Welcome to the Week 9 edition of 'Speaking with the Enemy,' a new weekly feature here at Toro Times where I'll be sleuthing for some intel on each week's Houston Texans opponent.
This week, ahead of a pivotal matchup against the Denver Broncos, I checked in with Sayre Bedinger of Predominantly Orange to get the Mile High perspective on what we should expect from this Sunday's game at NRG Stadium.
Sonny Giuliano: Hey Sayre, thanks so much for taking some time to answer some questions about this week's matchup. Let's dive right in! Over the last five quarters, Denver has scored 77 points. Can you just give Toro Times readers a simple breakdown of what's been working and why things have looked so much better in the 4th quarter against the Giants and all game against the Cowboys than it did in the opening few weeks of the season?
Sayre Bedinger: The biggest thing is that the Broncos have been able to get into favorable 3rd down situations and convert. They previously were having issues just executing plays, even getting north and south, but the execution has been much better lately and the operation looks like it's cleaned up some major issues.
SG: Where's everyone in Denver stand on Bo Nix right now? Seems like a lot of people were hopping off the bandwagon right up until that 4th quarter comeback against New York.
SB: The opinions are about as split on Bo Nix as you could imagine at this point. People who love advanced analytics don't necessarily love Nix, but I think it's safe to say the vast majority of the fan base is coming around. Nix has won a ton of people over and more consistency might be the last thing to push him over the edge for the entire fan base. I think a lot of it is, people don't want to believe and be bamboozled later on.
SG: Can you contextualize what a big blow it's going to be for Denver not to have Pat Surtain II for the next handful of weeks? Obviously he's the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, but what does he provide the Broncos that maybe the traditional stats don't even pick up?
SB: Pat Surtain effectively gives the Broncos the chance to play 10 vs. 10 each week. His side of the field is nearly untouchable. The Broncos are able to be extremely aggressive with their blitz packages thanks to Surtain. They have great depth at corner compared to last year, but they are still young players out there. I would never diminish what Surtain brings to the table individually, or the impact he makes on that unit as a whole, but that is a position where the Broncos are built to deal with something like this.
SG: With Surtain out, how concerned are you about the rest of the Broncos secondary? Does it matteras much considering the Broncos have been more effective rushing the passer than any other team in the NFL so far this season?
SB: I think it would be a bigger issue a year ago. Riley Moss has played well most of the year (although he does get picked on). The team used a 1st-round pick on Jahdae Barron, who just had his first INT against the Cowboys. Ja'Quan McMillian is great in the slot, but can also play outside. The team is also really high on Kris Abrams-Draine, who played well last season when he had to start. Then you have Talanoa Hufanga and Brandon Jones on the back end, two of the best in the game. I think a lot of teams would still take that defensive backfield.
SG: Give me one under the radar guy on the Broncos that people who haven't watched much of Denver this year should be keeping an eye on in this matchup?
SB: If you haven't watched the Broncos unless they're on the Red Zone channel, you might not know about how good their EDGE depth is. Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper steal the headlines, but Jonah Elliss and Dondrea Tillman are absolute studs and they play a lot. The interior defensive line for the Broncos also includes some secret stars, like Malcolm Roach and DJ Jones. If I had to pick one underrated player overall, I would say Roach.
SG: If Denver goes into Houston and wins this Sunday, what will ultimately be the reason for that result?
SB: If they go into Houston and win, it'll be because their defensive identity was consistent and the offense didn't make mistakes. It's going to be very tough.
SG: Really appreciate you taking the time, Sayre. Best of luck this Sunday!