3 Hard Takeaways from Broncos' 22-17 Loss to Texans
During the Denver Broncos' five-game winning streak, things were falling into place for them. Opponents made enough mistakes to allow the Broncos to capitalize and get themselves back in the playoff hunt.
However, those things didn't fall into place for the Broncos in Sunday's 22-17 loss to the Houston Texans. The mistakes piled up for the Broncos, and they came away with a tough road loss.
While the Broncos deserve credit for showing fight, they remain a team with little margin for error. A dropped pass here, a costly penalty there, and, certainly, several turnovers made it difficult for the Broncos in Week 13. — and while the Texans had their share of mistakes, their mistakes were far less costly.
The Broncos have the coaching staff to turn this team into a playoff contender. However, the Texans game showed that the Broncos don't have all the pieces in place just yet.
While the Broncos are not out of the playoff hunt just yet, their hopes took a blow as the Texans now hold the tiebreaker. The Broncos do have some winnable games in the weeks ahead, but if they want to make the playoffs, they can't let the mistakes pile up.
As we begin the postmortem on the Broncos' sixth loss of the season, let's break down what we learned about this team.
Wilson: Not the Problem, Still Not the Solution
The Texans have a good run defense and can rush the passer, but their secondary has been a weak point. But while Denver's offensive struggles can't be pinned solely on Russell Wilson, he wasn't able to change the complexion of the game, either.
Wilson completed 15-of-26 passes for one touchdown with three interceptions. His first interception came after Will Anderson Jr. tipped a ball intended for Jerry Jeudy, which Derek Stingley Jr. picked off on a diving grab.
Wilson's second pick came when he found Courtland Sutton wide-open over the middle downfield, but Stingley made a hustle play to intercept it. Wilson's final pick came when he was pressured on a crucial 3rd-&-Goal at the end of the game and was just a bit off on the pass attempt to tight end Lucas Krull, which got picked off.
Certainly, not everything was Wilson's fault. Case in point was his picture-perfect pass on second down on the opening drive, finding Sutton open downfield, but the receiver dropped the pass. At least a couple of sacks Wilson took were on his offensive linemen missing blocks.
There was also the moment where the Broncos had a close call after the referees blew the whistle following a catch and fumble by running back Samaje Perine, who was immediately tackled and stripped of the ball. The replay confirmed it was a catch and fumble, returned by Desmond King, but because the play had been blown dead by the refs, the Broncos were saved.
Perhaps it was a make-up call for when the referees missed an obvious defensive pass interference call on Stingley against Marvin Mims Jr. That was another instance where you can't blame Wilson for what happened.
But when Wilson had other opportunities, sometimes he was either a bit late with the throw, or he missed the open man. This is what keeps the Broncos' offense from being a unit that can dictate the pace of the game.
The remaining games will be crucial for Wilson going forward. He isn't facing strong passing defenses and needs to show he can capitalize. After all, if the Broncos keep him for 2024, they're committed to 2025 as well because of his contract structure.
Again, not everything is Wilson's fault, but that doesn't mean he's the clear man going forward. If he can't rise to the occasion down the stretch, the Broncos will have to ask themselves if he's really the guy or not.
Defense Still A Work in Progress
The Broncos defense was bad to start the season. The defense has gotten better since then, and not entirely because of turnovers — though the turnovers have certainly helped matters.
But the reality is that the Broncos' 'bend but don't break' philosophy on defense isn't going to carry the team to victory. The Broncos still have the tendency to give up the big play, which translated into points for the Texans, even if it wasn't always in the end zone.
It's hard to fault the Broncos for Houston's late touchdown after a costly turnover by the offense that forced the defense to defend a short field. But linebacker Alex Singleton's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first quarter gave the Texans a new set of downs in the red zone, leading to seven points when they might have been held to three.
The Broncos deserve credit for getting after quarterback C.J. Stroud down the stretch. Safety P.J. Locke had a strong fourth quarter and was a big reason why the Texans were forced to punt on their final possession and give the Broncos a chance at the end.
But as with the offense, the Broncos' defense doesn't have much room for error. Multiple defensive backs missed receivers who got open down the field. Nico Collins, in particular, gave the Broncos fits, finishing with nine receptions for 191 yards and a touchdown.
The Broncos still need to find a pass rusher who can truly change the complexion of the game. They have good pass rushers but not game-changers. Denver also needs a good No. 2 cornerback and help on the defensive line.
On Sunday, the Broncos' takeaway luck finally ran dry. There were a couple of forced fumbles, but the Texans recovered both. And Stroud never threw a pick.
Expecting the Broncos to have a world-beater defense is a bit much. While the Broncos have come a long way since letting inferior offenses have their way with them and giving up 70 points in Week 3, the defense still needs work — and it's certainly not a unit that can carry the load.
Yet, The Team is Showing Fight
As frustrating as this loss was, one thing remains clear about the Broncos: They are not giving up on plays or the season. They're finding ways to stay in games.
A lot of credit must go to head coach Sean Payton and his staff, who have the players bouncing back from mistakes rather than letting them get to them. Compare the Broncos' performance against the Texans to that against the Washington Commanders in Week 2.
Against the Commanders, the Broncos led 21-3 late in the first half when Wilson lost a fumble. The Commanders then scored 11 points to cut the deficit to 21-14, and the Broncos fell apart in the second half.
Compare that to today's game, in which Wilson's first interception late in the third quarter led to a Texans touchdown. Even after the score, cornerback Fabian Moreau denied the Texans a two-point conversion attempt. The Broncos bounced back and scored a touchdown to make it a one-score game.
And even after Wilson's second interception, the defense found a way to get the ball back and give the Broncos an opportunity to win the game. The Week 2 team likely falls apart in the fourth quarter in Houston, and the Broncos go home with a double-digit loss. But the Broncos team we see now is finding ways to stay in the game.
None of this means that everything is in place, nor that the Broncos are just a few players away from being a regular playoff contender. But it does mean that Payton and his staff are getting the Broncos to believe they can win.
I've been a skeptic and critic of Payton before but he's proving me wrong, regardless of the outcome of games. Payton is showing me he's the head coach to get the Broncos back to their winning ways, no matter how this stretch run shakes out.
There will be time to ask questions about whether all the personnel is in place to be a regular playoff contender. But the Broncos do have a coach who can see them through to that end.
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