3 Keys to a Broncos Victory Over Texans

Broncos Country wants to see more passing offense from its favorite team after second-year quarterback Bo Nix threw for 247 passing yards and four touchdowns, with one interception, last Sunday. No. 10 joined Hall-of-Famers Peyton Manning and John Elway as the only quarterbacks in team history with three-plus wins featuring four-plus passing touchdowns. 

The last two weeks, Nix has amassed a 74.7 adjusted completion rate, 574 yards, eight total touchdowns, with just one interception. The team captain found Troy Franklin for two touchdowns last week while welcoming rookie teammate Pat Bryant to the NFL with his first career score against Dallas.

But that doesn’t mean that Sean Payton needs to get pass-heavy against a Texans defense that ranks first in total yards allowed per game (266.9). Instead, the charismatic and stubborn play-caller should ‘dance with the one who brung you.’ 

Meaning, keep the gas on a Broncos run game that's ranked third in the NFL, averaging 137.8 yards per game. The redesigned running duo of J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey ran wild on Dallas’ defense, combining for 157 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Harvey also caught a touchdown pass, giving him three on the day and the NFL's Rookie of the Week award.

Dobbins, the featured bell cow of Denver’s offense, is averaging 5.3 yards per carry and is tied for the most touchdowns scored by a Bronco playmaker this season (four). Harvey is coming off that impressive three-touchdown performance with a 6.6 yards per carry average against the Cowboys, supporting Payton’s one-two punch vision for the new guys. 

Houston’s formidable pass rushers, led by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, have combined for nine sacks and two forced fumbles. The Texans want to rattle Nix and keep him in the pocket.

The most effective way for Payton to protect his offensive line, even though the Broncos have only allowed eight sacks all season, is to run the football and sprinkle in the pass game. Remember, Payton demands his running backs to be receiving threats in this offense, as Dobbins and Harvey have recorded 27 receptions, 147 receiving yards, six first downs, and three touchdowns. 

Dispatch the running back duo in H-Town, Coach. It’ll win the game and keep Nix upright.

The PS2 Plan: Time for On-the-Job Training

On Monday, it was reported that Broncos cornerback and team captain Patrick Surtain II is expected to miss multiple games with a left pectoral strain. 

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year will not play against the Texans and will be evaluated week to week. Although Ian Rapoport has reported that Surtain won't be placed on injured reserve, it's still possible. It was devastating news for the Broncos' dominant defensive secondary, which survived the Week 9 officiating and limited the Cowboys' receiving corps to 14 receptions for 152 yards and zero touchdowns.

It's a good thing Vance Joseph has a spare first-round cornerback on his roster in Jahdae Barron, who logged his first career interception last week. The talented rookie who was picked No. 20 overall from Texas will get elevated snaps against Houston as he’s been brought along by this defense. It’s time for the young guy to get some on-the-job experience in Houston.

Kris Abrams-Draine saw increased playing time after Surtain’s exit last week, and he could lean on his teammates for support in nickel corner Ja’Quan McMillian and the safety tandem of Brandon Jones and Talanoa Hufanga.

Riley Moss, who leads the league in pass interference calls, will definitely get picked on by both the officials and Stroud, if the past is any indication. The former Pro Bowl passer moved the chains against San Francisco last week and connected with nine separate teammates in a Houston passing attack that earned 16 first downs through the air.

Joseph’s calling card has been his expertise in the secondary, and that's where the veteran play-caller will need to scheme up his best work this week, without his best player.

Smother & Straddle Stroud at All Costs

Stroud is coming off one of the best games he’s played this year, having thrown for 318 yards (season high) and two touchdowns, with one interception. He completed 76.9% of his passes against the 49ers.

But what’s most impressive about Stroud’s last performance wasn’t his stats but rather his ability to move the chains and win the contest without his two best receivers in Nico Collins (concussion) and Christian Kirk (hamstring). While the Texans’ injury report leaves us to speculate the status of both starting receivers for this Sunday, Houston’s offensive line enters this game against Denver without surrendering a single sack to San Francisco.

Keep in mind, the 49ers are tied as the second-worst team in total sacks this season, while the Broncos are first in the league, having registered 36 sacks in just eight games played.

Denver’s defense is ranked fifth-best with 281.4 yards per game. Denver proved last week against Dallas’ offense that surrendering yards and surrendering points are two different things. The Broncos' defense limited Dak Prescott to just 188 yards passing, two interceptions, and kept the Pro Bowl quarterback out of the end zone with two sacks to boot.

The Texans' offensive line has surrendered 15 sacks, which ranks among the league’s worst. Stroud gets sacked twice per game on average.

Nik Bonitto currently has the fourth-most sacks (eight) in the league, despite putting up goose eggs in the last two games. He must be itching to get to the passer.

Jonathon Cooper has six sacks for the season. But he will need assistance from interior defensive linemen Zach Allen, John Franklin-Myers, and D.J. Jones in containing the athletic and elusive Stroud.

Houston’s offense will only go as far as the Broncos' pass rush allows it to go, with all signs indicating that Stroud will be left dazed and confused just like Prescott last Sunday. 

More Must-Read Broncos-Texans Coverage