When Payton first got the job in Denver, he hired Ben Kotwica as special teams coordinator and Mike Westhoff as assistant head coach and third-phase czar. Last season, the Broncos had a would-be game-winning chip-shot field goal blocked by the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, and Westhoff retired two days later.

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.

Old ties die hard, and so Sean Payton took to Broncos special-teams coordinator Darren Rizzi’s staunch defense on Friday.

HOUSTON -- The Denver Broncos have their first six-game winning streak since the franchise's last Super Bowl champion, and they sit atop the AFC West after once again constructing a great escape that turned a potentially crushing loss into a run-to-the ...

After a concussion knocked Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud out of the game, the Denver Broncos mounted another fourth-quarter comeback in an 18-15 win at NRG Stadium. Kicker Will Lutz buried the 34-yard game-winner as time expired to move Denver to 7-2.

Week 9 of the NFL schedule will give the shrinking number of remaining survivor pool players some solid options. Unless the Cincinnati Bengals were your pick, there wasn't a whole lot of carnage in Week 8 as most favorites pulled through.

Denver Broncos vs. Las Vegas Raiders Thursday, November 6, 2025 at 6:15 A.M. Mile High time Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado ATS Betting Lines: Denver -9.5 Moneyline Odds: Denver -560 / Las Vegas +420 Over/Under: 42.5

Initial thoughts from the Broncos’ 18-15 win over the Houston Texans in Week 9 at NRG Stadium: