A Battle of Epic Defenses Awaits But Can the Texans Provide Enough Offense

A chance to build momentum and prove they're a top team

This is a heavyweight showdown of defenses, with two offenses looking to maintain the momentum.

The Houston Texans had one of their more complete offensive showings against the San Francisco 49ers last week. It was an excellent bounce back from the letdown in Seattle against the Seahawks.

The Denver Broncos wandered through a barren wasteland of offensive ineptitude until two weeks ago, when the fourth quarter against the New York Giants hit. Denver might have the best offense in football over the last five quarters.

It will be whichever offense survives against the elite defense.

Both offenses have lacked a “prove it” performance against a solid defense. That exists for them both today.

A repeat of Seattle would have most thinking the Texans are a solid middling team that isn’t ready to punch with the playoff caliber teams.

If the offense of the Texans can do it against Denver, who can’t they do it against? Come out of this game with solid protection of C.J. Stroud, and they might have people buy into the offensive line’s direction. Stroud was disciplined and excellent last week. A performance slicing and dicing of this defense would help clarify just how high his ceiling is as a quarterback.

The opportunity wasn’t seized two games ago, but there’s another chance now.

One Player to Watch

Broncos cornerback Riley Moss is the player to watch. Defenses have picked on him when the Broncos had Pat Surtain II. With his teammate out, Moss is the pseudo top cornerback. He’s also the most penalized player in the NFL when it comes to defensive pass interference. Nico Collins could have a huge day if he draws Moss. He isn’t a zero, though. Moss has allowed a passer rating lower than 80 this year.

One Matchup to Watch

Aireontae Ersery against the Denver edge rushers is the one to watch in this one. The rookie left tackle has fared well this year while also having some tough moments. He’s struggled with speedy players. Nik Bonitto has plenty of juice. That will be a huge challenge for Ersery. The Texans will need to help him at times, but sometimes they will need him to win on his own. If he can do that, it would be huge for Houston’s chance to win.

One Stat to Watch

The Broncos have allowed just eight sacks this season. They have done an excellent job building up their offensive line. They have built this line primarily by hitting on draft picks. Their big swing at right tackle with Mike McGlinchey in free agency has worked. They do a solid job of protecting Bo Nix, but the quarterback helps himself out with the mobility. The Texans have been well below their pressure and sack standards set last year. It would be a great time to break out.

Score Prediction

The Houston Texans win 13-10. I have waffled over this pick all week. As recently as Friday, I was picking the Broncos. I just haven’t seen Denver do it against a defense like Houston’s defense. Their offense doesn’t line up well against the Texans to take advantage of the weaker parts of the Texans. Betting against Sean Payton seems foolish, but the Texans have hung their hat on defense all season. Why not now? The hope is that Houston has enough for a couple of scoring drives, maybe assisted by good defensive performances creating short fields.

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