Mile High Report
The Denver Broncos are on a five-game winning streak.
The Broncos sit atop the AFC West standings.
To cap all of this off, Denver is on the heels of an absolute flogging of the Dallas Cowboys.
But the next big test is this Sunday against the Houston Texans. The host Texans (3-4) have one of the best defenses in the NFL and a third-year quarterback in C.J. Stroud who can get hot in a snap.
A victory this Sunday, and the Broncos (6-2) will really put the rest of the division and the league on notice.
After opening as the road favorites, Denver is now a +1.5-point underdog to the Texans. A major part of that is tied to the news that Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II will miss time with a pectoral injury. The total currently sits at over/under 39.5 points.
Denver: Ninth in total offense (356.9 yards per game), third in rushing offense (137.8 YPG), 14th in passing offense (219.1 YPG), 10th in scoring offense (25.9 points per game).
Houston: Seventeenth in total offense (328.7 yards per game), 17th in rushing offense (113.4 YPG), 16th in passing offense (215.3 YPG), tied for 19th in scoring offense (21.9 points per game).
Denver: Fifth in total defense (281.4 yards per game), 10th in rushing defense (95.1 YPG), seventh in passing defense (186.3 YPG), fifth in scoring defense (18.9 points per game).
Houston: First in total defense (266.9 yards per game), fifth in rushing defense (88.4 YPG), fourth in passing defense (178.4 YPG), first in scoring defense (14.7 points per game).
Here are the MHR staff’s keys to Sunday’s game.
Both teams have great, if not elite, defenses. They don’t allow many points, and they create havoc for the quarterback. That means winning the turnover battle becomes even more crucial. That’s especially true on the road. Bo Nix and the Broncos offense need to maintain control of the ball, while the defense does something it has yet to do consistently: create turnovers. If the Denver defense can give the offense a few more possessions, that increases the likelihood of success on Sunday. — Ian St. Clair
J.K. Dobbins went over 100 yards against the Cowboys, and RJ Harvey had a huge rushing TD. Go back and watch what Quinn Meinerz did on that Harvey run. Beautiful. The Texans will be a tougher task on offense, but controlling the football makes the game easier for Bo Nix and the offense. It also keeps the defense off the field and rested. It’s the best recipe for success. — Adam Malnati
The Texans have won three of their last four games by margins of 26, 34, and 11 points. That 0-3 start belies how good this team is. Their defense is especially underrated, having given up over 21 points just once and holding teams to 20 or fewer points in every...
