Texans vs. Broncos 2016: Game time, TV schedule and team news for ‘Monday Night Football’

The Denver Broncos got off to a fast 4-0 start, but it’s been a rough couple of weeks for the defending Super Bowl champions. They’ll try to get back to their winning ways in a Monday Night Football home date against the Houston Texans.

The Broncos hit a skid in October, losing two games in a row to fall to 4-2. Trevor Siemian sat out Week 5 with a shoulder injury and rookie Paxton Lynch struggled in his NFL debut as the Atlanta Falcons tripped up Denver at Mile High. Siemian returned the next week for a Thursday night game against the San Diego Chargers, but he clearly wasn’t 100 percent. Siemian threw for just 230 yards on 50 pass attempts, a staggeringly low 4.6 yards per attempt. The Chargers jumped out to a 19-2 lead and held on for the 21-13 victory.

Siemian should be closer to full health after extra days of rest following a Thursday game, but the Broncos have more pressing concerns in their running game. C.J. Anderson is stuck in mud, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry, and he hasn’t cleared 50 rushing yards in a game since recording 74 in Week 2. Meanwhile, rookie Devontae Booker continues to impress in limited action, with a 4.7 yards per carry average on 34 carries. Head coach Gary Kubiak is expected to give Booker more playing time, setting up the backfield as a full-blown committee. Although Denver’s defense is still playing at a high level, there are some cracks in the offense that the Broncos need to figure out in time for the season’s stretch run.

The Texans are one of the least convincing 4-2 teams in football, but we doubt Bill O’Brien is too concerned about winning ugly, as long as they keep winning. The Brock Osweiler contract is looking like a massive boondoggle so far, and he’s had long stretches of inept play this season. However, Osweiler put it together long enough to rally the team last Sunday night, overcoming a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and beating the Indianapolis Colts in overtime.

In all honesty, that game probably says more about the Colts than it does the Texans. Houston’s other wins this year came over the Chicago Bears, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tennessee Titans. Kansas City is the only team in that group with a winning record. Their two losses (New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings) were humiliating blowouts to expected playoff teams. The AFC South is bad enough that the Texans are still considered favorites, but it’s doubtful they’ll last long in January if they keep playing like this.

If there’s anything to take away from last week’s win, it’s that Lamar Miller is finally hitting his stride. He hit the 100-yard mark for the first time since Week 1, slicing up the Colts with 178 total yards and two touchdowns on 27 touches and finally looking like the true workhorse the Texans were hoping to get when they added him in free agency.

Despite the Broncos’ reputation as a shutdown defense, they’re surprisingly soft against the run, ranking just 22nd in rushing yards allowed per game. If Miller’s comeback is for real, then he’ll have to produce against the Broncos this week. His success (or lack thereof) will go a long way towards determining whether Houston is a serious threat this year.

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Place: Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver

TV: ESPN

Announcers: Sean McDonough, Jon Gruden, Lisa Salters

Online: WatchESPN