Five steps for the Denver Broncos to beat the Houston Texans

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos are taking a trip to the Lone Star State for a game against the Houston Texans on Sunday.

The 6-5 Texans and the 6-5 Broncos are tied for playoff position, and the winner will likely hold a playoff spot Sunday night. While this game, of course, isn’t as impactful as a playoff game, it could hold significant weight in the AFC playoff race down the stretch.

Here’s how the Broncos can pull out a win…

Run First

The Broncos might not be able to run the football on Sunday.

Yes, Denver is 13th in rushing yards and eighth in rushing yards per attempt, but the Broncos are going up a pretty solid run defense. The 3.6 yards per attempt the Texans give up ranks third in the NFL.

But the Broncos’ best chance of winning Sunday’s game is to stick to what has helped them to a five-game winning streak: control the game in the trenches and win the turnover battle.

Over the course of the game, the Broncos might learn that their best offense is attacking the NFL’s 27th passing defense. But they should start by sticking to what they do best, and see if they can build an offense on the ground and control the clock.

Let Pat roam

Rookie Texans quarterback CJ Stroud is off to an amazing start.

The 22-year-old is second in the NFL in passing yards, second in yards per attempt and sixth in passer rating. He’s a -10000 favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and he’s eighth in the MVP odds.

Stroud leads the NFL in interception percentage, but two weeks ago, he threw three interceptions to the Arizona Cardinals.

“I think on the defensive side, I don’t think they get enough credit for mixing things up and switching up looks,” Pat Surtain II told DNVR this week. “Being on the body of receivers, being able to make plays on the ball, that’s the biggest thing when I see teams succeed against them (the Texans).”

This week, the passing game isn’t about locking up any individual receiver. It’s about making life difficult for the quarterback.

Instead of having Surtain follow Tank Dell or Nico Collins around the field, which could give hints about whether the Broncos are in man or zone coverage, they should stick him on one side for most of the game to prevent hinting at what’s to come.

Send extra rushers

The Broncos’ pass rush has had its moments in recent weeks, but Denver can’t trust it on Sunday.

The Texans like to throw the ball downfield. CJ Stroud has one of the longest average depth of throws in the NFL and he has a 142.2 passer rating when he targets receivers at least 20 yards downfield.

The Broncos can disrupt Houston’s passing attack in two ways, either by sitting back and making sure nobody is open deep or rushing passers and not allowing deep routes to develop.

The Broncos should emphasize the latter, especially on third downs.

Get creative on special teams

One of the most exciting matchups on Sunday could be the battle between Marvin Mims Jr. and Tank Dell, the two returns Sean Payton called “elite” on draft day.

In the receiving game, Dell has been the much more consistent threat, but Mims is winning the battle in the return game.

In a playoff-like game on Sunday, the Broncos will need to find a spark on special teams at some point in the game. A block, a fake or a big return could be the difference between a win or loss.

Denver hasn’t gotten too creative on special teams recently, so they should have some unused ideas in the bag. Sunday will be the time to break one of them out.

Get creative on offense

The Broncos should try to turn Sunday’s game into a grimy game of physical football, but there’s a chance that plan fails.

Las Vegas says the game is likelier to be a barn-burner, as only one NFL game has a higher over/under on points this week.

Russell Wilson started hot this season with a pair of 300-yard passing games in the first three weeks after averaging exactly two per season over the first 11 years of his career. He’s averaged 176 yards per game in the eight games since.

Maybe the Broncos’ passing offense can flip a switch and keep up with the Texans in a shootout, but patching it with a couple of manufactured big plays gives them a much better chance.

A flea-flicker, a reverse or some other trickery might steal a score and give the Broncos the edge.