VanderBlog: Next Steps

Houston has a record-setting rookie quarterback and a solid run defense. This team is far from perfect but it plays together and it's a thrill to watch.

The stakes were high in the Jacksonville game. The Texans could have been in first right now but they find themselves in 3rd place in the AFC South, thanks to an opportunistic Colts team that happened to get a win at NRG Stadium in Week 2.

Now comes Denver. The stakes are greater. This is what happens. This isn't your early-season Broncos. They've righted the ship and they're hungry to challenge for a playoff spot. The Texans have never beaten Russell Wilson. The Broncos give up yards on the ground and don't rack up that many. But they're the hottest takeaway team in the league and they're tied for the longest winning streak, having won five straight.

We can talk all day about big division games (three of them) to close out the regular season and how the Browns are visiting on Christmas Eve and all that. But the only thing that matters to the players and coaches is to regen and reload for the Broncos, and then get ready for New York