Denver Broncos Beat Houston Texans in Their 6th Straight Win
The Broncos did it again! After playing lackluster in the first half, Denver was able to pull off yet another comeback. Their defense was outstanding in all four quarters, and the offense woke up in the second half. They are now 7-2 on the season and sit in first place in the AFC West.
Broncos Come Up Clutch Again!
The storyline all season for Denver has been their ability to overcome deficits late in the fourth quarter. They trailed 12-7 heading into the second half, and Bo Nix couldn’t find any rhythm. The defense bailed them out once again, stopping the Texans when it mattered most, and most notably, a red zone stop when the Texans were on the one-yard line in the first quarter.
Bo Nix did struggle for most of the game, but made the big plays when it mattered most. Nix had two beautiful passes for touchdowns that went to Courtland Sutton and RJ Harvey. He also threaded the needle to Troy Franklin on a two-point conversion to tie the game at 15. On their final drive, Bo used his legs to take advantage of a huge gap in the middle of the field and scrambled for 25 yards. The Broncos would continue to pound the rock, setting themselves up for the game-winning field goal.
Denver’s defensive line had another stellar day, getting after the quarterback and once again dominating the line of scrimmage. Talanoa Hufanga’s performance was one to remember, making a ton of great tackles in open space to stop the run and recording two important pass deflections.
Texans Couldn’t Capitalize On Opportunities
Despite losing CJ Stroud early in the second quarter, the Texans had a ton of chances to win this game. Houston had the ball on the Broncos’ 2-yard line and ended up losing 21 yards on three plays. They continue to struggle getting it done in the red zone, and one of the main reasons why they lost today’s game.
Houston’s defense was fantastic today, but couldn’t hold on late in the game. When the Texans’ offense wasn’t able to get anything going but a quick three-and-out, it forced the defense to quickly get back out onto the field. The Broncos’ special teams unit was basically handing the game over, giving the Texans great starting field position on what felt like every single drive.
The Texans will stay home next week to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a divisional matchup, but will most likely be without CJ Stroud as he remains in concussion protocol. Stroud hit the ground hard after scrambling on third down, landing awkwardly on his head after not fully committing to a slide. Kris Abrams-Draine had a clean shoulder-to-shoulder hit on Stroud, not making any contact with his helmet.
Final Thoughts
Both defenses should be the biggest takeaways from this matchup. Matt Burke and Vance Joseph did a great job shutting down their opponents, as they both made a case for who is the best defensive unit in all of football.
The Broncos were able to get the job done, but they still have a lot of things to clean up. Darren Rizzi has done a terrible job as the special teams coordinator thus far, as they continue to make mind-boggling mistakes. The most notable one came at the hands of Michael Bandy, who misplayed the punt, missing the ball and letting it hit him, which the Texans were able to turn into a field goal right before halftime.
I’d like to see Denver play like they do late in games for all four quarters, like they did last week against the Dallas Cowboys. Pulling off comeback after comeback each week is something that isn’t sustainable for the Broncos.
Commanders' nightmare loss to Seahawks continues to get worse with more unfortunate injury updates
The season is officially over for the Washington Commanders, and the nightmare somehow continues after the worst night in recent memory for this franchise.
The Commanders got blown out at home in primetime during a night that was supposed to be special with the throwback uniforms and Art Monk jersey retirement, but it turned into fans leaving in the middle of the second quarter, and a gruesome injury. You can move on from a loss, but seeing Jayden Daniels go down with a severe elbow injury was gut-wrenching.
Daniels' injury wasn't the only significant injury last night, as the hits continue with two more season-ending injuries
Luke McCaffrey suffers a season-ending injury
The game barely started before the Commanders suffered yet another injury, and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey went down after returning the opening kickoff. He went down awkwardly on his left side, which is now being diagnosed as a broken collarbone that will have him out for the rest of the year.
McCaffrey was starting to really find his role in the offense and special teams, and now his season comes to an end. He was second in the league in kickoff return yards with 769, and also averaged 18.5 yards per catch. The Commanders turned to McCaffrey after injuries to Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown, and he was showing a lot of promise with multiple tough catches.
He should be part of the offense next season, but another injury just shows even more how badly this team needs help at the position. The Commanders added Treylon Burks and hope to get a roster win from him, but major changes need to happen with McLaurin and Brown injured, and Deebo Samuel not under contract next season. The defense is another conversation, and they lost another starter for the rest of the season.
Marshon Lattimore is feared to have torn an ACL
The defense was an embarrassment once again, with the Seahawks blowing the team out before halftime, and it never got any better. Busted coverage and wide-open explosive plays were all over the field, and major changes need to happen on and off the field. It got even worse for Marshon Lattimore, who went down with an injury that is feared to be a torn ACL.
There's no easy way to put it, but it was a nightmare night for Lattimore. He played really well last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, but it's time to admit that this trade was a massive swing and a miss by Adam Peters. It's unfortunate to see the season go down like this for Laittmore in what is very likely his last game with the Commanders. He's under contract for next season as well, but I don't expect him to be here after the defense faces an overhaul this offseason, if not sooner.
Injuries have been the biggest headline of the season with multiple starters suffering long-term injuries, and the roster honestly needs an overhaul as well. It will be a long rest of the season, with a massive offseason coming up.
