The Denver Broncos might’ve walked out of NRG Stadium with a 7–2 record and sole possession of first place in the AFC West, but don’t mistake this one for a victory lap. Their 18–15 win over the Houston Texans was more of an escape act. One that left head coach Sean Payton to give up on his intended game plan.

In his postgame press conference, Payton made it clear that the initial plan was to control field position and live on Houston’s side of the 50. But the kicking game didn’t really allow that to happen. “The thing that was troubling, we went into wanting to play as much on their side of the field,” Payton said.

He added that poor kicking play didn’t really help with his plan, as the Broncos started deep while the Texans started near midfield. And just like how it has played out most

See Full Page