3 Blunt Takeaways from Broncos' 20-12 Win Over Titans

Despite starting the season with a win, we'll be hard-pressed to find a lighthearted or jovial Bo Nix after he threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in a strip-sack. The 25-year-old hopes to avoid the dreaded ‘sophomore slump’ that can plague NFL quarterbacks who surpassed expectations during their rookie campaign.

On Sunday afternoon in front of an electric crowd, Nix appeared flustered, frustrated, and overly wound-up in a performance that resulted in 25-of-40 passing for 176 yards and one touchdown. Instead of playing loose and relaxed, he seemed easily agitated by the lack of efficiency with which Denver’s offense operated, delay-of-game and holding penalties, and a rusty unit that was out of sorts. 

Titans' defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons was relentless with his pressure on Nix, despite coming up with just one sack in the contest, and was even seen baiting the Broncos' quarterback to exchange heated words before Nix was ushered away by teammates.

There was plenty of rust and dysfunction offensively, as illustrated by the Broncos going 6-for-15 (40%) on third down, 0-for-2 on fourth down, and 1-for-3 in the red zone. 

On the other hand, Nix and the Broncos' offense earned 4.5 yards per play, won the total time of possession by over three minutes, and outpaced their opponent in total yards, plays, and gains.

It wasn't all doom and gloom for a quarterback who refused to roll over and succumb to a rough day at the office. Ugly wins work, too, Bo. Try having some fun on the field.

Payton’s Run Game: Better Late than Never

Coming into this game, fans believed Payton's promise that this offense would be balanced with an effective running game. This new offensive identity was designed exclusively for Denver’s newest running backs, J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey, to take some pressure off Nix.

But instead of deploying the duo of runners early and often, Payton opted to come out throwing the football in a game that saw Nix toss the ball 40 times, resulting in a 62.5 completion percentage. In the first half alone, Payton called a total of nine run plays to 22 passes, before finally opting to take some pressure off of Nix. Two of Nix's turnovers were in the first half.

The Broncos' offensive line did a commendable job against a physical Titans' defensive line that boasted Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat clogging up the trenches. Harvey finished the game with six rushes for 70 yards, while Dobbins earned 63 yards on 16 attempts.

The highlight moments for both backs and Denver's running game came in the fourth quarter after Harvey busted off a 50-yard burst that reinvigorated the Broncos' anemic offense. Just a few plays later, Dobbins earned his first touchdown as a Bronco, bursting through the line for a physical 19-yard score.

Whether Payton will commit to a run game and for how long is anyone’s guess. But at least Nix didn’t lead the team in rushing this one.

Denver’s Dominant Defense Looks Even Scarier

Defensive coordinator Vance Joseph’s unit brought the heat against Titans' rookie quarterback Cam Ward, who was officially welcomed to the NFL by the Broncos’ ferocious pass-rushing posse that recorded six sacks on Tennessee’s No. 1 overall pick. 

While Ward had some impressive moments hanging in there from the pocket, the Broncos peppered him with multiple hits and a variety of schemes, resulting in a 12-for-28 day passing, with 112 yards and zero touchdowns. Denver’s defense didn’t surrender a single touchdown, for that matter, surrendering 12 points to the Titans, all via field goals.

To be fair, Ward's receivers dropped many passes, and the Titans' banged-up and inexperienced offensive line committed loads of penalties, which didn’t help the rookie and the offense. That was exacerbated by Broncos' pass rushers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper, who constantly harassed the Titans' running backs and greenhorn signal-caller. 

Broncos' cornerback Patrick Surtain II and new safety Talanoa Hufanga — two of eight team captains — led a secondary that held the Titans' receivers to just 12 total catches in the entire game. None of Tennessee’s wideouts logged more than 30 yards, and the individual game-high was Calvin Ridley's four receptions for 27 yards.

The Broncos' defense was destined to feast, having six different players record a sack, in addition to two forced fumbles and four pass deflections. The Broncos held the Titans to 133 total yards, with a 2.4 yards-per-play average. 

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We knew going into this season that Denver’s identity stemmed largely from its respected, talented defense that pushed teams to the brink in 2024. Sunday’s victory made it feel like the Broncos were aiming to earn the reputation of being the most feared and aggressive defense in all of football, something the team surely needs.