Sunday’s game is a big one for the Denver Broncos as they travel to take on the Houston Texans for an 11:00 a.m. MT AFC showdown.

Entering Sunday’s game, the Broncos sit atop the AFC West with a 6-2 record and a conference record of 3-2. A win on Sunday would bump Denver’s standing to 4-2 in conference play, which will be crucial for them toward the end stretch of the season, where having a tiebreaker over the Texans could end up becoming important.

The Texans (3-4) have been up and down so far this season, but they are coming off a big win against the previously red-hot San Francisco 49ers, holding them to 48 total rushing yards.

Denver’s offense, led by Bo Nix, will be under the microscope this week against one of the NFL’s best defenses.

Broncos offense by the numbers

  • Yards Per Game: 356.9 (9th)
  • Points Per Game: 25.9 (10th)
  • Rushing Yards Per Game: 137.8 (T-3rd)
  • Sacks Allowed: 8 (1st)
  • Red Zone Percentage: 70.4% (6th)

Texans defense by the numbers

  • Yards Per Game: 266.9 (1st)
  • Points Per Game: 14.7 (1st)
  • Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 178.4 (4th)
  • Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 88.4 (5th)
  • Sacks: 16 (T-18th)
  • Red Zone Defense: 70.6% (31st)
  • Interceptions: 8 (T-4th)

This truly will be Nix and the Broncos’ offense’s biggest test yet in terms of the best defense they’ve faced so far. Led by Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, the Texans’ pass rush generates pressure and speeds up the clock of opposing quarterbacks, and Derek Stingley Jr. and safety Jalen Pitre are two names that benefit the most on the backend of the secondary.

The key for Nix and the Broncos offense this week is to establish the run with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey. Going on the road in hostile territory and getting off to a slow start against a defense like Houston’s won’t be easy for the team to overcome if they fall behind quickly.

The quick passing game combined with the run game will be important for the Broncos to establish from the onset, especially in Denver’s first game without Patrick Surtain II on defense.

Houston’s defense is tied for fifth in takeaways with 11, while they maintain the league’s third-best third-down defense, allowing teams to convert on only 32.1% of their attempts. Getting positive yardage on first and second down will be important for Nix and Sean Payton.

The Broncos will be on the practice field this afternoon. Stay tuned here at Mile High Sports for post-practice coverage, injury updates, and more.