3 Key Takeaways from the Broncos’ 16-9 Victory Over the Houston Texans

The Denver Broncos have made some swift moves during the offseason as they acquired Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks. This trade inevitably increased their chances of success this year as they are now among the better teams in the NFL.

Unfortunately, they didn’t meet the expectations in the opening week as they suffered a tough 17-16 loss to the Seahawks on the road. The Broncos eventually went up against the Houston Texans who are considered among the ultimate underdogs this season.

They headed into this game as a 10-point favorite to win it, but they ended up in pursuit after the third quarter. The Texans’ defense was consistent throughout the match and we were on the verge of seeing yet another upset against the Broncos. Fortunately for the home side, they made a classic comeback in the fourth quarter thanks to Eric Saubert and Brandon McManus who came up clutch in the decisive moments.

According to ClutchBet, the team from Denver still has some chances to top the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers for the top spot in the AFC West. We can easily draw many conclusions from the slow start of the Broncos, but here are three key takeaways that might be decisive for their future this season.

Lack of rhythm

It’s quite obvious that the Broncos’ players are still trying to adapt to each other’s playing style. Russell Wilson has been quite unsuccessful with his throws as he is 16th with 48.8 QBR and tied-17 with just two touchdowns across his first two career appearances for a team other than the Seattle Seahawks.

On top of that, the 33-year-old quarterback might be slightly out of rhythm despite his fantastic 2021 NFL season. His 5-year, $245 million contract is certainly a good enough motivation as this is the third-largest deal in NFL history in terms of guaranteed money.

Moreover, he seems to be struggling in the red zone which further underlines his wobbling performance.

Offensive issues

On one hand, the Broncos might be delighted with only one victory in two games, but on the other hand, they have faced two of the outsiders this year. Moreover, they seemed to be far from dominant in both games as we are yet to see them crush their opponents by a huge margin.

Their offense is still struggling to live up to the expectations as they have scored just two touchdowns across their first two games for the season. Not being able to surpass the 20-point mark in two consecutive matches against underdogs is something really concerning for their ambitions this year.

The team is 0-for-6 in red zone possessions in 2022 which is a concerning sign for their starting quarterback, Russell Wilson, and their head coach, Nathaniel Hackett. The Broncos will certainly try to figure a way out of the situation as they are about to face strong opposition from now on.

A decent performance in the fourth quarter

In both games, the Broncos suffered throughout the first three quarters. They eventually turned out to be the better team in the last 15 minutes of the game, but this wasn’t enough for them in the season-opener.

However, the ability to pressure down your opponent in the last minutes is an important feature that can only benefit them throughout the season. On the other hand, they will need to improve their consistency levels in order to avoid the need for a strong last quarter.

The team is certainly a hidden favorite for the Playoffs, but it will surely take some time before they can unleash their potential.