Broncos Could Get Burned by These 5 Texans

The Denver Broncos need a plan for these five Houston Texans.

After an embarrassing loss to the Seattle Seahawks on national television in Week 1, the Denver Broncos look to bounce back against a Houston Texans team that figures to be picking in the top-10 of next year's NFL draft.

Despite not having a plethora of talent on their roster, this Texans team is feisty and competitive. Last week against the Indianapolis Colts, the Texans took advantage of several mistakes and took an early 20-3 lead on the road. 

If not for a complete meltdown with their run defense in the fourth quarter, the Texans would have stunned the odds-on favorite to win the AFC South. This doesn't mean the Broncos should overlook this game. 

The Broncos should have beaten the Seahawks by double digits on Monday night, but their own costly mental gaffes and a pair of fumbles cost them a very winnable game.

Houston has some pieces to watch out for — guys that can create some explosive plays on offense and be legitimate disruptors defensively. Let's have a look. 

O.J. Howard | TE

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Once again, covering the tight end seems to be a problem for the Broncos defense as they allowed a pair of touchdowns on busted coverages against the Seahawks. That may be a mirage over the course of the season, but this week could see more of those miscommunication issues with all-star safety Justin Simmons on injured reserve with a thigh injury.

Enter the fold a trio of athletic specimens at the tight end position in OJ Howard, Pharoah Brown, and Brevin Jordan.

Howard, who joined the Texans late in camp after being cut by the Bills, caught a pair of touchdowns against the Colts while stretching the seam in the red zone. This is going to be a critical match-up for the Broncos to watch out for when the Texans are on offense. 

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Jerry Hughes | Edge

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Defensively, the Texans don't have much high-level talent to work with. Hughes, a longtime high-level player for the Buffalo Bills, is easily their best defensive player.

Hughes was tremendous for the Texans in Week 1, notching a pair of sacks, a handful of pressures, and a nifty one-handed interception of a Matt Ryan screen pass.

Hughes works primarily off of the left side of the Texans defensive line, meaning he will be going head-to-head against backup right tackle Cam Fleming. Things could get ugly quickly in this match-up, and Russell Wilson could be forced to vacate to his left a lot. 

Laremy Tunsil | OT

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One of the better tackles in all of football, Laremy Tunsil is arguably the best player they have on the entire roster. He did a tremendous job protecting the blind side for Davis Mills against the Colts, winning several matchups against Yannick Ngakoue.

For the Broncos, it's a great opportunity to see if Bradley Chubb can continue to prove that he is worthy of a long-term extension. Chubb notched a pair of sacks against the Seahawks last week, but those came later in the game against a rookie making his first-ever start at the NFL level.

This match-up could produce some massive fireworks, and is one I'll definitely be keeping my eye on Sunday afternoon. 

Jalen Pitre | S

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A young and promising coverage player at the safety position, Pitre is a player that the Broncos could be able to exploit with their running game. Though he flies around the field and is constantly around the football, Pitre is not a great tackler and it was incredibly apparent late in the game against Indianapolis.

Pitre missed five tackles, all of them in the second half, against a physical running back in Jonathan Taylor. This was critical in the meltdown that cost the Texans a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. 

Brandin Cooks | WR

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Another player to watch with Justin Simmons missing the game is the speedy receiver Brandin Cooks. The Broncos will be fielding Caden Sterns in his first career start as Simmons's replacement, which could lead to some issues on the back end of the secondary.

Compound that with the aging Kareem Jackson playing the other safety spot and Cooks could see a deep shot or two thrown in his direction. Jackson has shown several signs of decline over the past two seasons, and players with long speed and quickness give him fits in coverage.

If the Broncos can't get their pass rush home early and often, Davis Mills may be able to uncork a couple of bombs against the Broncos' secondary. That isn't what Mills does well, but the opportunity could be presented for him to take a shot or two. 

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