ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — After seeing weak-side linebacker Danny Trevathan leave MetLife Stadium on a cart following the second play of Sunday’s 31-17 win over the New York Jets, the Denver Broncos braced themselves for bad news.

And while the word that Trevathan suffered a fracture just above the knee was not positive, it could have been much worse. The Broncos withstood Trevathan’s absence before, and can expect to get him back later in the regular season.

“I was just hoping he’d still be able to play this season, so (it was) definitely better (than expected),” said cornerback Chris Harris Jr.

Without Trevathan, the Broncos allowed fewer yards and yards per play Sunday than in any other game since a regular-season-ending win over Kansas City on Dec. 28, 2012. Some of that was due to the quality — or lack thereof — of the opposing offense. But the Broncos had a seamless transition in part because every-down fill-in Brandon Marshall handled that role for three weeks to start the regular season.

Marshall, who was signed to the practice squad last year and eventually promoted to the 53-man roster after being waived by the Jaguars, was picked one round before Trevathan in the 2012 NFL Draft. While he does not have Trevathan’s sideline-to-sideline speed, he fills holes well and has improved in pass coverage.

In his first fill-in stint, he led the Broncos in tackles and steadied the defense.

“It was an easier transition this time,” he said. “The Colts game (in Week 1), the first time, I was a little nervous; I’m not going to lie. But when I went back in this game, I think it was a little slower. The game wasn’t fast. It slowed down for me, so that was good.”

And he was more confident as he exchanged his normal helmet for the one with a radio receiver after Trevathan’s injury.

“B-Marsh stepped up to the plate,” said defensive tackle Terrance Knighton. “He came into the huddle and told the defense, ‘We’re going to win this game,’ and that’s what you want to see from a guy you wouldn’t expect that from.”

Marshall was familiar, but the other player who saw more playing time after Trevathan’s injury was not. In Weeks 1-3, the Broncos gave middle linebacker Nate Irving most of the work as one of two linebackers in the nickel sub package. Sunday, that responsibility fell to rookie Corey Nelson, a seventh-round pick from Oklahoma who impressed in practice.

Nelson responded by leading the Broncos in total tackles. He made one mistake: forgetting to stay on the field after a kickoff that he covered. That forced Marshall to call a timeout.

“I came off and I was talking to the special-teams coach (Jeff Rodgers) and I just lost track of what personnel was out there,” he said. “That’s on me. I take responsibility for that.”

But that was the only flaw on a day where Nelson answered the bell, brought extra quickness.

“Corey was huge this game,” said Harris. “Nobody probably knew we were going to have to use him that much this year and even in this game, but he’s going to have to learn fast with Danny being out six weeks. We’re going to need Corey to step up.”

INJURY WATCH: LB Von Miller returned to the game after being evaluated for a concussion following a second-quarter collision. He returned and finished the game with two sacks and four quarterback hits. He leads the Broncos with six sacks. … CB Aqib Talib received an IV after becoming dehydrated in the third quarter. He returned and clinched the win with a 22-yard interception return with 15 seconds left in regulation.

REPORT CARD VS. JETS

PASSING OFFENSE: B — After hitting Demaryius Thomas for a 54-yard gain on the game’s first play, Peyton Manning was forced to take his yardage in small bites, a result of the Jets’ deep coverage and the pressure that flushed him out of the pocket. He found open receivers under the zone, and completed 22 of his 33 passes for 237 yards with three touchdowns. By Manning’s lofty standards, it was a humdrum performance, but it got the job done and allowed the offense to avoid making the big mistake that the Jets tried desperately to force.

RUSHING OFFENSE: B — Manning identified the Jets’ coverages and used his option to call a run frequently, which is how the Broncos had nearly as many runs (33) as pass plays (35). The gaps in the Jets’ zone left room for Ronnie Hillman and Juwan Thompson to rack up 138 yards on 32 carries in place of Montee Ball, although the Broncos were left frustrated by the inability to convert a late third-and-1 when the line got no push and Hillman ran into his blockers.

PASS DEFENSE: B-plus — Denver held Jets quarterback Geno Smith in check for most of the game, and although he threw 43 times, he was held to just 190 yards and was sacked four times. Denver’s cornerbacks held their own in man coverage, and Smith had few wide-open receivers at his disposal. Denver’s pass rushers hit Smith nine times in what was their most effective game this season.

RUSH DEFENSE: A — The Broncos’ first goal was to take away the Jets’ ground game and force Geno Smith to throw. They were able to do this without sacrificing coverage on the back end because their front four manhandled the Jets’ offensive line. No Jets running back had a carry of more than five yards, and the Broncos held New York to just 31 yards on 15 carries.

SPECIAL TEAMS: C-minus — Brandon McManus averaged 69.0 yards on the five kickoffs that he did not squib, but none of them got to the end zone, and the Jets exploited the Broncos’ continued issues on kickoff coverage, with Walter Powell averaging 25.5 yards per return. Denver did much better on punts, holding Powell to a 4.5-yard average on four returns. But the Broncos’ return game did little, and Andre Caldwell made a poor decision to run a 70-yard kickoff out of the end zone. He was stopped at the Denver 6, and the field position helped lead to a three-and-out.

COACHING: B — Offensive coordinator Adam Gase adjusted to the pressure the Jets brought by emphasizing two-tight end formations, using backup tackle Paul Cornick as a second tight end to provide better protection on the outside. This allowed Peyton Manning more time to throw, although it de-emphasized Wes Welker, who had just one reception. Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio was aggressive in attacking the run, and made the Jets’ offense one-dimensional.