The Denver Broncos are on the road in Week 9, taking on the Houston Texans, a 10-win playoff team that is off to a slow start in 2025. However, the Broncos and, specifically, quarterback Bo Nix’s job officially got tougher on Friday.
The Broncos’ final injury report of Week 9 confirmed an earlier trend from the week, with their All-Pro return man and listed No. 2 wide receiver, Marvin Mims, ruled out due to a concussion.
It thins out a largely unproven group of playmakers around Nix.
Bo Nix Loses WR2 as Broncos Rule Marvin Mims Out vs Texans
GettyMarvin Mims Jr. #19 of the Denver Broncos puts on his helmet during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mims suffered a concussion against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 8, and the 2023 second-round pick never progressed enough to practice at any point leading up to Week 9, when the Broncos will face the league’s fifth-ranked scoring and overall defense.
That defense features a strong secondary and a dynamic pass rush.
Notably, Nix is on his third starting left guard after Ben Powers and replacement Matt Peart landed on injured reserve.
Nix has done well to avoid sacks, leading the league in sack rates among qualifying QBs, per Pro Football Reference. Losing Mims, whose speed is as useful on screens as it is on deep passes and in the return game, is a significant blow on paper.
However, Mims ranks fourth on the Broncos in targets this season.
Pro Bowler Courtland Sutton leads the way. Nix’s fellow second-year man and former Oregon Ducks teammate, Troy Franklin, is second, while tight end Evan Engram ranks third.
Nix and the Broncos also lean on rookies in Pat Bryant at wide receiver and RJ Harvey out of the backfield as a pass-catcher. Starting tailback J.K. Dobbins also has dual-threat capabilities, though the Broncos have utilized him in that way relatively sparingly.
While the Broncos also ruled tight end Nate Adkins out, they still have Adam Trautman and signed Marcedes Lewis to the practice squad this week.
Broncos’ Injuries Loom Large
GettyPat Surtain II #2 of the Denver Broncos reacts after a win over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Backing Nix and the offense, the Broncos are getting linebacker Dre Greenlaw back from a one-game suspension.
They will not have All-Pro cornerback Pat Surtain II in their secondary, though.
That could prove problematic with Texans wide receivers Christian Kirk and Nico Collins returning from injury-related absences. Collins, Texans QB C.J. Stroud’s top target, suffered a concussion in Week 7 that sidelined him last week.
Kirk, who missed the Texans’ first two games of the season with hamstring issues, missed their Weeks 7 and 8 contests after aggravating the injury in practice.
The Texans also cleared Dalton Schultz at tight end and Woody Marks at running back.
Texans Need Replacements to Step Up
GettyKris Abrams-Draine #31 of the Denver Broncos in action against the Green Bay Packers.
Surtain’s replacement, be it Kris Abrams-Draine or Jahdae Barron, could supplant Riley Moss as the most targeted Broncos defender in Week 9. The Broncos need their top-flight pass rush, which leads the league in sacks, to expose the weaknesses in the Texans’ offensive line.
That would be at center and left guard. Coincidentally, Nix and the Broncos are on their third starting LG due to injuries.
The Texans’ pass rush is stronger off the edges than it is up the middle.
However, their talented backend could force Nix to hold the ball longer, while the Texans’ edge rushers prevent him from breaking the pocket for scrambles, at which he has proven to be effective. Nix and the Broncos can deliver another statement with a win over the Texans.
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