The Broncos had planned for Manning to play at least a quarter, and a half at most.
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The Texans fell to the Broncos 14-10 in their second preseason matchup against Denver.
The defense played strong all night, showing up against Peyton Manning and the Broncos first team offense under new head coach, former Texans coach, Gary Kubiak.
Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos is shown in this file photo.
Manning had four possessions that all ended in punts.
The Texans defense came out firing to start the game, forcing a punt thanks to a nice third down play by first round pick Kevin Johnson. “It’s great to see a lot of people and a lot of those players that were a big part of my life for a long time”.
Some of those struggles were also a result of questionable, if not intentionally conservative playcalling.
One area that the Broncos will be looking to show progress will be in offense.
Osweiler would put the ball in the right spot as Caldwell caught it in stride and ran in for the touchdown.
Of course, Osweiler’s big mistake in the 3rd quarter will quiet any possible (premature) (preseason) quarterback controversy. Outside linebacker Kourtnei Brown had a game-changing interception that he returned 69 yards for the Texans lone touchdown of the night.
QB Trevor Siemian continued to split third-team repetitions with QB Zac Dysert, but on Thursday saw second-team work with Peyton Manning taking an off-day. Completing 70% of his passes, Siemian found Corbin Louks for a 26-yard touchdown with under two minutes to play, and the Broncos went on to win 14-10.
The offensive line did not have to face Houston’s J.J. Watt, as the Texans gave the All-Pro defensive end the night off. The line kept Manning upright and flourished in the running game, allowing Broncos running backs to average 6.0 yards on their 13 first-half carries.
Hoyer entered the game and didn’t fare any better, going 7-of-11 for 52 yards.
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Brandon Marshall started at linebacker for the Broncos and made his presence felt, tallying three tackles and two passes defensed in limited work. It has opened up opportunity for rookie Darius Kilgo and waiver-wire claim Sione Fua. Daniels spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Texans and is the most productive tight end in the 13-year-old club’s history. He enjoyed a half-sack on the play that knocked him out of the game. Chris Polk would carry the load on the drive rushing the ball and catching a few passes.
