Recently, in discussions over cigars, cognac and counting the billions we all make writing about the Houston Texans, the BRB masthead tossed around the idea of the team doing poorly vs teams with a top notch pass rush.
Currently, the 3 teams considered to have the best pass rush in the NFL are:
Facing teams with poor pass rushes, such as the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers or BESFs, Texans QB C.J. Stroud is able to quickly toss darts to the fleet footed receiving corps, with a little help from TE Dalton Schultz and RB Woody Marks.
It also helps when OC Nick Caley puts 6 offensive linemen on the field against this ailing rush attacks.
Maybe his cheat code this weekend is 10 o-linemen?
Either way, as strange as it seems, the 2025 model of the Denver Broncos are simply a better team than the 49ers or Ravens, and maybe even than the Seahawks.
As the old saying goes, to be a good team you have to beat good teams.
So far, Nick Caley hasn’t done that.
Additionally, this week, the lights out Texans defense has to find a way to contain electric passer Bo Nix. Historically, Nix has not always responded well to in-game adversity. Having Will Anderson Jr and Danielle Hunter camped out in your face for 4 quarters seems pretty adverse.
Bo Nix certainly has his highlight-reel moments and delivered a few more against the Bengals. He also is proving his games can be a tumultuous experience, demonstrating a tendency to force passes and/or make mistakes by trusting his arm and playmaking ability a bit too much. The Broncos rolled to a win in Week 4, but they’ll only reach their potential if Sean Payton reins in Nix going forward.
Does this game come down to pass rush? It just might.
Broncos are 1st team ever with 35+ sacks (league-high 36) & 10-or-fewer sacks allowed (league-low 8) in 1st 8 games of season.
Denver Broncos Week 9 Stats
H-Town QB Stroud is currently riding a 93.7 passer rating, while Nix holds a 91.0. Pretty slim margin. Denver also has a better offensive line, but smart money says the Texans front 7 is better than the 2025 Orange Crush.
Normally when 2 teams with dominant defenses face off, the team with the fewer mistakes wins. Can the Texans play mistake-free football this week?
Houston Texans Week 9 Stats
Unfortunately, the current Houston Texans have failed to instill confidence in many of us that they’re able to beat the good teams. And, the Denver Broncos are a good team. If they buck that trend this weekend, maybe Nick Caley will stop seeing his name on the “List of Suck”. Or, if they lose, maybe Demeco Ryans will see his added.