The Denver Broncos notched their sixth-straight win of the 2025 season on Sunday, beating the Houston Texans 18-15 in an absolute barn-burner. You don't always have to win "pretty" in the NFL; all that matters is that you win.
And if you're a fan of good defense, this win for the Broncos was a masterpiece, anyway.
There is a lot to unpack from the win that pushed the Broncos to 7-2 on the season. Who were the biggest winners and unfortunate "losers" in this game? We're going to hand out our weekly postgame recognitions for players, coaches, units, and whatever stood out the most.
Zach Allen among huge winners for Broncos in Week 9 vs. Texans
Broncos winner: Zach Allen, defensive line
It really doesn't matter which defensive player is dominating for the Denver Broncos on a weekly basis, because somebody's going to be making plays regardless, aren't they?
The Broncos haven't gotten a sack from Nik Bonitto in three straight games, but while he's been getting a bunch of extra attention, Zach Allen has been cashing in on the opportunities. Allen had three quarterback hits against the Texans, as well as a pair of batted passes at the line of scrimmage.
One play, in particular, came at the perfect time as the Broncos were trying to get the ball back to the offense as quickly as possible, and Allen shot his arm up in a throwing lane to knock down a Davis Mills pass and force a punt.
In every possible way, Allen is an impact player for the Denver defense.
Broncos winner: RJ Harvey, running back
You love to see the weekly growth for young players, and Denver Broncos rookie running back RJ Harvey has really started to find his stride. Not only does he have two of the team's most explosive runs this season, but he has quickly developed into a game-changing weapon as a receiver.
After a three-touchdown performance against the Cowboys last week, Harvey wasn't going to be denied another trip to the end zone this week, facing off against the league's #1 defense. Harvey caught a pass on a wheel route and hit paydirt to help the Broncos tie the game at 15 apiece in the second half.
Thanks to that play, Harvey ended up leading the team with 51 yards receiving on five catches, and obviously a clutch touchdown. He has been sensational the past handful of weeks, and you can bet his role will only continue to expand.
Broncos loser: Darren Rizzi, special teams coordinator
The way that this has become a recurring ordeal since Week 1 of the season is a major concern at this point. Sean Payton sounded so fed up after the game that you almost feel like he might consider an in-season move off of his old pal Rizzi.
The Broncos had a field goal blocked in this game, they gave up a huge punt return to Texans rookie Jaylin Noel, they had a holding penalty called on JL Skinner, who was on punt coverage, and they had a muffed punt that gave the Texans three free points. Regardless of whether or not Marvin Mims Jr. was out there, this was a brutal game once again for the special teams.
And Rizzi should be coming under fire. He's got to get his unit under control, because they are a liability nearly every week.
Broncos winner: Jeremy Crawshaw, punter
Now that we've just gotten finished blasting the special teams coordinator, let's hype up one of the team's specialists, shall we?
Jeremy Crawshaw is a beast, and the Denver Broncos got it right selecting him in the sixth round of this year's draft. The Broncos needed a punter with Crawshaw's booming leg to help them win the field position battle in this game against Houston, and he played his role perfectly.
Crawshaw finished with eight punts (which is way too many), and averaged 53.5 yards per kick. It was an impressive outing for the rookie and a huge advantage for the Broncos in this game with how well the defense played.
Broncos winner: Red zone defense
If you can hold a team to field goals, you're probably going to win most games. The Broncos desperately needed to keep the Texans out of the end zone on multiple occasions in this game, because giving up six instead of three when the Texans got close could have put the Broncos away without any chance of coming back.
The Broncos held the Texans to six field goals on the day, including 0-for-3 on red zone attempts. One particular red zone trip included multiple stops at the one-yard line before a false start pushed Houston back.
Broncos winner: Dre Greenlaw, linebacker
After getting him back against the New York Giants (on a pitch count), the Denver Broncos had to live without Dre Greenlaw against the Dallas Cowboys as he served a suspension for things he allegedly said to an official after the game.
Let's just take a moment to celebrate Greenlaw being back in the fold for the Week 9 win against the Texans and his former mentor, DeMeco Ryans. Greenlaw once again brought his physicality and tenacity, racking up eight total tackles on the day and a sack.
The Broncos will need his physical presence out there for a divisional matchup against the Raiders, but Greenlaw's early impact is being felt tremendously. He not only became the 16th different player on the defense to record a sack this season, but was largely responsible for the team's impressive goal-line stand. This guy is a stud.