Bo Nix Poised to Pass Carson Palmer in NFL Record Books vs. Texans

Bo Nix continues to make his mark on the Denver Broncos' and NFL record books.

Jan 12, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) and quarterback Bo Nix (10) warm up before a game against the Buffalo Bills in an AFC wild card game at Highmark Stadium. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Denver Broncos sit at 6-2 at the halfway mark of the season (if you can call it that with an odd-numbered 17-game campaign), and are winners of five in a row. Standing in the way of Denver's sixth straight victory this week are the Houston Texans, an opponent that seems to have figured things out of late after a very ugly start to the season.

Entering Week 9, several individual Broncos are approaching career milestones or are on the brink of records. Let's take a look at the milestones on the table for the Broncos.

Bo Nix Looking to Eclipse Carson Palmer

Nix needs one passing touchdown to tie quarterback Carson Palmer for the 10th-most passing touchdowns by a player in his first 26 career games. Nix is coming off five furious quarters of play, but the Texans present a much stiffer challenge defensively than the previous two opponents.

If Nix is able to get that one passing touchdown, he'll also become the third player with an active passing touchdown streak of at least 17 games.

Courtland Sutton Wants That TD to Enter the Top 10

Sutton needs one receiving touchdown for tie wide receiver Steve Watson for the ninth-most touchdown receptions in team history. Last week, he passed Vance Johnson for sole possession of the sixth-most receiving yards in club annals.

J.K. Dobbins Looking For the 100-Yard Trilogy

Dobbins needs a 100-yard rushing performance to become the first Bronco since Melvin Gordon in 2021 to post three 100-yard games in a season. It won't be easy to accomplish vs. Houston's fifth-ranked rushing defense.

Garett Bolles' Will Pass Dave Studdard

Bolles will start on Sunday, which will see him eclipse tackle Dave Studdard for the third-most regular-season starts by a tackle in Broncos history. Outside of a broken leg in 2022, Bolles has been as reliable as it gets since arriving as a first-round pick in 2017.

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Zach Allen Could Join the Fearsome Four

Oct 19, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (99) reacts after a play during the first half against the New York Giants at Empower Field at Mile High. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Allen needs one sack to become the second interior defensive lineman to record at least five sacks in each of the last four seasons (2022-25). What a get Allen has been since arriving in free agency back in 2023.

Nik Bonitto Looking to Join Von Miller

Bonitto needs two sacks to become the first Bronco since OLB Von Miller (2014-18) to record double-digit sacks in consecutive seasons. Bonitto finished with 13.5 last year, and after a furious start to this season, he's gone two straight games without an official quarterback takedown, though both of Denver's sacks last week were caused by his pressure disruption.

Matchup

If the Broncos can get to 7-2, it'll be their best start since 2015. Remember what happened that year? Super Bowl 50 triumph.

The Broncos are 6-4 all-time vs. the Texans. However, they're an ever 2-2 on the road.

The Texans have one of the NFL's best defenses, with a dynamic young quarterback in C.J. Stroud who can make big plays, while still being savvy enough to take what a defense will give him. The Broncos have faced Stroud once before, and came up short in 2023 — Sean Payton's first year as head coach.

But that was with Russell Wilson at quarterback. We're now one-and-a-half seasons into the Bo Nix era in Denver, and the Broncos couldn't be more different than the disjointed team they were with Payton having to rely on Wilson.

This is also a Conference game, so while it's not quite as important as a divisional matchup, it could be key in determining playoff seeding arithmetic at season's end. It's on the road, in Houston, too, so this could be a very tough game for the Broncos.

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