EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Denver Broncos general manager John Elway whistled as he walked through the bowels of MetLife Stadium on Sunday afternoon, stopping only to smile on the frequent occasions someone asked him to pose for a picture.

Suffice to say Elway and the Broncos enjoyed Sunday’s trip to New Jersey far more than their previous one — even if coach John Fox and his players were reluctant to acknowledge it.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning recovered from a slow start to throw three touchdown passes and inch closer to Brett Favre’s career record as Denver survived a scare to beat the New York Jets 31-17.

The Broncos (4-1) were playing at MetLife Stadium for the first time since Feb. 2 when they were routed 43-8 by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVII.

“I don’t remember the last one,” Broncos linebacker Von Miller said, unable to suppress a grin. “It’s a short-term memory for me. I don’t even remember playing the last one. I don’t even think about that.”

Nor did Fox.

“This game’s not about when, where — it’s who,” Fox said. “So that was a different year, a different team. Had nothing in common, other than some grass that was a different color (in the) stadium that day.”

Manning, who had 34 completions in the Super Bowl but threw for just 280 yards and two interceptions, conjured up memories of February during a four-series sequence in the first half in which the Broncos had two first downs and Manning was sacked twice while uncorking several throws that bounced in front of the intended receivers.

He was also flagged for illegal motion after a snap hit him in the hip deep in Broncos territory. The Super Bowl, of course, began with a snap sailing past Manning and into the end zone for a safety.

But Manning found his rhythm midway through the second quarter when he directed two scoring drives that turned a 7-3 deficit into a 17-7 halftime lead via touchdown passes to wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (10 catches for 124 yards) and tight end Julius Thomas.

Manning picked up where he left off on the Broncos’ first possession of the third quarter when he marched Denver 87 yards in 10 plays and capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Julius Thomas.

The Broncos passed just 16 times and rushed 12 times on the three touchdown drives as Denver adjusted to the defense devised by Jets coach Rex Ryan, who put eight men in the secondary and dared the Broncos to win via the run.

Denver entered Sunday with just 318 rushing yards, the second-lowest total in the league. But Ronnie Hillman (100 yards on 24 carries) and rookie Juwan Thompson (38 yards on eight rushes) combined for 138 yards. Overall, the Broncos rushed 33 times and Manning (22-of-33 for 237 yards) dropped back 35 times.

“It’s tough to throw the ball when they’ve got eight guys in coverage every single play disrupting some of your receivers outside,” Manning said. “It was good to get the run game going today.”

Manning’s slow start and the Broncos’ emphasis on the run ended any chance he had of breaking Favre’s record on Sunday. Manning has 506 career touchdown passes, two shy of Favre.

The milestone touchdown pass will almost certainly come in Denver, where the Broncos host the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday and the San Diego Chargers four days later on Oct. 23.

Manning, already the NFL career leader in passing yards, pass attempts and completions, said he’s not focused on adding the touchdown record to his resume.

“I don’t know if any of them are big for me, especially in the middle of a season — we’re trying to win football games,” Manning said. “Two games in five days coming up — that’s plenty to think about.”

The Jets (1-5) dropped their fifth in a row, their longest losing streak since 2007. New York heads to New England on Thursday night.

“I think you know how I feel about a 1-5 start,” Ryan said. “It’s not even close to where we thought we’d be. All the wishing and everything else isn’t going to change anything. We have to find ways to win and we have to do it in a hurry.”

What the Broncos said:

“The way the Jets played us, my guess was they didn’t think much of our running game coming into the game. When you take your two linebackers and walk them both out on your two receivers, they’re basically kind of laughing at your running game. Based on what we’ve been doing, it was probably a valid philosophy.” — Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.

What the Jets said:

“Five losses in a row obviously has everyone frustrated. But I’m optimistic. I’m always looking forward and just have to prepare for this week. We’ve got a short week, a tough New England team on the road. Another test for us. We better be able to step up to it.” — Jets quarterback Geno Smith.

What we learned about the Broncos:

1. The Broncos can run the ball if necessary. Denver entered Sunday with just 318 rushing yards, the second fewest in the NFL, and the Jets sold out the run to defend against quarterback Peyton Manning and his myriad weapons. Second-year running back Ronnie Hillman and rookie Juwan Thompson took advantage of the wide-open spaces by combining for 138 yards on 32 carries. “They did a couple of unorthodox things, they were dropping a number of defenders on some downs and distances,” Manning said. “That’s why the running game ended up opening up.” Of course, it remains to be seen how the Broncos fare when opponents put more than three men in the box, but it was an encouraging performance for a unit that will be without its leading rusher, running back Montee Ball, for at least another two weeks while he recovers from a separated groin.

2. Manning offered reminders Sunday of the fragile state he has been in ever since neck injuries that cost him the 2011 season — as well as his ability to adapt, even at age 38. Several of Manning’s first-half passes bounced short of the intended receiver or hung up in the air. On one second-quarter pass, wide receiver Demaryius Thomas was wide open but had to come back to the ball and waited so long for it that Jets cornerback Phillip Adams and safety Calvin Pryor were able to knock it away. However, Manning, who took two quick sacks in the first half by going to the ground at the first sign of pressure, later extended plays by moving out of the pocket and eluding the rush. Manning will need to do that more often if — when? — teams copy the Rex Ryan game plan, in which the Jets’ defensive guru put eight men in the secondary in hopes of suffocating Manning’s many targets.

–LB Danny Trevathan sustained a knee injury early in the first quarter Sunday and did not return to the Broncos’ 31-17 win over the Jets. Trevathan was helped off the field 2:59 into the game, and the Broncos announced he was out before the end of the first quarter. Coach john Fox had no update on Trevathan’s prognosis following the game.

–LB Von Miller lost a contact lens during the second quarter of the Broncos’ 31-17 win over the Jets on Sunday but couldn’t return to the game until he passed concussion tests, which were administered shortly before halftime. Miller likely lost the contact lens when he tackled Jets RB Chris Ivory following a 14-yard completion with 5:09 left in the second period.

–QB Peyton Manning moved closer to yet another career passing record Sunday when he threw three touchdown passes to lead the Broncos to a 31-17 win over the Jets. Manning has 506 career touchdown passes, two shy of Brett Favre’s record. The Broncos’ next two games are in Denver, so Manning will almost surely reach the milestone at home. The Broncos host the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday and the San Diego Chargers four days later. Manning is already the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards (66,494), completions (5,659) and pass attempts (8,643).

What we learned about the Jets:

1. Rex Ryan needs to update his resume. The embattled Jets head coach acknowledged in the days leading up to Sunday’s loss that he would be fired if the team couldn’t turn things around. At 1-5, the Jets will need a run of historic proportions to reach the playoffs. Only one NFL team ever opened 1-5 and qualified for the postseason. The good news? The 1970 Cincinnati Bengals actually fell to 1-6 before mounting their playoff run. The Jets will surely be “favored” to fall to 1-6 when they play New England on Thursday night, but even a less rigorous second-half schedule won’t lay the foundation for a job-saving charge. The Jets’ already depleted secondary grew even more barren when cornerback Dee Milliner sustained what is almost sure to be a season-ending Achilles injury in the first quarter. The Jets rushed for just 31 yards Sunday, the lowest single-game total of the Ryan era. More tough sledding is surely ahead as teams stack the box to force mistake-prone quarterback Geno Smith to beat them. It was a good run for Ryan in New Jersey, but the countdown can begin: He has 10 games to go.

2. The Jets’ progress likely will come in fits and starts thanks to the struggles of Smith, but rookie tight end Jace Amaro looks like a keeper. Amaro was the focal point of the passing game Sunday, when he had 10 catches for 68 yards and the first touchdown of his career. Amaro, the first Jets tight end with at least 10 catches in a game since Johnny Mitchell had 11 receptions against Minnesota on Nov. 20, 1994, is a weapon both as a dump-off option and on vertical plays. His measurements (6-foot-5, 265 pounds) and athleticism can make him impossible to cover. On his touchdown catch, a falling Amaro corralled the ball and managed to get both feet in bounds. Whoever is throwing the ball to Amaro next year will have quite the security blanket.

–CB Dee Milliner (right Achilles) is almost certainly done for the season after he sustained a non-contact injury in the first quarter of the Jets’ 31-17 loss to the Broncos on Sunday. Milliner was injured on a successful field-goal attempt by Denver just 2:07 into the game. He needed assistance getting off the field and was immediately declared out by the Jets, who said he had an ankle injury. Coach Rex Ryan said after the game it was an Achilles injury. Milliner missed three of the Jets’ first five games due to a high ankle sprain and a quad injury. If he requires surgery on the Achilles, it will be his sixth operation since the beginning of his collegiate career.

–LG Brian Winters (knee) was injured in the third quarter of the Jets’ 31-17 loss to the Broncos on Sunday and did not return. Coach Rex Ryan didn’t have an update on Winters afterward but acknowledged the player’s inability to return was a bad sign. Winters, a third-round draft choice out of Kent State in 2013, has played in all 22 games since turning pro and has started the Jets’ past 17 games.

–WR David Nelson (ankle) was inactive Sunday for the Jets’ 31-17 loss to the Broncos. Nelson sprained an ankle against the Lions on Sept. 28 but played last week against the Chargers despite a questionable tag. He has seven catches for 54 yards this season.