3 Takeaways from Broncos' Week 13 Loss vs. Texans

The Denver Broncos played a thriller but ultimately fell short against the upstart Houston Texans on Sunday.

The Broncos fell behind early and trailed 16-3 in the third quarter. However, Russell Wilson and the Broncos climbed back into the game, pulling within five and having a goal-to-go opportunity at the very end of regulation.

Unfortunately, Texans defensive back Jimmie Ward picked off Wilson in the end zone with mere seconds remaining, essentially finishing the game and ending Denver's winning streak at five games.

Here are our biggest takeaways from the Broncos' 22-17 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 13.

Wilson's Mistakes Cost Denver in the End

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Russell Wilson

Over the past month-plus, the Broncos have found a winning formula that involves aggressive, opportunistic defense, a strong running game and utilizing Wilson as a game manager.

In last week's win over the Cleveland Browns, for example, Wilson finished with only 134 passing yards, but Denver racked up 169 on the ground.

Against a Houston defense that had allowed just 3.6 yards per carry on the ground, head coach Sean Payton had to take a different approach. The Broncos did try to establish the run—and they finished over 100 for the game—but after falling behind, the passing game became all the more important.

While Wilson only attempted 26 passing attempts, he frequently tried to find chunk plays—a strategy that worked the the Jacksonville Jaguars against Houston last week—but he was ultimately picked off three times.

Wilson's last interception was the game-ender, and it came on a mess of a play that essentially saw Wilson buy a little time and then chuck a pass in the direction of Lucas Krull. The pass was late, and it was easily picked.

While Wilson has been better under Payton, it's clear that limiting his miscues must remain a big part of the game plan.

Denver Needs to Keep Courtland Sutton Involved

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Broncos WR Courtland Sutton fails to make a catch against Houston in Week 13

During Denver's winning streak, wideout Courtland Sutton became a playmaking catalyst for the offense. He found the end zone in four straight games, and while he didn't score in Week 12, he finished with three receptions for 61 yards.

Sutton did have a key 45-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter that helped pull Denver within six points. He had another big 32-yard grab in the fourth quarter. However, Denver struggled to keep him consistently involved in the passing game.

Those were Sutton's only receptions of the game.

Wilson tried to target Sutton on a long pass midway through the fourth quarter, but Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. read it the entire way and snagged his second interception of the day.

It was great to see Sutton make a couple of big plays in critical moments, but if Denver hopes to avoid having to claw back into games, it needs to ensure that Sutton is consistently a focal point.

The Defense Is Still Playing Well

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Broncos LB Alex Singleton sacks Texans QB C.J. Stroud

Denver's red-hot run was always likely to hit a bump at some point. The biggest positive to take away from Sunday's loss is that the Broncos defense once again played well.

Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud came into the game as hot as any quarterback in football. He played mostly well, finishing 16-of-27 for 274 yards with one touchdown. However, the Broncos pressured him early and often and prevented him from taking over the game.

While Denver allowed Houston to amass 353 total yards, it allowed just 22 points and held the Texans to 4-of-16 on third downs. Houston was held to a mere 3.0 yards per carry on the ground.

The defense played well enough to win, and the Broncos might have done exactly that if not for Wilson's mistakes and some horrendous offensive efficiency—Denver failed to convert a third down on 11 tries.

Denver's in-season defensive turnaround continues to look like a very real thing, and the defense is going to keep the Broncos in a lot of games. If Wilson and the offense can find a little bit more consistency, Denver should get back in the win column sooner than later.

The Broncos will visit the rival Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday.