HOUSTON — The Broncos messed around with the Texans and found out.

The arms of Denver quarterback Russell Wilson are too short to fight with emerging Houston star C.J. Stroud. Even worse: Broncos linebacker Alex Singleton got clowned by Stroud for trying to intimidate a brash NFL rookie who refuses to blink.

“I’m going to stand on business,” Stroud said Sunday, when he led Houston to a 22-17 victory.

For Denver, this loss hurt far beyond the heart-wrenching end of a five-game winning streak and the damage done to its improbable playoff run. If the Broncos fall short of the Super Bowl tournament, this failed comeback will be a prominent and ugly chapter in their book of regrets.

“You hate losing,” quarterback Russell Wilson said.

For a full 30 minutes after he threw an interception in the end zone during the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Wilson sat on a chair in front of his locker, wearing his stained No. 3 uniform and cleats, and refused to hit the showers to wash away the bitter taste of defeat.

He threw zero interceptions during the winning streak, but three against the Texans, with the final one on an ill-advised 50-50 ball to the end zone with 16 seconds remaining on the clock. Even worse: Instead of throwing to Courtland Sutton or somebody we all know, Wilson decided to chuck it in a small window to tight end Lucas Krull.

Say what? And more important: Who?

At the most crucial juncture to this point in the season, the best available option was Krull, who had been targeted with only one other pass all year? Really?

With all the options on coach Sean Payton’s big play card, what was Krull even doing in the game? Far be it for me to challenge the offensive genius of Payton, but did the coach maybe listen too much to his inner giant and got a little too Annexation of Puerto Rico with that call?

“I feel like I definitely could’ve attacked the ball a little more … It’s frustrating,” Krull said after losing the jump ball in the end zone to Texans safety Jimmie Ward, whose pick iced the outcome.

As Wilson sat in his locker long after defeat, teammates and staffers came by to give an encouraging slap on his shoulder pads. But Father Time also lingered nearby, noting that for all Wilson has accomplished in a brilliant NFL career, he was outplayed on this December afternoon by Stroud, who threw for 274 yards and a touchdown.

“He’s going to have a great career,” Wilson said. “He’s really super talented.”

A team with such a slim margin for error can’t afford stupid football. Once again, Denver defenders irked by the suspensions to safety Kareem Jackson let testosterone get the best of them.

During the final seconds, the Broncos would’ve needed only a field goal instead of a touchdown if not for a mistake by Singleton that cost Denver four points way back in the first quarter.

After Houston coach DeMeco Ryans ordered a gamble in the red zone on fourth down, the Texans were flagged for a false start that would’ve certainly sent the field goal unit on the field. But Singleton refused to let well enough alone, stalking the rookie quarterback in the backfield and offering a push in a lame-brained effort to intimidate Stroud.

Stroud, however, is no ordinary rookie. He makes throws few QBs this side of Patrick Mahomes would even contemplate. And when asked about Singleton, he dropped a reference to comedian Druski about standing on business and not backing down.

“I’m a man,” Stroud said. “And I’m not going to just let somebody come push me, especially in my house. You’re not going to touch me after the whistle (when) you clearly hear it.”

Like it or not, this is a league that protects quarterbacks, not linebackers. The NFL is no longer the league of Dick Butkus or Mean Joe Greene. Instead of doing the smart thing by walking away, Singleton let a 22-year-old quarterback use a head butt to bait him into an unnecessary roughness penalty.

“They’re not going to call it on the quarterback,” Singleton said. “You know how this league is.”

Yes, we do. So why can’t the Broncos get it through their thick skulls?

Jackson and teammates might cry foul about inconsistency in officiating, while the denizens of Broncos Country bemoan how soft the game has become, but a Denver defense that tries to play the macho man football of 20 years ago is going to cause itself unnecessary trouble in 2023.

Singleton’s loss of composure contributed heavily to a Denver “L” in the standings it can ill afford.

Given a new set of downs at the 3-yard line, Houston punched in a touchdown by running back Dameon Pierce two plays later. Singleton’s choice to use his macho instead of his mind dropped the Broncos in an early 10-0 hole that ultimately proved too deep in the desperate final seconds.

This defeat kept Denver stuck in ninth place of the AFC standings, behind Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Houston in the race for three wild-card berths.

“With the way season started, and where we are right now, the margin for error is slim,” Payton said.

Whether it’s a reckless interception or an inexcusable penalty, stupid gets you beat.

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The difference between a groove and a rut is all about the edges.

Run a string down the center line of either, and you’ll find few impediments.

On the margins, though, a groove is smooth. Precise. Designed to allow an object already in motion to stay in motion.

A rut is rough around the edges. Bouncy. Always threatening to knock a traveler off-kilter.

Or, in this case, knock the Broncos off a miracle playoff run just as it picked up steam.

Denver’s postseason hopes aren’t dead after a frustrating, rutty 22-17 loss at Houston, but its path narrowed considerably Sunday when it came up 8 yards short of victory.

“Disappointing loss,” head coach Sean Payton said. “Thought we were sloppy for most of the game.”

The fine line distinguishing grooves from ruts has been Payton’s preferred metaphor all season. First he used it as a battle cry during Denver’s slow start. Then as a warning against complacency as his team got hot.

Now it’s representative of the minuscule gap between success and failure in the NFL.

At 7-5 with tiebreakers over Buffalo, Cleveland and the Texans, the Broncos wouldn’t have just been grooving. They’d have been rolling out of Harris County on an I-10 express lane toward Wild Card Weekend.

At 6-6, functionally two games behind the Texans and looking up at a clump of others, the Broncos’ path to the postseason is now more akin to landing the Space Shuttle.

Houston, the Broncos have a problem.

A postseason push is still possible if the Broncos get the best and the brightest down the stretch. But there’s little margin for error remaining.

“Take it one game at a time and the chips will fall as they may,” Denver right tackle Mike McGlinchey said after the last-second loss. “If we take care of business week in and week out and continue to prepare the way that we have been preparing for the last month or two, I think we can still do some damage.”

On Sunday, though, damage of the self-inflicted variety cost the Broncos dearly.

Denver hadn’t been great on third downs or in the red zone this year — 17th and 21st in the NFL, respectively — but against the Texans they struggled mightily in both departments.

Most glaringly, Denver didn’t convert a single one of its 11 third-down tries despite a manageable average to-go distance of 5.5 yards. They made up for it slightly with a trio of fourth-down conversions, but too often failed to move the chains when they had chances.

Quarterback Russell Wilson entered play with a 110.7 quarterback rating on third down.

Against Houston: 2 of 5 for 5 yards, an interception and two sacks plus three rushing attempts for 15 yards.

“They did a good job stopping us on third downs,” Wilson said. “We had some key plays on first and second downs that could have given us a little bit more action down the field and in the run game. They did a good job making it third-and-medium, third-and-long a couple of times. We’ve got to find a way. Third down is all about finding a way.”

Wilson had been similarly surgical in the red zone, despite Denver’s modest numbers overall, entering Sunday with 17 touchdown passes and no turnovers. Against Houston: 2 of 7 for 10 yards and a rushing touchdown but also the game-sealing interception on third-and-goal from the 8-yard line in the waning seconds.

That final, fateful play wasn’t all on Wilson, of course. Texans edge rusher Jonathan Greenard ripped past left tackle Garett Bolles and got pressure in 1.95 seconds, forcing Wilson to ad-lib. Confusion among the Broncos’ trips set to the left didn’t help matters, either.

Absent a spectacularly placed heave from Denver’s quarterback — and we’ve seen a few of those this season — he needed an overthrow rather than an underthrow.

The difference between a groove and a rut, in maybe two feet of end zone air space.

An even finer line: The squirting ball that Broncos edge rusher Jonathon Cooper is likely to see in his sleep, which was emblematic of a turn of fortunes in the turnover department.

Brilliant Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud fumbled on a hit by Denver nickel Ja’Quan McMillian late in the third quarter at Houston’s 29-yard line and Cooper appeared to recover the ball, only to have it pop away. At one point, it appeared the four closest players to it had the white visiting uniform on. Instead of the game-turning takeaway the Broncos have relied on in recent weeks, though, Houston running back Dare Ogunbowale pounced on it.

The difference between a groove and a rut, in a few bounces of an oblong ball.

Instead of first-and-10 Denver in scoring position, Houston punted the ball away. One play later came the first of Wilson’s three picks, all of which came in the final 16 minutes.

The difference between a groove and a rut, altered by the hand of Houston edge rusher Will Anderson, Jr., who deflected Wilson’s pass for Jerry Jeudy.

As subtle as the redirection was, it started a major reversal of the Broncos’ biggest recent strength.

Over the past five games, they forced 16 takeaways and went plus-13 in the turnover department. In a span of 45 seconds on the game clock Sunday, they essentially went minus-2.

Overall, Denver’s minus-3 mark tied for the worst this season with the Week 3 debacle at Miami, which was also the last time they failed to take the ball away in a game.

“We didn’t play our best football and we’re going to have to down the stretch here,” Payton said.

The Broncos put themselves in this position.

They started the season in a 1-5 slumber, just like they started Week 13 with five punts and a measly field goal.

They roared back into contention over the ensuing five games, just like they did late in the game Sunday.

“With the way the season started and then where we’re at right now, the margin for error is obviously slim,” Payton said. “And yet, we’re playing for a lot.”

They might need another five-game winning streak to extend their season. At the least, they’ve got to win the final four AFC games on their slate: Two against the Los Angeles Chargers, Christmas Eve against New England and a season-closer at Las Vegas.

Those are all winnable games, but in total they still represent a mighty fine line.

Grooves only. No ruts allowed.

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HOUSTON — Broncos inside linebacker Alex Singleton was fired up during his team’s matchup against the Houston Texans, but it came with a steep price in Sunday’s 22-17 loss.

The Texans faced a fourth-and-2 in the first quarter when left tackle Laremy Tunsil was called for a false start. But the penalty didn’t matter because Singleton was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the same play after he got into a verbal altercation with rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and pushed him.

Both players got into each other’s faces before the Texans stepped in to defend their teammate.

Singleton’s penalty gave Houston a first down inside the Broncos’ 10-yard line and the Texans responded. Running back Dameon Pierce scored on a 3-yard rushing touchdown to take a 10-0 with four minutes left in the quarter.

Singleton stroke an unapologetic tone postgame, arguing that it was hypocritical for the officials to flag him but not Texans right guard Shaq Mason, who pushed the Broncos inside linebacker after the whistle on the same play.

“It was nothing. Just some pushing,” Singleton said. “… I mean they are going to call it (in favor) of the quarterback. You know how this league is.”

Stroud told reporters after the game that he wasn’t going to let anyone push him in his house.

“I didn’t like it. Like (comedian) Druski said, ‘I’m going to stand on business,’” Stroud said. “I’m glad my guys had my back. I’m not mad at that dude. I don’t get a lot of calls.”

Injury updates: The Broncos avoided a couple of injury scares Sunday afternoon. Starting cornerback Pat Surtain II and right guard Quinn Meinrez had to leave at different points in the game, but both players said they felt good after the game.

With 8:11 left in the first quarter, Surtain suffered an injury after his knee buckled when his foot got caught in the turf at NRG Stadium. He was down on the ground for an extended period before he got up and walked off to the sideline with trainers. Surtain returned to the field on Houston’s next offensive drive and told The Denver Post that he felt fine throughout the game.

“I’m (going) to see how I feel tomorrow but it’s nothing too crazy,” Surtain said.

In the fourth quarter, Meinrez briefly went into the medical after he got a stinger in his left arm with 10:28 left in regulation. Luke Wattenberg replaced Meinrez at right guard before the third-year lineman returned to the field with 4:36 to go.

“I never had a stinger before,” Meinrez told The Post. “My left arm went numb and I couldn’t feel it. I was like ‘I didn’t know what this is so I’m just going to get off (the field).’”

Sutton’s touchdown: Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton’s bag of highlight reel catches got bigger against Houston. As Denver trailed 16-3 in the third, quarterback Russell Wilson stepped up and threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Sutton, who had two defenders around him.

“Those boys would’ve had to pin me to the ground for me not to make that catch,” said Sutton, who finished with two catches for 77 yards on seven targets.

Sutton’s touchdown was his ninth of the season and first outside of the red zone.

The Broncos made it clear early that they wanted to test Houston’s defense, which ranked 27th in passing yards allowed. Wilson threw deep to Sutton on back-to-back plays on Denver’s first drive but both attempts were incomplete.

Wilson finally made it count with five minutes left in third to cut Denver’s deficit to 16-10.

“I missed some opportunities early in the game (and) I frustrated myself because I’m capable of making those plays,” Sutton said. “It was nice to get some momentum (and) that’s what we pride ourselves in our (wide receivers room). Being the group that turns regular milk into chocolate milk. If I was able to make some of those plays early in the game, who knows (what could’ve happened)?”

DiNucci inactive despite being promoted to active roster: The Broncos made an interesting move Saturday when they elevated quarterback Ben DiNucci from the practice squad to the active roster. However, he was among seven players inactive for the game.

Head coach Sean Payton didn’t comment on the move, but it could mean one of two things: Either another team tried to sign DiNucci and the Broncos prevented it by promoting him to the active roster or the team wanted to reward the young signal caller with a game check.

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The Denver Broncos faced the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023. Denver fell short on a late comeback attempt, losing 22-17. Denver falls to 6-6 on the season and had its five-game winning streak snapped.

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Here are the heroes and zeros from the Broncos’ 22-17 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium.

Heroes

Denver’s situational defense: It could have been a rout by halftime. But the Broncos personified the bend-don’t-break ideal, making timely stops in the final third of the field. Houston was held to field goals of 29, 38 and 38 yards while Denver’s offense could do nothing but punt. The second of those field goals built the lead to its largest margin: only 13-0 despite total yards favoring the Texans 194-23 at that point early in the second quarter.

Stroud to Collins: As much as the Broncos’ defense deserved credit for keeping them in the game, the one thing they couldn’t contain was Houston’s young quarterback-receiver connection. Nico Collins compiled 191 receiving yards on nine catches including the decisive touchdown from C.J. Stroud early in the fourth. They also connected for a pair of 50-yard receptions.

Wilson’s downfield passing: In a game characterized early by Denver’s offensive futility, the Broncos rallied by suddenly figuring out how to make explosive plays through the air. Russell Wilson hit Courtland Sutton with a 45-yard touchdown on a deep ball to cut the deficit to 16-10, then to set up Denver’s other touchdown, Sean Payton drew up a nifty play using Sutton’s route to get Jerry Jeudy open on a wheel downfield.

Zeros

Alex Singleton’s machismo: The linebacker lost his composure and cost the Broncos four points in one of the defining moments of the game. The Texans kept their offense on the field on fourth-and-2 in the red zone but committed a pre-snap penalty, seemingly backing them up five yards and forcing a field goal. But Singleton, rushing the passer as the play was blown dead, got baited by Stroud into a light shoving match. The unnecessary roughness penalty led to Houston’s only touchdown of the first three quarters.

Denver’s offensive line: Maybe former Crimson Tide star Will Anderson Jr. was inspired by the College Football Playoff selection committee’s controversial decision. Or maybe the Broncos just couldn’t block him. Anderson had a sack and four quarterback hits to spearhead a pass rush that chased Wilson all day in key moments, including the game-clinching interception with nine seconds left. Wilson threw three picks, but another one of those was an unmarked Anderson deflecting a pass to teammate Derek Stingley Jr. Denver was 0 for 10 on third down, and Wilson was scrambling on fourth downs to keep the Broncos alive before the final play.

Texans fans: For a state that prides itself on football fanaticism more than just about anywhere else in the U.S., Texas didn’t look like the fiercest road environment Sunday. The crowd in Houston was speckled with a startling amount of orange. Texans fans have tons of reasons to feel optimistic right now, from the breakout rookie season C.J. Stroud’s having to the team’s unexpected playoff contention. Instead, Broncos Country showed out in a pivotal game.

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Offense — D

The Broncos put up a spirited rally late, but Russell Wilson threw three interceptions, the last on third-and-goal in the waning seconds. This game wasn’t lost on that play, though. It happened earlier. Denver went 0 of 10 on third down, many of them of a manageable distance. Through the Broncos’ first six full possessions, they mustered just one field goal and five punts. Wilson hit big plays in the second half to Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy, but he got unlucky, too, on a tipped pass interception that set up a key Texans fourth-quarter touchdown. He tossed another later trying to get the ball to Sutton down the field before the game-sealer at the end of what looked like another potential game-winning drive. Just not enough consistency on Payton’s side of the ball, particularly over the first two-plus quarters of the game.

Defense — C

Vance Joseph’s defense didn’t get a lot of help from its offense early on. It forced a trio of field goals that kept Denver within striking distance. But the group also got shredded for a series of big plays through the air, gave up 259 first-half yards and saw their terrific five-game run of takeaways come to a screeching halt. They came close on a couple of fumbles, but no such luck this time around. Recovering one or the other might have been enough to get the job done. They played good ball down the stretch, giving up four punts in Houston’s five drives. The only other? A 21-yard touchdown drive after Wilson’s first interception. Not quite enough despite giving up just 94 yards in the second half.

Special teams — D

The Broncos got off to a rough start on special teams when Riley Dixon had a punt impacted by the Texans’ No. 3 overall pick from April’s draft, Will Anderson. The punt went just 22 yards and was the first field position blow in a game that tilted heavily in Houston’s favor. Dixon did his part with several booming punts as the game went along, but overall Denver couldn’t forge much of an advantage in the game’s third phase. Delarrin Turner-Yell made contact with Houston’s punter in the fourth quarter, but the officiating crew correctly saw that he didn’t do enough to draw a 15-yard flag.

Coaching — C-

Sean Payton has been saying for weeks that there’s a fine line between a groove and a rut. If they hit a big play early in the game on one of their aggressive passing plays, who knows what happens? But they didn’t, and it cost because Denver never really got its run game revved up after the early shot plays failed. A couple of interesting decisions — particularly a timeout coming out of the two-minute warning ahead of a fourth-and-1 — could have loomed large. But in the end the game mostly came down to the players on the field. Perhaps the biggest criticism is of the third-down plan. Something didn’t go right schematically when you go 0 of 10 with an average distance-to-go of 5.5 yards. Ouch.

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Initial thoughts from Broncos’ 22-17 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 13 on Sunday afternoon at NRG Stadium:

Have fans, will travel: It should be no surprise that the very first shot of Sunday’s game featured a whole lot of orange. Even after years of ineptitude, a bungled ownership succession plan and mountains of disappointment, Broncos Country shows up. Every time. And now with a team in the thick of a playoff race that fans can get behind, they take over nearly a quarter of the stadium on the road. As for Houston? Well, there sure appeared to be a lot of Texans fans dressed as empty seats at NRG Stadium. It’s enough to make us miss those old Houston Oilers helmets. Bring back the oil derricks.

The flag’s the thing: There’s no getting around it. The first half was absolutely brutal for the Broncos in terms of the officiating. First, Russell Wilson gets hit low on the very first drive of the game … only to be denied the Tom Brady roughing the passer flag. Then Alex Singleton briefly loses his cool and (justifiably) gets flagged for a personal foul on a failed Houston third down that indirectly leads to a Texans touchdown. And, finally, a Wilson underthrow to Marvin Mims Jr. produces an obvious defensive pass interference … that goes uncalled. That’s a seven-point swing in Houston’s favor, at minimum. Of course, that third-quarter “drop” from Samaje Perine was probably a fumble, so Even Steven?

Going deep: It took all of two plays for the Broncos to show their hand offensively. Two snaps, two deep balls from Russell Wilson. Both were in Courtland Sutton’s direction. Both were incompletions, with the latter a drop. It was a sharp departure from the pound-the-rock-and-play-D identity that produced Denver’s five-game win streak, but conceivably a sound one considering the suspect secondary Houston brought into Sunday (27th in pass yards allowed/game). Still, it appeared to be a loser right up until the moment Russ and Sutton finally connected on a beautiful 45-yard scoring pass in the third quarter that nearly doubled Wilson’s passing yardage to that point. Throw in a 41-yard strike to Jerry Jeudy, and it’s hard to argue the strategy didn’t produce. Just not when Houston cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. was involved.

Team Takeaway no more: The question that has hovered over the Broncos during their five-game win streak? What happens when all those defensive takeaways start to dry up? Sunday, we may have received our answer. Twice the Broncos defense forced a fumble. Both times the Texans were able to recover the ball, including a C.J. Stroud fumble forced by Ja’Quan McMillian in Houston territory that was in the Broncos’ hands but somehow squirted out. Denver’s next offensive snap? A Russell Wilson interception that led to another Houston touchdown and 12-point deficit with just over 14 minutes to go. Russ threw one more pick in the end zone, of course, on the Broncos’ last offensive play of the game to finish with three. Your final takeaway tally: Texans 3, Broncos 0. And that’s your ballgame.

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The Broncos are on a five-game winning streak since starting the season with a 1-5 record. Can they keep the momentum rolling? Stick here for live updates and analysis as Denver takes on the Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston.

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Live updates

Pre-game updates

Scouting report (9 a.m.): Check out how the Broncos match up with the Texans in Ryan McFadden’s scouting report.

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Game predictions

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Broncos 28, Texans 24

The longer Denver’s winning streak goes, the more it becomes natural to figure it’s got to end at some point. But they’ve had some magic in them so far and this is the kind of game they can win… if they can stay patient enough to play the kind of style that has led them to five in a row.

Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Broncos 27, Texans 24

Sean Payton called the Texans a dangerous team. So are the Broncos. They have won five straight, and the defense is flying around and making plays. Denver’s win streak will continue, but it might take some late-game magic from Russell Wilson to do so.

Mark Kiszla, columnist: Texans 23, Broncos 20

Know what strikes me as odd? Broncos coach Sean Payton calls plays as if Russell Wilson is a rookie quarterback, while the Texans aren’t hesitant to turn loose 22-year-old C.J. Stroud. Can the Denver defense take advantage of Stroud’s pedal-to-the-metal tendencies and force two interceptions from him? If the answer is yes, the Broncos win. If not? Nope.

Sean Keeler, columnist:  Broncos 25, Texans 24

Logic says The Takeaway Train is about to burst like the real estate bubble 15 years ago. But when have these Broncos obeyed the laws of logic? Or precedent? Or sanity? Yeah, the Texans don’t turn the ball over. Yeah, Houston’s a tough out at home. So’s Buffalo.

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Broncos-Texans NFL Week 13: Must-reads

Broncos prepare for Texans QB C.J. Stroud: “It’s unusual what he’s accomplishing as a rookie”

Russell Wilson understands what it’s like to set the league on fire in his first season. So when he said Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud “is having one of the best rookie years ever,” it might be wise to take the Broncos signal caller’s word for it.

Stroud’s numbers through 11 games have been impressive. He is second in the league in passing yards (3,266), tied for seventh in touchdown passes (19) and has the eighth-best adjusted quarterback rating at 62.7.

He added to his impressive resume when he was named the AFC Offensive Player and Rookie of the Month for November. Stroud is the second rookie quarterback in NFL history to win Player of the Month, joining the Browns’ Deshaun Watson, Ryan McFadden reports. Read the full story.

Broncos’ Quinn Meinerz just bought a telescope, collects “chill synth” vinyl and is on a quest to become the NFL’s most dominant guard

During his second pro season, Meinerz spent $1,000 on the Home record that started it all. Now his vinyl collection numbers in the hundreds. The expansion continues. It won’t ever stop, at least not entirely.

Meinerz has experienced growth in his day job, too.

In his third year as a pro, Meinerz is increasingly recognized as one of the best young interior linemen in football. He’s a long way from the fascinating but green draft prospect out of Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater he was in 2021, Parker Gabriel reports. Read the full story.

Kiszla: While Sean Payton struck it rich with Broncos, did DeMeco Ryans win better job in Houston?

While Sean Payton got big money from the crazy-rich Waltons to coach the Broncos, DeMeco Ryans won the coaching sweepstakes by landing the better job in Houston.

Although the Broncos and Texans bring identical 6-5 records to a game Sunday with huge playoff implications for this season, which of these teams is closer to winning the Super Bowl down the road?

You tell me: Would you rather build a championship contender around two established NFL veterans in quarterback Russell Wilson and Payton, each with a championship on distinguished resumes, or 22-year-old rookie C.J. Stroud and Ryans, in his first-year as a head coach? Advantage, Texans, Mark Kiszla writes. Read the column.

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The Broncos are on a five-game winning streak since starting the season with a 1-5 record. Can they keep the momentum rolling? Stick here for live updates and analysis as Denver takes on the Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston.

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Live updates

Second-quarter updates

The time is now (12:06 p.m.): This would really be a good time for the Broncos to score. — Ryan McFadden

Nearly picked (12:05 p.m.): Stroud’s pass on third down was way off and nearly intercepted by P.J. Locke. — Ryan McFadden

Big penalty (12:03 p.m.): A tripping call on the Texans forces Houston to a first-and-25. The next play, Dameon Pierce picks up 22 yards on a run. — Joe Nguyen

Missed call (11:57 a.m.): That’s a bad underthrow by Russell Wilson, but also 100% DPI.

About a 50-yard difference on the no call against Stingley, who was beat, didn’t play the ball and made contact before it arrived. — Parker Gabriel

If we count that obviously low hit on Russell Wilson on the Broncos’ first drive, the officials have missed two very big calls so far in Houston. — Matt Schubert

Rumble (11:56 a.m.): Javonte Williams rumbles down the gut for a 16-yard gain. — Joe Nguyen

Attack (11:55 a.m.): Will Anderson Jr. is unstoppable. — Ryan McFadden

Three more (11:51 a.m.): Matt Ammendola with a 38-yard field goal for Houston. Texans 13, Broncos 0 with 12:54 to go in the half. — Joe Nguyen

Denver manages to hold the Texans to a field goal after the drive started with a 59-yard pass from Stroud. The Broncos need to score and fast. — Ryan McFadden

First-quarter analysis — Texans 10, Broncos 0

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: This isn’t going well for the Broncos.

Ryan McFadden, beat writer: C.J. Stroud is the real deal. He is 5-for-9 with 149 yards. The Broncos avoided a scare with Surtain returning to the field but the defense is giving up too many explosive plays. Offensively, Denver can’t get anything going as the offensive line is having a hard time against Houston’s pass rush. It’s not over but the Broncos are not looking good all-around.

Mark Kiszla, sports columnist: Pat Surtain gets hurt. Alex Singleton gets baited into 4-point penalty. Sean Payton forgets winning streak built on running game. C.J. Stroud on fire. Other than that, a peachy start for your Broncos.

First-quarter updates

Another big play (11:45 a.m.): C.J. Stroud to Nico Collins again. This one was a 59-yard gain. — Joe Nguyen

Injury update (11:43 a.m.): Surtain is back on the field. — Joe Nguyen

Another punt (11:42 a.m.): Broncos punt for the third straight drive. This is not looking good. — Ryan McFadden

The Texans pass rush is getting home an awful lot. This offensive line, the receiver of many plaudits in recent weeks, needs to hold up better. — Matt Schubert

First down (11:40 a.m.): Denver just had its first first down of the game — a 12-yard pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey. — Joe Nguyen

Extra point good (11:38 a.m.): Texans lead 10-0 with 3:49 left in the first quarter. — Ryan McFadden

Injury update (11:37 a.m.): Dell is now being carted off the field. — Ryan McFadden

Touchdown, Texans (11:34 a.m.): Dameon Pierce runs up the middle for a 3-yard touchdown. Texans 9, Broncos 0 before the extra-point try. Play is stopped with Tank Dell down on the field injured. — Joe Nguyen

Crowd is silent as Houston wide receiver Tank Dell is in the end zone with an injury. — Ryan McFadden

Costly penalty (11:33 a.m.): That is a MASSIVE mistake by Alex Singleton right there. Houston was about to be forced to kick a field goal. Instead, he can’t keep his head and it’s first and goal for the Texans. — Matt Schubert

Surtain still on the sidelines (11:30 a.m.): Surtain is now standing next to Russell Wilson on the sideline with his helmet in his hand. — Ryan McFadden

Surtain update (11:27 a.m.): That’s a scary video for Broncos fans. This does not work without Pat Surtain II holding down one half of the field.

They took away his helmet. I don’t want to be overly dramatic, but the Broncos’ season might hang in the balance over the next 60 minutes. — Matt Schubert

Broadcast showed Pat Surtain got his legs tangled up as he went up the field with Tank Dell. Awkward looking. Obviously the outcome of testing on the All-Pro’s leg will be critical for the Broncos. — Parker Gabriel

Broncos CB Pat Surtain II is questionable with a knee injury. — Ryan McFadden

Huge gain (11:23 a.m.): C.J. Stroud to Nico Collins for a 52-yard play. Pat Surtain II was injured on the play. — Joe Nguyen

Pat Surtain is being tended to on the field. Not a great development after CJ Stroud gashes the Broncos with a deep pass into Denver territory. — Matt Schubert

Will Anderson’s influence (11:22 a.m.): Affected Riley Dixon’s punt, run stop on Javonte Williams, third-down sack of Russell Wilson through Mike McGlinchey. Not bad.

Back-to-back three-and-outs (11:20 a.m.): Two drives for Denver, two straight three-and-outs. — Joe Nguyen

Another three-and-out for the Broncos. Ran the ball with Williams on back-to-back plays before Texans rookie Will Anderson Jr. sacks Wilson for an 11-yard loss. — Ryan McFadden

Not a great start for the Broncos offense. One big drop. A sack on third-and-short. This might be an uphill battle if Team Takeaway doesn’t show up at some point. — Matt Schubert

Red-zone defense (11:17 a.m.): Broncos defensive recipe has been takeaways and being stout in the red zone. Got the latter there after the 22-yard punt from Riley Dixon. — Parker Gabriel

Field goal, Texans (11:15 a.m.): Matt Ammendola connects with the 29-yard field goal. Texans 3, Broncos 0 with 10:11 to go in the first quarter. — Joe Nguyen

Broncos dodged a bullet there with CJ Stroud’s errant pass to Andrew Beck on third-and-1. Might be a touchdown if that’s on the money.  

Huge gain (11:12 a.m.): C.J. Stroud connects with Brevin Jordan for a huge 27-yard catch and run. — Joe Nguyen

Broncos’ opening drive (11:10 a.m.): The Broncos tried to test Houston’s defense, which is ranked 27th in passing yards allowed. Wilson took threw a pair of deep balls to Courtland Sutton but both were incomplete. — Ryan McFadden

Orange and blue (11:10 a.m.): Is it just me or are there an obscene amount of Broncos fans at this game in Houston? — Matt Schubert

Tipped punt (11:08 a.m.): Riley Dixon’s punt was slightly tipped. Houston will begin at its own 47-yard line. — Joe Nguyen

Big early hit (11:07 a.m.): That was a terrifying hit that Russell Wilson just took. — Matt Schubert

Three-and-out (11:05 a.m.): Denver’s defense stood strong on the opening drive, allow three plays and 9 yards for the Texans. Marvin Mims Jr. calls the fair catch on the punt. Denver will start on its own 18. — Joe Nguyen

Broncos defense getting a three-and-out to start. Not bad. Not bad at all. Run defense even held up OK. — Matt Schubert

Coin toss (11:02 a.m.): Broncos won the toss and chosen to defer. Houston will get the ball to start the game. — Ryan McFadden

Pre-game updates

Ben DiNucci (10:48 a.m.): It’ll be interesting to hear what Sean Payton says about the decision to use a practice squad elevation on Ben DiNucci, then have him inactive for the game. He can’t serve as the Broncos’ emergency third quarterback (the NFL’s rule change this offseason) because he’s a member of the practice squad. He would have had to be active and count against the gameday 48-man roster. Plus, neither Russell Wilson or Jarrett Stidham were on the injury report this week. That leaves two seemingly likely situations: 1) A team asked about signing DiNucci away from Denver late in the week and this was the agreement to keep him from signing somewhere else. Or 2) The Broncos didn’t have another player they felt was central to their roster construction today and used it as a way to reward DiNucci with a game check. — Parker Gabriel

Inactives (10:23 a.m.): Quarterback Ben DiNucci, safety JL Skinner, tight end Nate Adkins, outside linebackers Ronnie Perkins and Thomas Incoom, center Alex Forsyth and defensive lineman Elijah Garcia. — Ryan McFadden

Good morning from NRG Stadium in Houston (10:22 a.m.): The Broncos (6-5) are 40 minutes away from facing the Texans (6-5) with playoff implications on the line. Who would’ve thought? According the New York Times playoff simulator, the Broncos will have a 58% chance of making the playoffs with a win this afternoon. Their chances drop to 15% with a loss. So yeah, this is a big game. — Ryan McFadden

Scouting report (9 a.m.): Check out how the Broncos match up with the Texans in Ryan McFadden’s scouting report.

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Game predictions

Parker Gabriel, beat writer: Broncos 28, Texans 24

The longer Denver’s winning streak goes, the more it becomes natural to figure it’s got to end at some point. But they’ve had some magic in them so far and this is the kind of game they can win… if they can stay patient enough to play the kind of style that has led them to five in a row.

Ryan McFadden, beat writer: Broncos 27, Texans 24

Sean Payton called the Texans a dangerous team. So are the Broncos. They have won five straight, and the defense is flying around and making plays. Denver’s win streak will continue, but it might take some late-game magic from Russell Wilson to do so.

Mark Kiszla, columnist: Texans 23, Broncos 20

Know what strikes me as odd? Broncos coach Sean Payton calls plays as if Russell Wilson is a rookie quarterback, while the Texans aren’t hesitant to turn loose 22-year-old C.J. Stroud. Can the Denver defense take advantage of Stroud’s pedal-to-the-metal tendencies and force two interceptions from him? If the answer is yes, the Broncos win. If not? Nope.

Sean Keeler, columnist:  Broncos 25, Texans 24

Logic says The Takeaway Train is about to burst like the real estate bubble 15 years ago. But when have these Broncos obeyed the laws of logic? Or precedent? Or sanity? Yeah, the Texans don’t turn the ball over. Yeah, Houston’s a tough out at home. So’s Buffalo.

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Broncos-Texans NFL Week 13: Must-reads

Broncos prepare for Texans QB C.J. Stroud: “It’s unusual what he’s accomplishing as a rookie”

Russell Wilson understands what it’s like to set the league on fire in his first season. So when he said Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud “is having one of the best rookie years ever,” it might be wise to take the Broncos signal caller’s word for it.

Stroud’s numbers through 11 games have been impressive. He is second in the league in passing yards (3,266), tied for seventh in touchdown passes (19) and has the eighth-best adjusted quarterback rating at 62.7.

He added to his impressive resume when he was named the AFC Offensive Player and Rookie of the Month for November. Stroud is the second rookie quarterback in NFL history to win Player of the Month, joining the Browns’ Deshaun Watson, Ryan McFadden reports. Read the full story.

Broncos’ Quinn Meinerz just bought a telescope, collects “chill synth” vinyl and is on a quest to become the NFL’s most dominant guard

During his second pro season, Meinerz spent $1,000 on the Home record that started it all. Now his vinyl collection numbers in the hundreds. The expansion continues. It won’t ever stop, at least not entirely.

Meinerz has experienced growth in his day job, too.

In his third year as a pro, Meinerz is increasingly recognized as one of the best young interior linemen in football. He’s a long way from the fascinating but green draft prospect out of Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater he was in 2021, Parker Gabriel reports. Read the full story.

Kiszla: While Sean Payton struck it rich with Broncos, did DeMeco Ryans win better job in Houston?

While Sean Payton got big money from the crazy-rich Waltons to coach the Broncos, DeMeco Ryans won the coaching sweepstakes by landing the better job in Houston.

Although the Broncos and Texans bring identical 6-5 records to a game Sunday with huge playoff implications for this season, which of these teams is closer to winning the Super Bowl down the road?

You tell me: Would you rather build a championship contender around two established NFL veterans in quarterback Russell Wilson and Payton, each with a championship on distinguished resumes, or 22-year-old rookie C.J. Stroud and Ryans, in his first-year as a head coach? Advantage, Texans, Mark Kiszla writes. Read the column.

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https://www.denverpost.com/2023/12/03/broncos-texans-live-updates-highlights-nfl-2023-week-13/