For the fourth time in nine games, the Denver Broncos' defense has denied an opposing offense from reaching its end zone.

In Sunday's 18-15 win over the Houston Texans, the Broncos accomplished the feat on the road without reigning Defensive Player of the Year Pat Surtain II and facing a talented group of Houston skill players.

If that sounds impressive, consider just how thoroughly the Texans challenged the Broncos' defensive mettle and how wildly close Houston came to celebrating in the end zone.

First-and-goal from the Denver 1 with just over two minutes left in the first quarter. First-and-goal from the Denver 2 a couple of drives later. Three additional Houston drives that reached the 20-yard line or closer. Situations in which, against most defenses, a touchdown is virtually a foregone conclusion for the offense.

But the Broncos did not allow the football to cross the plane on any of those five drives. The Texans ran seven plays from within the Denver 10-yard line and did not punch it in on any of them. That strength and execution proved pivotal in a Denver victory that came down to the final play, a 34-yard game winning field goal by kicker Wil Lutz.

Safety Talanoa Hufanga detailed the Broncos' defensive philosophy in such disadvantageous situations. The key, he explained, is utilizing that same focus that has made the unit dominant on other parts of the field.

"Regardless of the situation, wherever the ball is put on the ground, we've got to play the football," Hufanga said. "Early on in the game, we had the goal-line stand that we had, forced them [into] a fourth-down penalty. That was a testament to the guys that regardless of where the ball is at, they didn't get into the end zone today."

In setting up the first red-zone trip, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud found tight end Dalton Schultz for a 47-yard reception and added an 8-yard scramble to position Houston 36 inches from the goal line. The Texans attempted rushes on three consecutive plays, but the Broncos stuffed each attempt for no gain — with inside linebacker Dre Greenlaw a part of each of the tackles. A false start penalty dissuaded Houston from attempting a fourth play from inside the 5-yard line and ended the drive with a Texans field goal.

Two drives later, Texans backup quarterback Davis Mills orchestrated a long drive of his own and advanced to the Denver 2 with a pass to wide receiver Nico Collins. Linebacker Alex Singleton halted Mills' ensuing quarterback sneak attempt immediately, and an offensive holding penalty on Xavier Hutchinson moved the Texans back 10 yards. A third-down sack from outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper dropped Mills for a 12-yard loss and sent the Houston offense back to the sideline.

The Broncos sealed their seventh victory of the season on Lutz's field goal, and quarterback Bo Nix's touchdown pass and ensuing two-point conversion helped set up Denver's fourth fourth-quarter rally in their past five games. Those two sequences were crucial to the Broncos' victory and were the finishing flourish on yet another Denver comeback.

Still, Head Coach Sean Payton looked back to the first half after the game and underscored the importance of the Denver defense holding its ground at the goal line in those two stands.

"That was pretty big," Payton said of the goal-line stands. "When you have that on the 1-yard line, the emotional swing that that creates for your team and what that does to the team [on offense is significant]. They had the penalty then, but that was significant."

While Payton spoke to the emotional impact on both teams, Hufanga explained the straightforward math behind the impact of holding an opponent to a field goal when a touchdown is close at hand. In each instance, the Broncos limited Houston to a field goal instead of the more likely outcome of a touchdown and saved four points.

"It's a four-point play," Hufanga said. "And the offense knows that … when they are down there and they don't come away with four points, that's a big deal. For us, I think we held them to five field goals — six [attempted], five made — which is huge. You're talking about [four] points that it is the difference in the game right now, where we are not kicking the game-winning field goal if they made that."

By the second half, the Broncos' defense extended their situational dominance to the entirety of the field.

Denver only allowed the Texans to score three points in seven second-half drives, and Houston recorded a single first down in its final six drives. The Broncos' defense has posted plenty of staggering stat lines this season, but their third-down performance nearly defies belief: the Texans converted 3-of-17 third-down attempts in the game. With the Texans' offense neutralized, Bo Nix and the Broncos' offense scored 11 unanswered points to steal a win on the road.

Payton singled out the Broncos' success in the trenches as the difference-maker in a game that was decided on its final play.

"If you want to know one thing, we controlled the line of scrimmage," Payton said. "We felt like there was a big advantage for us in this game, our front vs. their offensive line."

In a battle of top-five defenses, the Broncos' unit faced some of its most challenging situations of the season and held firm — stands that helped keep Denver in the game as the offense was finding its footing. While the Texans defense faltered in the final quarter as Bo Nix's clutch instincts took over, the Denver defense found its stride and played lockdown defense the rest of the way.

"I don't think anybody really forgot about us," Cooper said. "... I think we have the best defense in the league. I'm going to keep saying that and keep standing on that week in and week out. We definitely came out and showed some of that today, and what's crazy is, I think we can be even better."