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RB Javonte Williams
The Broncos running back didn’t have major numbers, but it felt like he helped settle the game offensively when things started so poorly for Denver. You just know what you’re going to get from him. He hasn’t consistently caught the ball cleanly but had catches on all three targets Sunday for 24 yards. The Broncos could use some bigger chunks from him down the stretch as he gets further and further off that knee injury, but Williams is going to play a big role for Sean Payton’s team if it really is going to get hot again over the final month of the season.
CB Ja’Quan McMillian
Everybody took their turn with an issue or two in the secondary early for Denver, but McMillian settled in and made a couple of big plays. The biggest was a fumble that the Broncos looked sure to recover before it scooted away from Jonathon Cooper and others. But the play itself was terrific. Pressure off C.J. Stroud’s front side, bend the edge, track him down from behind and smash the hands down on the ball to force it out. McMillian’s got six tackles for loss on the season now, a record for a Broncos cornerback. A true revelation.
DL Jonathan Harris
Harris’ role fluctuates week to week depending on the opponents’ strengths. He’s been playing less against run-oriented teams, giving up snaps to Mike Purcell and then nickel variations. He didn’t even get a ton of run Sunday, but he made the most of it. Harris had two tackles for loss, a sack and a quarterback hit and flashed more than he had at any point during the season against Houston. Denver could use more of that against Los Angeles and Detroit, a couple more pass-happy teams, in the next two weeks.
P Riley Dixon
The day started out really bad for the Broncos’ punting unit when Dixon had a punt tipped by Texans pass-rusher Will Anderson. After that 22-yarder, though, Dixon had his best day of the season. His last five punts averaged 48.8 yards and netted an average of 47.4. Three of them pinned Houston inside its own 20-yard line, including the 15, the 11 and the 9.
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CB Fabian Moreau
Moreau’s really provided steady play since he entered the starting lineup for Damarri Mathis in Week 7. Early in Sunday’s game, though, he had a rough go against Houston’s Nico Collins. He certainly wasn’t the only one who needed to play better, and coverage breakdowns aren’t always on one player. Even still, Collins ran right past him a couple of times, including for 59 yards early in the game.
LT Garett Bolles
Bolles was coming off one of the best games you’ll see a left tackle play in Week 12 against Cleveland. Against the Texans, though, he and the rest of the offensive line struggled. He gave up pressure too frequently, including on Denver’s last play of the game when Jonathan Greenard went right by him and into Russell Wilson’s face. The veteran tackle is having a good year. Sunday wasn’t his best outing, however.
ILB Alex Singleton
Similar to the first two, Singleton’s been a critical part of Denver’s season so far. He leads the team in tackles and, even more impressively, he hasn’t come off the field for a defensive snap since Week 3. That tells you everything you need to know about how Vance Joseph regards his importance. But that 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness on C.J. Stroud is one you just can’t take. There’s no reason for it. It was just dumb. And it in all likelihood cost the Broncos four points, given that Houston had false-started on a fourth-and-2 and would have had to settle for a field goal. Instead, the Texans scored a touchdown two plays later.
TE options
Houston played without starting tight end Dalton Schultz and still saw Brevin Jordan go for three catches (four targets) and 64 yards. The Broncos don’t have either of those guys in the passing game. Chris Manhertz is a high-quality blocker, and Sean Payton gives Adam Trautman credit for his reliability, but Denver just severely lacks any kind of real receiving threat from the position. Entering play Sunday, the Broncos tight ends accounted for just 8.5% of the team’s receiving yards and 12.6% of its targets. On Sunday: one catch on three targets for five yards.
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