Can the Texans’ Recent Offensive Success Continue against the Broncos?

Can the Texans’ Recent Offensive Success Continue against the Broncos?

Let’s hear from a former Bronco because that’s the Texans next opponent. The the Broncos were very impressive on Sunday afternoon. They turned over Dak Prescott. They did whatever they wanted to offensively. Big number for them. They took apart the Cowboys with uh Jim Nance and and Tony Romo in attendance. And now they come in feeling really good about themselves. We got a good defense here continuing to shut down opponents. Broncos are maybe a different a different beast, particularly if you were impressed with them on Sunday afternoon. But if you go by what Justin Simmons, the former Broncos said, don’t really take into account what you saw because the Cowboys are pretty bad. Call it Spade a Spade. That has to be one of the worst defenses I’ve seen. Um, you know, I think this season not to it just is what it is as a defensive guy like unsound in the gaps. Um, just not playing with good eyes, not playing good leverage. And when you’re a good offense and and you take the realm of that, you’re supposed to make that defense look like that. I think Shawn even said that, right? It’s just like they’re one of the worst defenses in the league and we’re going to we’re going to make sure that this stays that way. I don’t know if Shawn Peyton said that exactly. It would be pretty inflammatory, maybe even more inflammatory than what he got out there about not wanting to face Jackson Dart that led Russell Wilson to pop back at him. But yeah, the Cowboys are bad. So, the Broncos are feeling pretty good, but it’s almost like what the Texans did to the Ravens. The Cowboys are on that level of being terrible. It was just it was it’s just a game that I’m not going to take into account as far as what the Texans are going to face because we know Texans really good defense. They aren’t as unsound as the Cowboys are, particularly with Chanty Gardner Johnson who now has another job. He’s he’s a bear now. With him out of the way, the the big plays have kind of ceased. And as long as they do their jobs, I don’t foresee Bo Knicks having a big day. Not to say they won’t win that game, the Broncos, because they are on a historic pace defensively. We talk about who they are as an offense. Defensively, they are well out ahead when it comes to sacking a quarterback, and they’re at a point where they can be discussed as maybe the best team getting the quarterback on the ground of all time. They’ve got 36 sacks this year, and they also are best at avoiding sacks, but they’re on a pace to make history when it comes to sacking the quarterback. So, it is the exact opposite of what we saw on Sunday against the 49ers who’ve already made a trade to acquire a pass rusher. They picked up Kon White from the Patriots who the Patriots have no use for. So, the 49ers are looking for answers. It appears the Broncos have all the answers when it comes to getting after the quarterback. So this will be another in the line of you’re now facing another team who can pick at your weaknesses and not just pick at them completely exploit them. So will they mitigate some of that pass rush by six off his lineman? Is this a game where Blake Fischer and a snap count rises even higher to try to avoid a situation where you’re one-on-one with your tackles against Cooper and Bonito? That is my that is what I’m out to watch on Sunday. I generally do watch games that way anyway. If I can get a sense that the quarterback, no matter if it’s the NFL or college, is going to have a tough time simply sitting in the pocket, you kind of feel like you know how the game’s going. So, I won’t even really be watching at least to start CJ. I’ll be watching their tackles. And in passing situations, do do your tackles hold up? Urs is coming off a really good game. But once again, the 49ers had little in a in the way of pass rushing. So when you see Cooper and Bonito out there and some of the blitzes that the Texans handled well against 49ers, when you see a a better defense and a defense who can certainly get to you before, you might know very early how that game’s going to go, particularly if the Texans can’t run the football. which they did really well against the 49ers. It’ll be it’ll just be different. You’re fa you’re facing not only one of the better defenses in the league, but as a team overall, the Broncos are five and two. They kind of are where you want to be. You wish you got off to the good start that they have. And not that not that they’re playing with house money, but that’s a confident team that’s going to come in. They are without Patrick Certan. We talked about that yesterday. That is a benefit to you. But Bon Knicks doesn’t get sacked and they sack the quarterback. That’s a good formula if we’re thinking about it. Is this the best team they face all year? Like the Rams are good. That was in week one. So, everyone’s working things out. The Bucks came in here. It was pretty healthy Bucks. Yes, that that was a healthy Bucks team. But when you combine Well, the Bucks got hurt in game because Charlie Hec wound up playing tackle. So, so that and they are they were already moving guys around. So, their offensive line was certainly compromised. When you consider health, of course, certain gone, so that plays a part. I think this might be the best team they’ve played all year. Yeah. Particularly what the Texans aren’t good at and what the other team can do to exploit what they’re not good at. That’s what I was going to say. It might be like the worst matchup and like they’re in the same I would say they’re of the same like caliber of especially the first two games the Bucks and the Rams but the Bucks but I think they’re specifically set up to like give what the Texans are bad at a hard time. Yeah, the Bucks had one pass rusher and it’s like Hassan Reic who’s an older player. Vive of course, great interior defensive lineman, but yeah, the R the Rams that line would verse and and the rest. Yeah, you you can very well comp that to what the Broncos are bringing to the table. Yeah, I mean I mean Bonito’s he’s probably the best Yeah, he’s definitely the best pass rusher that they’ve played this year. Maybe Pines Allen from uh Jacksonville. That that’s about it. That’s that’s the list. He had a day. Yeah. So Texans so I Yeah, I think I I think that even without Pat Certan, I mean with with if Pat Certan was in there, like this would be this would be a tough watch. I might be watching this between between my fingers on Sunday, but without Certan and we’ll see on Nico, but I think that they do have a chance to do what they did last week and get the ball out fast. It’s going to be a lot of nine 10 play scoring drives if you are scoring. Like that is going to be I think the formula. It’s It’s really like, “Okay, last week, good job doing what you did to overcome your line. Shroud doesn’t get sacked. You move the ball.” Well, perfect. Now, let’s do it against one of the best defenses in the league and see how that works out. That to me is the test for the uh for the Texans. Yeah, Ben Bonito comes in with eight sacks, Jonathan Cooper with six. So, a couple of the top pass rushers in the league. It’ll it’ll be a test of Nick Kaylee and see and that offline to see if what we saw against San Fran is sustainable or is it strictly based off the opponent which is something we’ve talked about quite a bit. Are they s are they sustain or at least what they’re doing is it sustainable or are we just simply waiting for the next opponent to test all their weaknesses and exploit them. That is a matchup I’m extremely f focused on. And if they can hold up particularly early and allow CJ to even get the quick passing game going, then then you might really have something as far as not only just competing, but I don’t know that there’s anyone other than the the Broncos that can test them in that way the rest of the way. Like the Colts, which of course a complete team as far as being a good one. They don’t really have the pass rushers. I’m trying to just think of the schedule going forward. Bills, Chiefs don’t really I mean they’re really good teams but they don’t have they don’t have these elite edge pass rushers. So this may be at least the Raiders with Max Crosby. Sure. That is one. Yeah. Uh the near future may be your your toughest test as far as trying to keep guys away from your quarterback. So when you play the Jags again next. Yeah. I hope there’s an improvement since then because that cuz he well he closed the game out by getting a CJ. Yeah. and deflecting what could have been a touchdown or at least a a big completion as they were trying to tie that game. So, we know how elite pass rushers have affected the Texans chance chances to win. Now, they just got to see two of them. I don’t think they’ve seen two of them in a game yet so far. No, I mean the Rams would be the with verse and the boys would be the Yeah. like if whoever his co-star was that play whether it was Young whether it was Fisk I mean that one was but flatout edge guys no this this going to be tough it’s going to be on I won’t even say it’s going to be on Ursery and Howard it is it’ll be a team effort whether it be play calls or CJ getting the ball out quick to those wide receivers because he’s recognizing Um, this is not a situation where where you want to hold the ball very long. So to me, they’re so overmatched that you’re right. It’s not on the tackles. It’s actually on Yeah. You go in knowing it’s it’s on Kaylee and the quarterback to a certain extent. You go in knowing that if you are leaning on your tackles to get the job done, you’re asking for a disaster. That can’t that can’t be it. Whether you’re chipping, whether you’re keeping a six offensive lineman, and whatever it is, the game plan has to be Cooper and Bonito don’t determine the outcome. They’ll make their plays because they’re very good players, but they they cannot wreck this game early or no matter how good the Texans defense is, I think the Broncos offense is good enough if they’re coupled with a a defensive front that that keeps the Texans from operating. I think that’s a combination where where the Broncos come in here and win. Now the Texans are now a favorite. They opened up as a as a dog that has flipped to them being a favorite. So the money so far coming in on the Texans. What does Vegas know? I have no idea. I have no idea what they know. But uh we’ll we got days to prepare and you know what would help if Nico’s available. We’ll see if he’s back out there at practice. Uh that would certainly be a boost. Maybe that’s what they know. Maybe that’s possible that Nico’s going to play. We’ll see.

The Texans are riding high after a dominant offensive outing — but this Sunday they’ll face one of the most fearsome defensive units in the entire NFL: the Broncos.
🛑 In this episode we dive into:
Why the Broncos’ pass rush is elite — they exploded for 63 sacks in 2024 and enter 2025 among the league leaders again.
How the Texans’ offense looked sharper last week — but can they keep CJ Stroud clean against Denver’s relentless front?
Key matchups: tackles vs. edge rushers, Stroud’s quick release, and how the run game can slow the rush.
Why this could be the toughest test yet for Houston’s offense.
💬 Question for you: Will the Texans keep rolling — or will Denver’s defense bring them back to earth?
📺 For Full Episode: YouTube (@espnhouston)
🎙️ Listen on: ESPN 97.5 & 92.5 FM | ESPN Houston App
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