Joe Nguyen is a digital strategist for The Denver Post. Previously he was the online prep sports editor. Prior to that, he covered Adams County and Aurora in the YourHub section. He has previously covered Colorado’s Asian-American communities as editor for Asian Avenue magazine and AsiaXpress.com.
Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos huddles the offense during the third quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025. One team in Texas has the best offense in football and the worst defense.
The Broncos put 44 points on that team last week. The other team in Texas has perhaps the best defense in the NFL, but hasn’t been able to protect its quarterback. That’s this weekend’s Broncos opponent, Houston. Denver coach Sean Payton likes to say that sometimes games go the way you expect, and occasionally they don’t. A high-scoring affair here, though, would be a surprise. Both defenses are nasty. The pass-rushes are fierce. The secondaries are stout — although Denver will be without Pat Surtain II. Still, a slugfest is on tap. The Broncos have proven they can win ’em.Last week was the shootout. This week is the brawl. Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper vs. Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Who can terrorize the opposing quarterback more? What secondary can take away the skies better? This shapes up as a defensive battle through and through, even after Bo Nix and company got rolling last week. The Broncos just have better personnel to win that type of ballgame, with Nix’s demonstrated clutch gene and Dobbins rolling as the best running back on either roster.The Broncos should lose this game without Pat Surtain II. But Denver’s front will feast on the Texans’ offensive line. Pressure remains the best way to protect cornerbacks. The key is for Sean Payton not to get cute. Keep it simple. Establish the run. Protect the ball. Gash with play-action and rollouts, and let a strip sack of C.J. Stroud set up a winning field goal from reigning AFC Special Teams Player of the Month Wil Lutz.Houston’s tied with New England for the highest ratio of TDs allowed to opponents in its own red zone . The real trick? Getting there. And getting to C.J. Stroud. Vance Joseph threw all kinds of off-speed looks at Dak Prescott. Is there enough spin on the curve to mess with Stroud, who shredded the 49ers’ blitz last week? Houston is 3-10 in the C.J. era when its QB1 is sacked four or more times. The Texans are 6-13 when he’s been sacked three times or more — and 8-1 when it’s one sack or fewer.In late October, the Broncos outside linebacker sat in his locker in Denver, far beyond the expectation. Far beyond the boy who was born nine weeks early to a mother, Jessica, who hadn’t finished high school. Far beyond the man who had two heart surgeries in high school, fell to the seventh round of the NFL draft five years ago, and had three more heart surgeries before he ever arrived in Denver. That past stays with him forever, Cooper reflected. It drove him so far that he had to leave that motivation behind and find a new one. He is no longer an underdog story. The 27-year-old Cooper is knocking on the door of the NFL’s best, with six sacks through eight games in 2025. He wants to beEx-Bronco Paxton Lynch signs with Colorado Spartans to ‘write comeback story’ in arena leagueAround the NFL, Week 9: Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen square off once againBroncos Journal: A guide to Denver’s positional needs ahead of the trade deadlineat 6-2 and leading the AFC West. They’ve got a well-rounded roster, but one that’s been pecked at by injury in some areas, by underperformance in a couple of others, and, in one instance, both. So, with that in mind, here’s a look at a handful of positions the Broncos would be justified in making calls about and a measure of their need midway through the season.Lynch was the coaching brains behind the high-powered offense for the Park Hill Pirates youth football team, where his son is a star quarterback. Tony Thompson, owner of the Colorado Spartans arena league team, was helping out as a line coach when his eyes stopped at a familiar face. Was that Lynch, the Broncos’ 2016 first-round quarterback?ICE officers mistook Durango father for someone else, official says, but arrested him and children anywayRenck: With his salary, CU’s Deion Sanders doesn’t have luxury of rebuilding. This mess is his to fix Renck: With his salary, CU's Deion Sanders doesn't have luxury of rebuilding. This mess is his to fixWhy did CSU Rams enter most expensive, wildest football coach hiring cycle ever? ‘Clearly, there’s somebody that they’re wanting to get’ Why did CSU Rams enter most expensive, wildest football coach hiring cycle ever? 'Clearly, there's somebody that they're wanting to get'Rockies Journal: Kris Bryant's career stuck in limbo as front-office decision nears
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