The Houston Texans encountered the Denver Broncos in Week 13 at NRG Stadium.
Both 6-5 clubs were looking for the inside edge to mount sustainable playoff positioning on the first Sunday of December.
Here is a brief look at how the Texans and Broncos fared through the first half of play.
Offense
Houston went three-and-out on its first drive of the game.
he Texans got on the board first the following drive with kicker Matt Ammendola hitting a 29-yard field goal to cap off a drive that went 36 yards in five plays.
The third drive was where the offense came to life with quarterback C.J. Stroud throwing a 52-yard pass to receiver Nico Collins. Running back Dameon Pierce punched in a 3-yard touchdown to give Houston a 10-0 early lead with 3:53 left in the first quarter.
Receiver Tank Dell was carted off the field on the fourth drive. Houston had to settle for a 38-yard field goal and a 13-0 lead with 12:54 in the second quarter.
Stroud went 8-of-15 for 182 yards. Pierce delivered with five carries for 35 yards and a touchdown. Collins had four catches for 122 yards.
Defense
Houston managed to turn Denver three-and-out on its first drive. Defensive end Will Anderson had a productive second drive with a tackle and an 11-yard sack to force a second three-and-out. The Texans held Denver to 106 yards and 0-6 third downs.
