Houston halts Broncos' five-game winning streak: 'Texans Country, let’s ride'

The Houston Texans recently turned the tide of their fortunes by defeating the Denver Broncos 22-17 in a crucial Week 13 matchup of the American Football Conference (AFC). This victory became a stepping stone for the Texans towards securing a place in the National Football League (NFL) Playoffs after losing earlier opportunities to gain control of the AFC South. The match saw Texans banking on their rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud's consistent performance and their aggressive defensive lineup.

"Texans Country, let’s ride," the team said in a postgame Tweet on Dec. 2.", said Unknown.

As per a report by Houston FOX affiliate KRIV News, from early on in the game, all aspects of Texan's gameplay were working well. Notably, second-year running back Dameon Pierce scored first for Houston with an impressive three-yard run into the end zone. By halftime, despite allowing a Will Lutz field goal, Texans' defense succeeded in keeping Broncos from scoring any touchdowns.

Fresh off his achievements as AFC Offensive Player of the Month and NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month for November, Stroud kept up his good form by finishing the game with 274 yards and a touchdown pass. However, according to CBS Sports, Stroud is likely to play out rest of 2023 without his fellow rookie teammate Tank Dell due to an apparent leg injury sustained earlier during this game.

According to Sports Illustrated (SI), recent defensive additions Derek Stingley Jr., third overall selection of the 2022 NFL Draft and Will Anderson Jr., obtained via trade in 2023 draft with Arizona Cardinals played instrumental roles in bolstering Houston's defense against Broncos. Reportedly SI stated that while Stingley intercepted two passes from Russell Wilson, Anderson set new personal bests in sacks and quarterback hits.