The Denver Broncos went on the road to take on the Houston Texans and walked out with their sixth straight win. It was a tough, low-scoring, defensive battle, but the Broncos made just enough plays to win 18-15.
In ugly games like this one, where the defense keeps it low and the offense struggles, the grades will obviously reflect that. While there are positive grades on the offense, they’re frankly few and far between. As for the defense, for the first time, there are no defensive grades below 50 — the starting point — speaking to how great they were defensively.
In the end, what matters most is that the Broncos pulled out the victory and set themselves up with an over 90% chance of making the playoffs and a two-game lead in the AFC West. So, let’s get into the player grades.
Defense: Talanoa Hufanga | S | Grade: 91.3
The Broncos have a star in Hufanga. He’s been lights out all season and had the best game of the season against the Texans.
That was a game where the Broncos needed someone to step up with Patrick Surtain II out, and Hufanga was it. The only nitpicky complaint is that he needs to turn those dropped interceptions into takeaways, which he had two against the Texans.
Offense: Garett Bolles | LT | Grade: 78.6
Another game of Bolles playing at an elite level, and against a tough pair of pass rushers. He allowed two pressures on the day, bringing his season total to seven, and did a good job creating running lanes.
Bo Nix | Grade: 42.6
The Broncos are lucky that Nix walks out of this game with only one interception, as Texans defenders dropped two others and got extremely close to two more. The Texans created issues for Nix pre- and post-snap, but he was able to overcome them and make enough plays to lead the Broncos to victory.
Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Denver Broncos running back J.K. Dobbins (27) runs during the second half against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. / Sean Thomas-Imagn Images
Dre Greenlaw | LB | Grade: 87.6
Denver made getting Greenlaw a priority, and his play speaks for itself. While he has been limited to two games and 48 total snaps, he has picked up two pressures on four blitzes, 13 tackles, and has not allowed a single target to be caught.
Add in how aware Greenlaw is against the run, and the Broncos have the makings of a special player at the position.
Zach Allen | DL | Grade: 85.9
Allen was a force against the Texans’ offensive line and was able to exploit their rotation at left guard with tremendous success. While there are typically some rough moments as a run defender, Allen graded out higher with his run defense than pass rush, though only barely.
John Franklin-Myers | DL | Grade: 80.5
The Broncos need to get an extension done with Franklin-Myers, as his cost is only going up with each game he plays. He’s been such a force on the defensive line, and it’s such a strength for the defense that the team needs to keep it intact going forward.
Quinn Meinerz | RG | Grade: 75.8
The Broncos’ right guard has been back to playing at an All-Pro level after what was a rough six games to start the season. After an exceptional game against the Dallas Cowboys, Meinerz was again great against the Texans.
Luke Wattenberg | C | Grade: 70.5
Another offensive lineman who had a rough start to the season, but Wattenberg started to find his footing over recent weeks. While there are still issues with his blocking, he has been playing at a level that is easier to live with.
J.K. Dobbins | RB | Grade: 64.3
The Broncos’ running game performed well against the Texans, though they tried to take it away. On his best run of the day, Dobbins went up against a nine-man box and took the ball for nine yards, running into the teeth of the defense.
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Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) runs against Denver Broncos safety Brandon Jones (22) during the first half at NRG Stadium. / Sean Thomas-Imagn Images
Evan Engram | TE | Grade: 39.4
Engram had a rough game, and the Broncos struggled to get him into favorable matchups. On top of that, his issues as a blocker showed up on multiple plays, making them play-killers.
Alex Palczewski | LG | Grade: 41.4
There is a slight break given to Palczewski, as he was sick for the game, with a water bottle marked so he was the only one using it, and his play left a lot to be desired. With how sick he seemingly felt, it was an admirable game, but these grades aren’t done on a curve for things like that.
Adam Trautman | TE | Grade: 42.5
Trautman graded out worse than Engram as a blocker, and his two catches were what kept his grade from being 36.5. Denver needs to find someone who isn’t a liability as a blocker, as that is his primary role with Nate Adkins out.
At least Engram is the primary receiving tight end. Perhaps Marcedes Lewis’ role will increase here after he made his Broncos debut in Houston.
D.J. Jones | DL | Grade: 51.7
It was a solid showing from Jones, who was still in the positive grade threshold, over 50, but was the worst player in an outstanding defensive showing. There were some misses as a run defender, which kept his grade low.
Eyioma Uwazurike | DL | Grade: 52.6
The Texans did a good job of breaking down Uwazurike as a run defender and generating movement against him. There were still plenty of flashes, but less consistency than Denver had gotten out of him over the previous weeks.
Brandon Jones | S | Grade: 53.2
Jones has not been playing to expectations after how great he was last season, but part of that may be his usage. There were a couple of miscommunication moments between Jones and his teammates that left a small opening for the Texans to generate a big play.
Nov 2, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) jumps over Denver Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) during the first half at NRG Stadium. / Sean Thomas-Imagn Images
Malcolm Roach | DL | Grade: 80.2
Roach had such a great game that it needs to be talked about. He has been a force for Denver since coming off injured reserve. He has definitely earned an extension.
Riley Moss | CB | Grade: 78.6
There was a lot of pressure on Moss, and while he allowed some plays, he had a stellar game. It wasn’t perfect, but perfection shouldn’t be the expectation. When it mattered most, Moss came up with some big plays for the defense.
Pat Bryant | WR | Grade: 63.1
The Broncos need to find a way to get Bryant more involved in the passing game, as it was another week of him coming up clutch when needed to move the chains. His blocking continues to be great, so it’s time to reward him with more designed usage.
Mike McGlinchey | RT | Grade: 44.7
While Bolles did an outstanding job against a tough matchup, McGlinchey faltered. Thankfully, McGlinchey didn’t allow the Texans’ edges to take over the game, but it got close.
There were multiple big moments when McGlinchey was beaten, which disrupted the play and led to wasted downs.
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