Texans vs. Broncos: Score and Twitter Reaction for Monday Night Football

Sometimes the grass isn't greener on the other side.

Brock Osweiler signed with the Houston Texans instead of returning to the Denver Broncos during the offseason, and his old team gave him a rude awakening Monday. The defending Super Bowl champions cruised to a 27-9 victory over Osweiler's Texans at Sports Authority Field.

Denver snapped a two-game losing streak to move to 5-2 on the season, while Houston dropped to 4-3.

The Broncos' formidable defense held Osweiler to 22-of-41 passing for 131 yards. He also fumbled three times, losing one, and appeared generally flustered whenever he dropped back to throw.

Star receiver DeAndre Hopkins tallied just 36 yards, and the Texans didn't have much opportunity to establish the running game, as they played from behind from the 9:10 mark of the second quarter. Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue combined for 124 yards on 22 carries, but Houston's only points came from field goals.

Denver's Trevor Siemian finished with 157 passing yards and a touchdown, but it was the rushing tandem of C.J. Anderson and Devontae Booker that dictated the tempo. Anderson ran for 107 yards and a score on 16 carries, while Booker added 83 yards and a touchdown on 17 totes.

While Siemian didn't put up head-turning stats and relied on the running game, Chris Emma of 670 The Score in Chicago noted the Broncos are in a much more enviable situation with their quarterback than the Texans are:

Osweiler's showdown with his former team was the primary storyline, and he was booed heartily as he took the field on the opening possession. Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports noted the Denver defense was ready:

Despite the hostile crowd, Houston got on the board first. However, it lost right tackle Derek Newton to injury in the first quarter, and he was carted off the field with air casts on his legs, as NFL on ESPN shared:

Nick Novak kicked his second field goal to give the Texans a 6-0 lead late in the first quarter, but the Broncos responded with a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, which Anderson capped with a seven-yard run.

Anderson and Booker combined for five carries on the drive, and Andrew Mason of the team's website noted Denver had its first lead in 22 days.

The NFL Network highlighted the score:

On the Broncos' next possession, Siemian found Demaryius Thomas for a four-yard touchdown. The drive lasted seven plays and traversed 68 yards, and Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post noted the "run game changes everything."

Osweiler had a measly 46 yards through the first two quarters as the Broncos held a 14-6 halftime lead, but the Texans stayed in the game thanks to zero turnovers.

That changed in the second half.

Houston cut into its deficit with another field goal on its first possession of the third quarter but only because Novak got a second chance after Denver blocked the first kick but was ruled offside.

Though the Texans put three more points on the board, Chris Burke of Sports Illustrated pointed out their questionable play-calling in the red zone:

Houston had more trouble in Broncos territory on its next drive, as Blue lost a fumble when Darian Stewart and T.J. Ward smashed him with hard hits.

Lindsay Jones of USA Today noted Denver's tendency to win games with defense when its offense doesn't light up the scoreboard:

The Broncos offense rewarded the defense on the ensuing possession. After Booker sandwiched rushes of eight and three yards around Anderson carries of nine and 19 yards, Siemian connected with Emmanuel Sanders for 31 yards. Two plays later, Booker punched it in from the 1-yard line to give the home team a two-score lead. Troy Renck of Denver 7 noted the significance of the touchdown and reacted to the defensive scheme:

Things got worse for the Texans when the ball slipped from Osweiler's hands on the first play of the fourth quarter. Many players slowed because they thought it was an incomplete pass, but Chris Harris Jr. recovered the ball for the Broncos.

Denver parlayed the turnover into Brandon McManus' first field goal, and Derek Wolfe all but sealed the game when he swatted away Osweiler's fourth-down pass with less than five minutes remaining.

ProFootballTalk responded to the turnover on downs:

The Broncos took over on the 34-yard line, and McManus provided additional insurance with another field goal. Houston turned it over on downs again on its final possession.

What's Next?

Denver enters a critical stretch with its next two games against AFC West rivals. It will face the San Diego Chargers at home Sunday and then hit the road to square off with the Oakland Raiders. The Broncos lost to the Chargers 21-13 on Oct. 13, and the Raiders are tied with Denver atop the division.

The Texans will return home to play the Detroit Lions on Sunday before a bye week. They will then visit the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Lions are 4-3 but just 1-2 away from home, while the Jaguars are 2-4. Houston is a game ahead of the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans in the AFC South.

Postgame Reaction

Osweiler was asked if he had any regrets after the loss, and he said "absolutely not," per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle.

The quarterback did shoulder the blame for the defeat, per the Texans: "It starts with me. I need to play better. There is nobody that will examine this tape harder than myself."

Houston head coach Bill O'Brien addressed the loss, per the Texans: "Our whole football team has to be more consistent. We are too up and down right now, and that's why we are 4-3."

On the other side, Renck shared Booker's evaluation of Denver's rushing attack:

Siemian praised Anderson and Booker, per Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post: "I think we said all along we need balance. ... Can't say enough about the two backs tonight."

Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib talked about his team's game plan, per Vic Lombardi of Altitude TV: "We wanted Brock to struggle tonight. And he struggled."

The Denver defense is one of the best units in the league, and it was even more potent than usual Monday.