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.
Offensive Rankings
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).
Defensive Rankings
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.
Denver must win the turnover battle
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
Run the ball
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
Don’t sleep on the Texans
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 other game. They are looking to get their season back on track, and a win over Denver would do just that. The Broncos need to come in and keep their win streak going strong. Play 60 minutes of football. — Tim Lynch
Penalty discipline. Penalty discipline. Penalty discipline.
The Cowboys game, aside from being an offensive showcase against a bad defense and a defensive masterclass against the league’s most prolific passing attack, was just the second game in 2025 in which the Broncos accrued less than 50 penalty yards. That has to continue against the best scoring defense in the league, as there will not be much wiggle room for Bo Nix & the offense to pull themselves out of any self-inflicted holes. Any lapses by the defense may allow critical scores in what figures to be a low-scoring game.
The Broncos have been in a weird pattern so far this season. Beginning with Week 1, in every odd-numbered game, they have accrued 10+ penalties for over 120 penalty yards (with the exception of “just” 90 penalty yards in Week 3 against the Chargers). That pattern cannot hold true in Week 9, or it will be extremely difficult to come out of Houston with a W. — Taylor Kothe
Get after and rattle C.J. Stroud
The Broncos sport the best pass rush in the league. On the other hand, the Houston Texans have an offensive line that has given up 15 sacks over their past six games. If the Broncos want to come away with a road victory, they are going to need their defensive lineman and edge rushers to get after and rattle C.J. Stroud. I think this is one matchup of the game that is clearly in Denver’s favor. If they can do that, they have a great shot at winning their seventh game of the season. — Christopher Hart
