return was questionable. He rushed for 10 yards on three carries before gingerly walking off the field.

Joe McKnight filled in for him, gaining 21 yards on eight carries.

The Jets were driving near the end of the first quarter, aided by a personal foul on Broncos s afety Brian Dawkins for a blow to the head of receiver Plaxico Burress on a deep pass. But Folk missed a 52-yard attempt to the left.

Just before time ran out in the first quarter, McGahee fumbled and it was recovered by Bart Scott. That set up Folk's 21-yard field goal.

McGahee returned to the backfield after he tweaked his left hamstring Sunday at Kansas City and was limited in practice. McGahee, the team's leading rusher, split time with Ball and Jeremiah Johnson, who was promoted from the practice squad this week to replace Knowshon Moreno after former first-round pick tore his right ACL against the Chiefs.

The Broncos have built their offense around Tebow, turning to an option scheme that has the look of what he ran at Florida that to made him one of the best combination quarterbacks in NCAA history.

This particular style is giving defensive coordinators fits, too.

In back-to-back wins at Oakland and Kansas City, Tebow guided an offens e that ran the ball 93 times and threw it just 30. The Broncos gained 543 yards on the ground and 182 through the air.

Relying on this unconventional style led by an unorthodox quarterback, Denver has suddenly surged back into contention in the mediocre AFC West.

The Broncos were hardly predictable in the first quarter. Tebow completed more passes in 15 minutes of action (three) than he did all game at Kansas City (two).

This unique style also keeps one of the Jets' top playmakers, Darrelle Revis, on the outside peering in. The Pro Bowl cornerback can't afford to collapse on the option, just in case Tebow pulls it out of the tailback's belly and fires a pass to the outside.

The Jets had a short week to devise a game plan to contain an offense that's rarely run on this level. It was a stark contrast to the spread offense the Jets encountered in a 37-16 loss last weekend to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.