HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans' offensive line should take pride in its performance against the San Francisco 49ers last week. Sunday marked the first time this reworked unit has gone an entire game without surrendering a sack this season.
However, the challenge ahead only intensifies. With the Denver Broncos, who are the NFL's top pass-rushing team set to visit Houston on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS), the offensive line will once again be put to the test.
"We just have to play our technique," coach DeMeco Ryans said. "Don't overthink it, just play our technique."
In Houston's 26-15 win over San Francisco, the offensive line paved lanes in the run game and, most importantly, protected quarterback C.J. Stroud. Houston rushed for 157 yards -- the second most this season -- and Stroud was pressured on only 21.4% of his dropbacks -- a season low -- according to Next Gen Stats.
That allowed Stroud to throw for 318 yards -- his most in over a year -- with two touchdowns. The last time that he went a full game without being sacked was Week 6 of his rookie season in 2023 against the Atlanta Falcons.
As for the Broncos (6-2), they come into Week 9 ranked fifth in both scoring defense (18.9) and total yards (281.4). Then there's the pass rush -- which advanced stats show can pressure a quarterback in multitude of ways.
"[We have to] really strain to get them blocked up front -- knowing that they're a really solid group and really solid on the inside as well," Ryans said. "They'll play a five-down front. It's just everybody across the board is going to have to win their one-on-one matchup."
When Denver sends a five-man rush, it has a 51.8% pressure rate, second best. When it sends four, there's still a pressure rate of 42%, by far the best. Overall on the season, the Broncos pressure signal-callers on 45.9% of their dropbacks, the best.
Stroud believes his line, which enters the week ranked 28th in pass block win rate according to ESPN Analytics, is up to the task and that it will "be a good matchup."
"[Denver] does a good job of playing relentless," Stroud said. "They don't give up. They play really tough. The interior [defensive line], they have really good interior guys as well. So, they have a really good defensive line."
The Broncos are effective at getting unblocked pressures to the quarterback through disguise. Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph's unit is second in unblocked pressures (38).
Ryans also has endless respect for Joseph's football mind dating back to when Joseph was the Texans' secondary coach from 2011 to 2013 -- overlapping with Ryans as a player (2006-2011). So he knows first hand how the schematical aspect could stress first-year playcaller Nick Caley.
"Joseph, he does an unbelievable job of bringing a variety of pressures every single week," Ryans said. "You have to be ready. Again, all your protection rules get tested. Vance does a really good job of knowing how to stress your protection and where the weak points are. So, we know we're going to get strained in that area. It's going to take all 11, again, whether that's the backs stepping up in protection -- tight ends, our line -- and quarterbacks making the proper call."
Outside linebacker Nik Bonitto is the star of the Broncos pass. His eight sacks rank fourth in the NFL. Defensive tackle Zach Allen may not have a lot of sacks (four), but he hits the quarterback -- a ton. Allen leads in quarterback hits (22), and outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper is tied for seventh in sacks (six).
But amid the gaudy numbers rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery feels he and the line are up to the task.
"It just comes down to the technique," Ersery told ESPN. "A lot of the sacks that [Bonitto gets] is really not him doing a crazy move -- it's more so the tackle kind of hurting himself. We don't hurt ourselves. We'll be good."
Right tackle Tytus Howard, who has the second-lowest pressure rate (3.8) at this position, knows this week everyone has to "study the looks."
"Everybody on the same page should be good," Howard told ESPN. "Just stay inside out on pass [protection]. Take care of the five guys on the line."