The Denver Broncos look to win their sixth game in a row and get to 7-2 with a win over the Houston Texans in Week 9, but it's not going to be easy. Not only will Patrick Surtain II not be suiting up for this game, but the Texans feature the best defense in the NFL, so the offense is going to have to be at their best.
Houston began the year 0-3 but have won three of their previous four games and are trending in the right direction. This team is definitely a bit better than their 3-4 record indicates, so the Broncos can't overlook this team just because they currently have a losing record.
But when you peel back the curtain a bit, there are some eerie similarities between this Week 9 matchup and the last time these two teams played, which was in Houston and back in the 2023 NFL Season.
This is eerily similar for the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans...
The Denver Broncos started out 1-5 in the 2023 NFL Season, but proceeded to win their next five games. That five-game winning streak was snapped by the Houston Texans back in 2023. Furthermore, in both 2023 and here in Week 9, Denver entered the game with six wins.
And on the flip side, the Houston Texans had won three of their previous four games coming into their 2023 tilt with Denver. Here in 2025, Houston has won three of their previous four games. The Texans still have DeMeco Ryans and CJ Stroud running the show, and the Broncos obviously still have Sean Payton as the head coach and many of the same players.
Now, yes, these insane similarities don't have any sort of impact on this week's game, but it's pretty neat to look at. With Patrick Surtain II missing this game and probably the next two, Denver's defense will take a hit, but with the offense trending in the right direction, they could offset a bit.
Linebacker Dre Greenlaw also returns to the lineup in Week 9, so while Surtain will be out, Greenlaw's presence back in the middle of the defense is going to be a massive boost. Overall, this is actually a very tight game, and while Denver has the better record, the game is going to be extremely close, and it would not shock me if this game came down to the final possession.