HOUSTON — Maybe, it was because Kareem Jackson didn’t want the game against the Texans to be about him that his Broncos teammates made it about him.
“We weren’t playing for ourselves today,’’ said Von Miller, who will always be the Broncos’ top star defensive player. “We were playing for K-Jack. I said it last night, ‘Let’s do it for K-Jack.’’
Jackson, who partners with Justin Simmons to give the Broncos arguably the best safety tandem in the NFL, couldn’t have dreamed of a better game against a Texans’ team that let him walk to free agency this spring after nine seasons.
He had 11 tackles – an incredible total for a safety – and a 70-yard touchdown return on a handoff from teammate Jeremiah Attaochu, who recovered a fumble. Jackson also had an interception and a bone-crushing, tone-setting hit that separated Texans’ star receiver DeAndre Hopkins from a third down-converting reception.
Afterwards, when Broncos head coach Vic Fangio gave Jackson one of the game balls, the safety was surrounded by joyous teammates who even lifted him up in celebration.
“It was special,’’ Jackson said. “Special when you have the guys rallying behind me but me I just wanted to treat it as another game on the schedule.
“Obviously I knew I was coming here early in the year. It was just all about me being a piece of the puzzle. I didn’t want to make it all about me and my return here. At the end of the day we had to come in here and execute as a team regardless if I had played here or it was another team. It was about getting the job done as a team and I felt like we did that in all three phases.’’
>> Listen to Klis' game recap on the Klis' Mike Drop podcast below
Dre’Mont suffers high ankle sprain
Broncos’ defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones suffered what was diagnosed as a high ankle sprain early in the game. The extent of the injury won’t be known until after an MRI exam on Monday morning, but Jones is expected to miss at least one game.
If it’s determined he has a multiple-week injury, his rookie season would be in jeopardy of ending as the Broncos have just three games remaining.
Davis a tackling machine
Broncos inside linebacker Todd Davis had a team-most 15 tackles against the Texans, giving him a team-leading 103 on the year – an impressive total considering he missed all of training camp, all of preseason, and the first two games of the regular season with a calf injury.
Davis has at least 10 tackles in each of his last five games. He is about to lead the Broncos in tackles for the third time in four years.
Bronco Bits
Noah Fant finished with 113 receiving yards, making him one of just six tight ends to have multiple 100-yard games in their rookie season. Mike Ditka holds the record with 5, 100-yard games in his rookie season with the Chicago Bears in 1961. …
Will Parks has been underrated. He’s been playing with a cast on his left hand and left thumb, yet had four tackles and a game-clinching interception while moving from safety to nickel corner. …
Ja’Wuan James returned to play right tackle for the first half. Elijah Wilkinson replaced him in the second half.
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