HOUSTON — Three hours before kickoff, the smell of barbecue wafted in the parking lot, painted-face fans walked around NRG Stadium and a throng of orange dotted everywhere the eye could see.
This felt like the playoffs.
The Broncos have played few meaningful games in December since Super Bowl 50. This one checked all the boxes as Denver faced off with upstart Houston. The pair shared the same record and visions of a postseason berth. This was a two-for-one when considering the first playoff tiebreaker is conference record.
After a forgettable first half, it lived up to the hype. The Broncos made a spirited comeback. There was no joy of six. The win streak snapped in a 22-17 loss to the Texans.
“We were sloppy,” said Payton. “It’s disappointing.”
The Broncos failed to convert a third down, going 0-for-10. Russell Wilson threw three interceptions, his first since Oct. 12. And the defense did not get a takeaway for the first time in six games, failing to recover a fumble.
And yet, the Broncos had a chance.
Trailing 22-17 with 4:38 remaining, the Broncos took over. Wilson, who threw his first pick in six weeks, connected with a streaking Courtland Sutton for 32 yards down the seam, leaving the Broncos at the Texans’ 48-yard line. Moments later, a pass interference against Samaje Perine kept the drive humming. Wilson converted a fourth down that led to another one with 30 seconds remaining. Denver called timeout – it burned an unnecessary one a few moments earlier – and needed a two-yard gain from the 13-yard line. The Texans, recognizing the magnitude of the moment, countered with a timeout, working the crowd into a frenzy.
Two plays later, Wilson evaded a sack but threw off balance and short to a covered Lucas Krull. Jimme Ward intercepted the pass, thwarting Denver’s big for a sixth-straight victory.
“We weren’t going to get a clean look,” Payton said.
The matchup felt different. The track, even in warmups, played fast. This setup had fewer mudflaps and more slicks. The Broncos finally found their fit in the third quarter, which has been a dust bowl this season.
They let down their hair and went to the air.
Trailing 16-3, quarterback Wilson connected with Sutton on a 45-yard
touchdown, breathing life into a comeback. Momentum shifted; the Broncos responded.
with back-to-back sacks of Texans quarter C.J. Stroud. However, the last proved pivotal for what did not happen. Ja’Quan McMillian jumped on the quarterback’s, squirting the ball loose. Somehow in a mass of white jerseys, the Broncos, who lead the NFL in takeaways, failed to recover their 11th fumble of the season.
On the first play after the punt, Wilson fired an interception. Wilson finished 15 of 26 for 186 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed 10 times for 44 yards.
Texans rookie Will Anderson deflected the pass on the first pick, another entry in his diary of havoc. While he owned the game defensively, Nico Collins wrote his name in 72-point Helvetica on offense. The former third-round pick posted nine catches for 191 yards and widened the Texans’ lead to 22-10 with a 3-yard score with 14:16 remaining.
The Broncos showed their hand by going deep twice to Sutton on back-to-back plays to start the game, the second featuring a painful drop by the veteran at midfield. A 22-yard punt from Riley Dixon followed as it appeared Anderson ticked the boot as it spiraled helplessly out of bounds. Following a coverage lapse that left backup tight end Brevin Jordan cruising for 27 yards, the Broncos stiffened, holding the Texans to a chip shot field goal of 29 yards from Matt Ammendola.
Trailing 3-0 with 10:38 remaining in the first, the Broncos fizzled as the Texans stayed bold. Stroud connected with Collins who raced past Fabian Moreau for a 52-yard reception. What unfolded next placed Denver in its most disadvantaged situation in six weeks. On fourth-and-2 from the seven-yard line, refs called the Texans for a false start. But before the play was dead, Alex Singleton blitzed into Stroud, bumping his facemask as the quarterback talked trash to the linebacker. Offensive lineman Shaq Mason came in to protect Stroud, taking a shot at Singleton. But the careless penalty punished Denver, leaving Houston with a fresh set of downs at the 3-yard line. Dameon Pierce plunged in for a score, widening the Texans’ advantage to 10-0 with 3:53 remaining in the first quarter.
To that point, it was a forgettable opening argument for Denver. The Broncos went nowhere offensively, with three consecutive three-and-outs, had a key drop by Sutton and Pat Surtain II hurt his left knee on the Texans’ 10-play, 78-yard touchdown drive. Denver collected 23 yards in the first period, 1 through the air, compared to 178 for the Texans, an onslaught that brought back memories of the Dolphins Debacle. Denver had permitted 326 yards a game during its five-game winning streak.
Two plays articulated their first-half misery. Sutton’s drop. And Wilson underthrowing a wide-open Marvin Mims Jr. – he was 5 yards behind the defender – on what would have been a touchdown.
Denver finally responded with a late-first half drive, shaving the deficit to 13-3 at the half. During the winning streak, the Broncos never trailed by more than eight points. Worse, the third quarter is not their friend. Denver entered Sunday outscored 71-20 in the third and had never scored when opening the second half with the ball in nine attempts (Kind of undermines their 9-3 record on coin tosses). Make it 10 times with no points as the Broncos allowed two sacks and went three-and-out. Denver could not block Anderson on Twitter. The Alabama rookie was enjoying a modest season with three sacks. He had two through three quarters on Sunday.
To the Bronco’s credit, they fought back. But they left Houston with a problem, likely needing to win four of their final five games to reach the postseason.
Footnotes
The Texans lost speedy rookie receiver Tank Dell to an ankle injury on Pierce’s first touchdown as was carted off the field. …
Speedy rookie Marvin Mims Jr. went into the locker room late in the first half with a rib injury but returned. Broncos tight end Chris Manhertz went into the blue medical tent after suffering a shoulder injury late in the first half and came back. Quinn Meinerz hurt his shoulder in the fourth quarter and came back. …
The Broncos promoted quarterback Ben DiNucci on Saturday, but he was inactive on Sunday, suggesting that another team might have wanted him, or Payton did him a solid for his work in practice.
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