Broncos vs. Texans Positional Breakdown: Who has the Advantage?
The Denver Broncos left Seattle with a defeat because of their own doing, not because they had lesser talent. A mistake-filled game cannot happen this week versus the Houston Texans.
It was evident last week that the Broncos had the better team from a talent perspective, but the margin of error in the NFL is so small that mistakes often will lead to a loss. Being at home this week and fielding a better roster than the opposing team should be a recipe for victory.
How do the Broncos measure up to the Texans? Let's go position by position to figure it out.
Quarterback
The Broncos have finally solidified this position since Peyton Manning retired in 2015. The Russell Wilson trade brought in a true franchise quarterback.
Wilson is elite and a future Hall-of-Famer. Furthermore, the rumors of his decline are greatly exaggerated. He is only 33 years old and has plenty of gas left in the tank. He also lives and breathes football, making his preparation second to none.
Wilson struggled last week with timing, but he still had a really good game. He is still poised for an MVP-caliber season since an offense has been built around his strengths for the first time in his 10-year career. The Broncos just need to finish and stop making mistakes.
The Texans quarterback situation is not as solid as the Broncos. Davis Mills is an adequate quarterback, but not elite. In his second season, Mills will still have some growing pains. His skill is nowhere near that of Wilson.
Advantage: Broncos
Running Back
The one-two punch of Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon is formidable. While splitting carries, both backs nearly reached 1,000 yards each last season.
By season’s end, this duo could be the best in the NFL. Williams refuses to go down easily, which should have him on a weekly highlight real, and Gordon has a nose for the end zone. With the zone blocking scheme, an offense that has less predictability, and the threat of a well-thrown deep ball, both Williams and Gordon should thrive. But they do need to hold onto the ball better.
Houston's Dameon Pierce, a rookie fourth-round selection, has potential and runs with urgency, but he has some limitations. It's still difficult to judge how he will perform in the NFL because last week he carried the ball only 11 times for 33 yards.
Behind Pierce is journeyman Rex Burkhead. He does not strike fear in defensive coordinators, but he can gain tough yardage and is a capable receiver out of the backfield. The Texans’ running game will not scare anyone at this point in the season.
Advantage: Broncos
Wide Receivers
The Broncos have a stable of good receivers, but with a lot to prove. After losing their most reliable pass catcher, Tim Patrick, to injury, the rest of Denver's group needs to prove that an elite squad on paper will can realize its potential on the field. Courtland Sutton is the most proven, but after an injury in 2020 altered his trajectory, he will need to show that he is all the way back and ready for All-Pro status.
Jerry Jeudy was the best receiver on the field in Seattle last week. It was a great performance and went a long way to prove the doubters wrong.
Unfortunately, KJ Hamler, a speedster who is coming back from a major injury, won’t play this week. That will thrust Montrell Washington, Tyrie Cleveland and Jalen Virgil into some playing time. They all possess little experience.
Houston's wide receiver corps leaves a lot to be desired. The most well-known name is Brandin Cooks — a former first-round selection who has bounced around the league. Cooks is a threat and has six 1,000-yard seasons in his nine years.
Behind Cooks, there is very little. Nico Collins has 37 receptions in total since he entered the NFL and Phillip Dorsett is a first-round bust. If the Broncos were fully healthy, this would be a lopsided advantage in comparing this position group.
Advantage: Broncos
Tight Ends
The position group is mostly an unknown for the Broncos. Albert Okwuegbunam is fast, but he has to round out his game. If he can do that this season, the Broncos are in good shape.
Eric Saubert has been an offseason surprise but needs to prove it in the regular season. He dropped a big touchdown at the end of the game last week. Saubert has the tools to be an all-around tight end and it appears, this season, he has put it together.
Eric Tomlinson is a blocker with very little pass catching on his resume. Andrew Beck is going to play more of a fullback/H-Back role and was fantastic versus Seattle to start the game. This group has potential, but plenty of questions that need to be answered in the regular season.
The Texans' tight ends are not what anyone would deem an incredible threat receiving. Starter Pharaoh Brown has 40 receptions in four seasons and caught only one pass last week to kick off his fifth season.
Brevin Jordan is a second-year player who also only caught one pass last week. O.J. Howard, a first-round disappointment, was released by the Buffalo Bills on August 30 and picked up by the Texans. He has athletic talent, but can’t seem to put it all together on the field.
Advantage: Broncos
Offensive Line
Left tackle Garet Bolles has improved tremendously and has a second team All Pro award under his belt. With the zone scheme, left guard Dalton Risner is in an offense that suits his skills.
Risner's play should be better than his rookie season that saw him play in a similar scheme. Center Lloyd Cushenberry III still has a lot to prove after struggling the past two seasons, but all reports from camp have been positive.
At right gaurd, Quinn Meinerz could end up being the best of the group, but he is now sidelined due to injury forcing Graham Glasgow to make the Week 2 start. Glasgow is a serviceable veteran, but there was a significant drop-off against the Seahawks when he filled in.
The biggest unknown is the right tackle spot. Billy Turner was brought in to solidify that position, but his injury forced Cam Fleming into starting duty last week. Fleming could again be the starter for Week 2, but Turner appears to be close to returning full-time.
The Texans have a very good left tackle in Laremy Tunsil. The other bookend, Tytus Howard, is growing into a solid player. The two guards are unremarkable players, but adequate in the middle, with A.J. Cann being the better of the two.
The issue for Week 2 is that their starting center is going to miss the game against the Broncos. This will likely force Scott Quessenberry into the starting role. He is an experienced player, but this could cause some issues with line calls and timing.
Advantage: Texans
Secondary
The Broncos' secondary boasts two elite-caliber players. Justin Simmons is arguably the best safety in the NFL and Patrick Surtain II is a star in the making. Surtain's rookie season was incredible and he is poised to become one of the best corners in the league.
His defense against the Seahawks' No. 1 receiver D.K. Metcalf was superb. Simmons, however, is now on injured reserve and will miss the next four weeks. His presence will be missed.
Kareem Jackson and Caden Sterns are solid players at safety and they will have to step up in a large way in Simmons’ absence. The weaknesses start with the other corners.
Ronald Darby is a good player, but has to stay healthy. K’Waun Williams is a good slot corner, but he too has missed time due to injury. Depth is a concern, which is why the starters must stay on the field.
The Texans field a mix of youth and experience in their cornerback group. Steven Nelson has been in the league for eight years while Derek Stingley, Jr. is their 2022 first-rounder. Stingley has incredible potential, but Nelson is what he is at this point — an adequate starter.
One of Houston's backups is a familiar face to Broncos fans: Isaac Yiadom. The depth in the Texans' cornerback group is not extraordinary.
At safety, Jonathan Owens has moved into a starting role after spending the past three years in a back up role. He was a tackling machine in last week’s game. The other starter is Jalen Pitre, a rookie second-rounder. The inexperience in the back end of the secondary could be exploited.
Advantage: Broncos
Defensive Line
The Broncos have amassed a solid, but not spectacular defensive line. Every season, Dre’Mont Jones is poised to be a breakout star, but hasn’t made the leap yet. Next to him is newcomer, D.J. Jones, who may be the best free-agent addition this offseason. He grew into a solid run stuffer in San Francisco and was fantastic versus the Seahawks last week.
The Broncos' final starting spot is manned by DeShawn Williams. Mike Purcell is the next guy onto the field in the even of an injury. If Purcell is forced into starter's snaps rookies Eyioma Uwazurike and Matt Henningsen become the depth rotation. Both have promise as future key role players, but they are still raw.
The Texans seemed to be battling injuries of their own on the defensive line, but it appears that all of their starters will be on the field and ready to play. Maliek Collins is a solid interior pass rusher from his defensive tackle spot. Next to him is Roy Lopez, a sixth-rounder in 2021 who has been a starter in nearly every game. He is a solid run stuffer.
Advantage: Broncos
Edge Rushers
This could be the greatest strength on the Broncos' defense by season’s end, if health holds. Bradley Chubb has elite traits, but injuries has derailed his progress. He was brilliant in the second half of the Seahawks contest.
Newcomer Randy Gregory also has elite traits, but has missed so much time on the field due to health and suspensions. If he can put it all together this season, he could be one of the better pass rushers in the NFL. That is a big if.
Behind these two is Baron Browning. His athleticism is off the charts and it shows up during the game. The edge rushing group will not miss a beat when he is on the field. The depth of this unit is incredible with last season’s surprise Jonathon Cooper and rookie Nik Bonitto.
The Texans' starting defensive ends are Jonathan Greenard and Jerry Hughes. Like most of the players on the Texans' defense, they're solid, but not spectacular.
Greenard and Hughes are backed up by two journeymen. Both have shown in the past that they can get after the passer at times. This group is solid, but not elite.
Advantage: Broncos
Off-Ball Linebacker
This unit is a massive question mark for the Broncos. The only established player is Josey Jewell, but he missed most of last season with an injury. He missed Week 1 and is questionable for this game.
Jewell is also limited in speed, but makes up for it in his elite read and react ability. Jonas Griffith continues to recover from a dislocated elbow and although he started in Week 1, he was not effective.
The depth is an issue as Alex Singleton was brought in as a free agent to compete for a starting role, but was unable to win the job. The reasons for that showed up in the game against the Seahawks.
Justin Strnad, who struggles mightily when pushed into a starter role, is the final depth player. If he plays more than a special teams role, the Broncos are in trouble.
The Texans' linebacking corps is healthy. Having their starting group on the field is already an advantage versus the Broncos.
The group has plenty of experience and is led by Christian Kirksey and Kamu Grugier-Hill. Those two linebackers combined for 27 tackles in Week 1.
Advantage: Texans
Bottom Line
The Broncos have the superior roster in this matchup. The injuries are mounting up for the Broncos and that is a major concern.
Hopefully, this matchup will be lopsided enough that the Texans cannot exploit the depleted areas of the Broncos.
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