The Denver Broncos need to get back on track after a week one loss. What should we be looking out for in week two against the Houston Texans? Fortunately, the Broncos appear to have an easier opponent on their schedule for week two.
Unfortunately, the Texans are not as bad of a team as some think. They opened up a 17-point lead against the Indianapolis Colts in week one, only to lose the lead and end up in a 20-20 tie. It was an interesting game for them all around, and they’ll have a harder test when they travel to Denver to face the Broncos, who had themselves an awful loss.
The Broncos only lost by one point, but based on the way they played in parts of the game, they should have lost by more. Two fumbles at the goal line, one each by Melvin Gordon and Javonte Williams proved to be a setback that they couldn’t recover from.
A curious decision at the end of the game and being called for a ton of penalties were also huge factors in the loss. Denver clearly has a few things to correct, and with Russell Wilson in the building, I think they can end up doing this and play a cleaner game in week two.
So, what are the three keys to victory against the Houston Texans?
Denver Broncos keys to victory in week two: Easy on the penalties
The penalties were a backbreaker for the Denver Broncos. Several of them resulted in first downs for the Seahawks, and a few penalties on offense pushed the Broncos back out of good situations. Denver was one of the least penalized teams in the NFL during Vic Fangio’s tenure, and they begin Nathaniel Hackett’s tenure by committing the most penalty yards in the NFL in week one.
What makes it more frustrating was the opponent. Denver should have won this game, and I could argue that without half of their penalties, they would have. I guess on the bright side, it’s clear what needs to be corrected. The Texans are not as talented on offense as the Seahawks are, so perhaps Denver can avoid the defensive penalties.
The same applies to the defensive side of the ball too. As I mentioned above, the Texans are a better team than people think, but no matter who Denver is playing, it’s clear that committing a ton of penalties is not the answer.