How Broncos' Defense Can Force Mistakes from Texans QB C.J. Stroud

While the Denver Broncos are in the playoff hunt, they still have a long road ahead. The Broncos have six games remaining, with four on the road, three divisional games, one against a team leading their division, and one against a team right with them in the hunt.

Denver's next game up is one of those road games against the team with whom it's neck-and-neck in the playoff race: the Houston Texans. This has been a shocking season for the Texans, with each side of the ball led by rookies who were taken with back-to-back picks.

While the Broncos' offense will have to answer for one of them, the defense will need to force mistakes from Houston rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Stroud has helped the Texans become explosive, which makes him hard to defend. The Texans are third in explosive play rate in the NFL and second in explosive pass play rate. Houston gains yards in chunks and has some solid receivers, led by another rookie in Tank Dell, that help make them.

For clarification, an explosive play is a 20-plus-yard pass and a 10-plus-yard run. The explosive play rate takes both of those, while the explosive pass play rate is, obviously, only passing plays of 20-plus yards.

While the Broncos' defense has been doing better, they're 30th in overall explosive play rate allowed and 18th in explosive pass play rate allowed. I can't take out only Week 3, but without the first three weeks of the season, the Broncos are 22nd and 15th in those metrics, respectively. So Denver is better but still has issues relinquishing explosive plays.

The Broncos get a break of sorts as the Texans have issues running the ball, as they rank 24th on the season in EPA/Rush (expected points added per rushing play). However, the Broncos' defense has had issues defending the run as they rank 30th in EPA/Rush allowed. So, hopefully, the Texans continue to have problems running the ball, forcing the ball into the young quarterbacks' hands.

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The Broncos have to get creative with their pressure looks. As the Texans have dealt with injuries along their offensive line, they still do an excellent job in pass protection, buying Stroud enough time to get the ball out. He's in the top 10 in most advanced stats regarding quarterbacks under pressure.

Stroud's offensive line ranks 10th in Pro Football Focus' pass-blocking efficiency, ninth in fewest sacks allowed, 14th in fewest hits allowed, and 11th in total pressures. So Broncos' defensive coordinator Vance Joseph needs to get creative and try to make the offensive linemen think more, but also confuse what Stroud sees pre-snap.

This would be a great time to increase the double-A-mug looks with the linebackers, having both linebackers threaten at the line with one on each side of the center and dropping one or both of them. This can help bait throws to the middle of the field, and Joseph can use the safeties there for a little extra comfort.

Having a cornerback like Patrick Surtain II is always a bonus, but this is a game where someone with his ability can fully eliminate a receiver. Surtain should be used to mirror Nico Collins throughout the game. Tank Dell is a bad matchup for Surtain with the juice and shiftiness the receiver brings, so Denver would be wise to use its No. 1 corner to eliminate the other receiver and take away one of Stroud's reads consistently.

Surtain has struggled this season against receivers who are similar to Dell. So it would make for a tough matchup for the Broncos' defense with how good Dell has been, but taking away a read consistently is worth it.

Plus, with what Broncos' slot corner Ja'Quan McMillian has shown this season and how he plays, Joseph can rely on him to limit Dell with some safety help over the top. Joseph will want to do whatever he can to keep his other boundary corner Fabian Moreau from being matched with Dell.

The areas of the field where Stroud and the Texans' offense have done exceptionally well this season are what remain concerns for Denver. The Texans match up well with where the Broncos' coverage has had issues this season. There must be an answer from Joseph and the Broncos' defense; otherwise, they risk explosive plays from Stroud and the Texans' offense.

This won't be an easy matchup for the Broncos defense, even with their turnaround. Out of the 24 quarterbacks to take at least 340 dropbacks, Stroud has been one of the cleanest, with five interceptions and only a 2.4 turnover-worthy play percentage. The Texans are one of the cleanest teams on offense, averaging only one giveaway per game, the fifth-lowest in the NFL.

The defense will have its work cut out to slow Stroud and force mistakes that can lead to takeaways. He sees the field exceptionally well and is very calculated with the risks he takes.

It's on Joseph to do everything he can to force rookie mistakes from the young quarterback, who hasn't had a habit of making those mistakes.

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