A week after facing the top-scoring offense in the NFL, the Broncos have a different test in Week 9.

The AFC West-leading Broncos (6-2) head to Houston to battle the Texans (3-4) and their top-ranked defense, and Denver will aim to earn its third consecutive road win.

The C.J. Stroud-led group has won three of its last four games to get back in the wild-card race, but the Broncos' own top-five defense will look to slow that momentum.

These are the questions that will help determine if the Broncos can earn a sixth-consecutive win:

CAN THE BRONCOS' OFFENSE MAINTAIN MOMENTUM VS. HOUSTON'S TOP-RANKED DEFENSE?

Denver's offense is coming off perhaps its finest stretch of the season, as the Broncos have recorded 77 points over their last five quarters of play. In a Week 8 win over the Cowboys, the Broncos posted their highest home point total since 2014 and earned the fast start they'd been seeking via 14 first-quarter points.

In Week 9, though, the Broncos' challenge will be significantly more difficult.

"It's an entirely different look than what we were looking at a week ago," Head Coach Sean Payton said Wednesday.

The Texans' defense — led by Pro Bowlers Derek Stingley Jr., Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter — lead the NFL in both scoring defense and total defense. The group has allowed just 14.7 points per game and 266.9 yards per game while also tying for the third most takeaways per game of any unit.

Houston's scheme isn't the most complex the Broncos will face in 2025, but the players execute at a high level.

"This is, in my opinion, the best defense that we've faced," Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi said. "It's not a very complex scheme, but it's a good scheme. It's a scheme that the players know. It's a fast defense and it allows them to play really fast. It's going to be a big challenge. They're aggressive, they run fast, they hit hard. They're a group with really good instincts."

The Texans' are particularly stingy against the deep pass, as the group ranks first in opposing completion percentage (19.0) and passer rating (17.3) on passes of at least 20 yards. Houston has not allowed a touchdown on such passes and has recorded a pair of interceptions.

During Denver's five-game winning streak, quarterback Bo Nix has averaged 273.6 passing yards per game while recording 13 total touchdowns to just two giveaways. The Broncos' ability to avoid turnovers will likely be critical against the top-ranked unit, as will Nix's knack for avoiding pressure. Through Week 8, Nix has been pressured at the second-lowest rate in the league (23.6 percent) while taking the fewest sacks (8) among any quarterback with at least six starts.

"There's definitely a little bit more that we have to bring," Nix said. "We have to execute at a higher level. They're not going to give us much, so we have to literally go out there and be aggressive and take the things that we're going to be able to get. They're one of the top defenses for a reason. They do a good job of limiting you to points, and they force some turnovers, and so we have to do a good job with the ball, and move the chains, and create some longer drives and then score when we have the opportunity."

It may also be critical for Denver's third-ranked rushing offense to gain an edge against the Texans' top-five rushing defense.

The challenge will be difficult on Sunday, but the Broncos will look to play clean football to live up to the challenge.

HOW DOES DENVER'S SECONDARY RESPOND WITHOUT PAT SURTAIN II?

For the first time in more than a year, the Broncos will be without Pat Surtain II.

The reigning Defensive Player of the Year was ruled out after suffering a pectoral injury against the Cowboys, and Denver will look to slow the Texans' passing attack without the All-Pro cornerback.

"Obviously, when we game-plan, it goes through Pat, because it makes it easy," Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph said Thursday. "You can be aggressive and you can play certain coverages with Pat that you can't play with other guys. But we do have a system that fits all our players. It's always players first and system second. We can adjust quickly. That's part of being an NFL coach, adjusting quickly to your personnel and moving forward. Not having Pat is going to be huge for us, but I expect no drop-off. The standard doesn't change."

As the Broncos prepare to face C.J. Stroud on the heels of his first 300-yard game of the season, Denver had the benefit of the week of preparation. Denver's defense performed admirably against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys without Surtain in the second half — giving up just seven second-half points to the Prescott-led offense — but Joseph noted it would make "a big difference" to have a week to plan.

The challenge against the Texans will include slowing Nico Collins, who appears poised to return after missing Week 8 due to a concussion. Collins leads the Texans in receiving and had a nine-catch, 191-yard performance against the Broncos in 2023. Rookie Jaylin Noel has recorded 140 receiving yards across the last two weeks, while Xavier Hutchinson caught a season-high five passes for 69 yards last week.

"They have four or five guys who can all play," Joseph said.

As the Broncos look to contain the group of weapons, they could use a variety of options to replace Surtain. Second-year player Kris Abrams-Draine filled in for Surtain in Week 8, and cornerback Jahdae Barron has positional versatility, as well — though Payton did not disclose where Barron would play in Week 9.

Riley Moss has held up well opposite Surtain, as no player in football has been targeted more than Moss. Despite the constant action, Moss has allowed a league-low 40.0 completion percentage. Denver, as a group, has allowed a 56.8 completion percentage in 2025, which would be the lowest by any NFL team since 2021.

The Broncos have played without Surtain for less than 10 quarters since Joseph took over Denver's defense, which makes Denver's coverage plan difficult to predict. No matter who fills in for Surtain on, the Broncos' secondary will look to rise to the occasion on Sunday.

CAN DENVER'S PASS RUSH GET TO C.J. STROUD?

With a change in the secondary, Denver's pass rush may need to provide an extra boost for the Broncos' defense.

"Pat being out, we've all got to step up," John Franklin-Myers said. "Make more plays [and] do more for the team. Ultimately, that's going to help us win."

The unit has certainly done its part through the first eight weeks, as the Broncos rank first in sacks (36), quarterback hits (73), quarterback pressures (141), quarterback pressure rate (45.9) and players with at least four sacks (4).

Denver's pressure rate is the highest in a season since Next Gen Stats began tracking the data in 2018, while the unit's 11.7 percent sack rate is also the highest in the NGS era.

On Sunday, they'll face a Texans offense that has allowed the 14th-most sacks (15) and seventh-highest unblocked pressure rate (9.0 percent).

Stroud did find success in a Week 8 win, posting a perfect 158.3 passer rating against pressure as he completed 85.7 percent of his passes and averaged 14.7 yards per attempt. Through the first seven weeks, though, he completed 58.6 percent of his passes, averaged 4.9 yards per attempt and posted a 62.9 passer rating under pressure.

The Texans' quarterback also wasn't sacked in Week 8, which marked the first time this season that he wasn't sacked multiple times. Since the start of 2024, Stroud has been taken down 67 times — and Denver will look to add to that total.

If the Broncos can get to Stroud and force negative plays and a turnover or two, it could help swing the game in Denver's favor.