Broncos vs. Texans: Previewing Denver's Preseason Week 2 Matchup
After an impressive 22-20 road victory over the Seattle Seahawks to open the 2015 preseason, the Denver Broncos will take their act to Houston to face the Texans on Saturday night.
This will be a homecoming of sorts for Denver head coach Gary Kubiak, who coached the Texans from 2006 to 2013 and led the team to its only two postseason berths.
The Broncos looked good on both sides of the ball against the Seahawks, and No. 2 quarterback Brock Osweiler completed 15 of 20 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, Von Miller made an early impression with a sack, and both Kenny Anunike and Shane Ray looked like players who could make an impact this season.
Kubiak will certainly want to see a better effort out of his special teams against Houston. The Broncos were atrocious in kick coverage, allowing several big returns, including a 103-yard touchdown to rookie Tyler Lockett.
Read on for more on this game, including the latest injury news and matchups to look for.
Location: NRG Stadium; Houston
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: KTVD (Local)
News and Notes
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Broncos Being Cautious with Emmanuel Sanders
The Broncos are choosing to limit the work Emmanuel Sanders performs this offseason because of a sore hamstring. Jeff Legwold of ESPN.com reported Monday that the team was planning on keeping him out of practice at least a couple more days.
The team feels he will be ready for the season to start, and after a stellar 2014 campaign, the Broncos obviously believe he can pick up right where he left off.
Sanders did not play against Seattle, and it remains to be seen if he'll take the field against Houston. Still, it would be nice to see him suit up for the third preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers, at the latest.
Kicking Competition Remains Close
One of the most interesting training-camp battles to watch in Denver has been the one between placekickers Brandon McManus and Connor Barth.
The two kickers have gone kick for kick in practice, and both players were perfect against Seattle. However, McManus kicked one from 52 yards, while Barth's longest was just 28 yards.
Legwold notes McManus made one from 70 yards out in Tuesday's practice. Not to be outdone, Barth, who isn't known for his leg strength, drilled one from 65 yards.
It looks like both kickers are heating up at the right time, which makes for a tough decision for the coaching staff.
Barth and McManus have three more games to try to create some separation between each other.
Kenny Anunike to Have Knee Scoped
Hopefully, the news Kenny Anunike receives on Thursday won't be as devastating as it has been in the past.
He will have his knee scoped after experiencing some swelling in the knee, as reported by Andrew Mason of the team's official website.
Anunike performed well during training camp and preseason games last season before an injury in the final preseason game knocked him out for the season. Against Seattle last week, he led the team with eight tackles. He also had a sack and two hits on the quarterback.
This would be a crushing blow for him and the team, as Anunike figures to be a key piece of the defense this season.
Latest Injury News
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For the Broncos, ESPN.com lists just two players on the injury report for this game. Sanders (hamstring) and linebacker Brandon Marshall (foot) are both listed as probable.
Though they are listed as probable, it wouldn't be a surprise to see them both sit out this game. As mentioned before, Sanders has been held out of practice this week, and there wouldn't be any benefit in rushing him out to play this week.
As for Marshall, he and Danny Trevathan both sat out last week as they continue to get back into football shape. If they are rested again, it will give the coaching staff a chance to get an extended look at the players behind them on the depth chart.
That would give guys such as Todd Davis, Steven Johnson, Lamin Barrow and Corey Nelson a chance to step up and snag a roster spot.
Key Matchups
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Denver Pass Protection vs. J.J. Watt
Even if it's only for a few series, the Broncos and their young offensive line will have to deal with Houston defensive end J.J. Watt. And even if it's just a preseason game, Watt will be hungry to make a big play or two.
Much like the Broncos, the Texans also run a 3-4 defense, so this will be a lot like what the line has been going against in practice. Minus Watt, of course.
If Watt lines up at the right defensive end spot, it will be on Ty Sambrailo and Max Garcia to keep him away from quarterback Peyton Manning.
That will be a stiff test for the two rookies.
Denver Kick Coverage vs. Houston Kick Returners
If not for some bad kick coverage against the Seahawks, the Broncos likely would have beaten them comfortably. Instead, several big kick returns kept Seattle in the game.
This was a result of several errors on Denver's part. Poor tackling, poor angles, short kickoffs—the Broncos were guilty of it all.
The Seahawks averaged 39.3 yards on six kick returns last week. Lockett had a total of 186 yards on kick returns.
Coordinator Joe DeCamillis and his special teams will have to improve upon those numbers.
Denver's Deep Passing Attack vs. Rahim Moore
Rest assured, the Broncos know quite well who is playing free safety for the Texans.
Rahim Moore joined the Texans as an unrestricted free agent after spending the previous four seasons in Denver. Though the starters may only play a quarter in this game, look for the Broncos to take at least one shot deep down the field if they can get someone matched up one-on-one against Moore.
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Matchup X-Factor
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Denver Broncos X-Factor: Shaquil Barrett
The Broncos had to be pleased with the performance they got out of reserve linebacker Shaquil Barrett against Seattle.
He had four tackles, one sack and four hits on the quarterback. On certain plays, the Seahawks seemed to have no answer for him.
Barrett might be a player on the roster bubble, but his performance in the first preseason game could go a long way to his being retained. If he has a similar performance against the Texans, it will be tough to part ways with him.
The preseason is built for players like Barrett—players who are looking to step up and make a name for themselves. Look for him to come out and make some more big plays on defense against the Texans' second- and third-string offense.
Prediction
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Though it is early in the preseason and it's tough to decipher how much a preseason performance is worth, the Broncos seem like they have a lot to be happy about coming out of Seattle.
Against Houston, Manning is going to see a fair amount of playing time, according to Legwold of ESPN.com.
Denver fans have to be eager to see how Manning handles the new offense, but there has to also be a strong feeling of confidence that he'll do quite well, particularly considering the success that Osweiler had against Seattle.
The Texans are also coming off an impressive preseason win, defeating the 49ers 23-10. Still, Houston appears to be a team that is far behind Denver in terms of overall talent.
That doesn't always mean much in preseason games, but even the Broncos reserves came out with a certain fire against Seattle.
The Broncos are a hungry team. They're hungry to show the rest of the league what they are capable of, even if many consider preseason games to be meaningless.
As a result, the Broncos come away with another road victory.
Final Prediction: Broncos 24, Texans 11
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