Five Key Matchups: Broncos vs. Texans

With a half-sack of Patrick Mahomes last Sunday, Von Miller has now recorded sacks against 42 different NFL quarterbacks, and he'll look to make that number 43 when he faces Deshaun Watson for the first time. Miller has been on fire lately, collecting four sacks in his last three games. To notch another sack, though, he'll have to hunt down one of the league's most athletic quarterbacks. Watson can use his legs to extend plays or run downfield, so keeping him in the pocket could be a key to success. Watson's offensive line has been banged up all season, and Miller could have the chance to make a game-changing play coming off the edge.

When it comes to defensive linemen, it's hard to find one better than J.J. Watt. The four-time First-Team All-Pro and three-time Defensive Player of the Year is having another terrific season with eight sacks, tied for second in the NFL.

"He's a great player," Head Coach Vance Joseph said Thursday. "We have to block him and account for him, and if we don't, he can wreck the game."

But Jared Veldheer has proven to be one of the Broncos' best and most consistent linemen, and his return to the lineup after missing four games with a knee bruise will be a welcome one, especially against Watt.

Emmanuel Sanders is on pace for one of his finest seasons as a pro, and his performance will be key on Sunday in the Broncos' first game without Demaryius Thomas. Sanders has been remarkably consistent in 2018, with at least four catches and 51 total yards in every contest, and he has recorded touchdowns as a receiver, runner and thrower this year. Sanders could find himself matched up with Tyrann Mathieu, a former First-Team All-Pro now in his first season with Houston. Though Mathieu is listed as a safety, he can play all over the defensive formation and could very well play across the Broncos' top receiver. Mathieu leads the Texans' secondary in tackles (46), sacks (two) and is tied for the lead in interceptions (two).

Two of the best players at their craft will meet Sunday when Chris Harris Jr. lines up opposite DeAndre Hopkins. Harris has been one of the league's best cornerbacks this season, and his seven passes defended are tied for 14th in the NFL. Harris has shown he can make the big play, too, bringing an interception back 53 yards for a touchdown against Arizona. After matching up with diminutive speedster Tyreek Hill last week, Harris faces a much different challenge this week in DeAndre Hopkins, who stands 6'1" and has a huge catch radius. Hopkins is third in the NFL in receiving yards and tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns. Deshaun Watson likes getting the ball to Hopkins on a variety of short, medium and long throws, so the matchup between these two will likely span much of the field and take up the full 60 minutes.

The Broncos' defense has done a terrific job against the run the past couple of weeks, and it will likely need to step up again on Sunday. Domata Peko Sr., in the middle of it all, can lead that charge. The 13-year veteran can take up double-teams in the middle and allow his teammates to attack the gaps to bring down Houston ball carriers, namely Lamar Miller. With back-to-back weeks of at least 100 yards rushing, Miller is providing tough running in between the tackles. The Texans have run more than any other team over the past five weeks, so slowing down Miller could force them to abandon their run-first game plan.

"I just think guys are doing their job and executing their job — fitting their gaps and just recognizing the runs a little bit better," Defensive Coordinator Joe Woods said Thursday. "We've seen some exotic-type runs in the previous games, but [I'm] really pleased with how they played the run the last two."