3 Keys to a Broncos Victory Over Titans in Week 1

Step aside, Denver Nuggets' NBA Champ and MVP Nikola Jokić, because there’s a new ‘Joker’ in Denver. Payton’s long, exhaustive offseason search for that highly versatile and mythical offensive mismatch player, defined as something between an elite pass-catcher and/or a running back, came in the form of tight end Evan Engram inking a two-year contract in the spring. 

The two-time Pro Bowler will make his Denver debut against a Titans defense that boasts two former Broncos in defensive lineman Dre’Mont Jones and linebacker Cody Barton. Engram hopes Payton’s offense, commanded by second-year quarterback Bo Nix, can reinvigorate him entering his ninth season.

As a play-caller, Payton doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel to heat up an early connection between Nix and Engram. A variation of relatively simple routes that include slants, outs, or passes in the flat has the potential to establish some rhythm for potential five-to-six-yard gains at a time.

Before the Titans know it, stick routes in the middle of the field or seam routes vertically up the hash marks have the potential to gash its secondary with Engram’s elite route-running and contested-catch ability. After all, Engram chose to don the No. 1 jersey, and with that come premium expectations in the first game of the season.

Joker’s wild.

K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Secondary)

Before the arrival of Broncos 2025 first-round pick (No. 20) Jahdae Barron from Texas, the team's strength came from its elite defense. When Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph rolls out his base 3-4 defense against Tennessee on Sunday, he’ll do so with cornerback Patrick Surtain II, the reigning 2024 Defensive Player of the Year, who’ll draw the assignment of either Titans wideout Tyler Lockett, whom he faced in last year’s opener in Seattle, or rookie Elic Ayomanor.

Sprinkle in new Broncos safety and team captain, Talanoa Hufunga, to the mix with returning starters in safety Brandon Jones, and cornerbacks Riley Moss and Ja’Quan McMilian, and it’s evident that Denver’s already beastly defense has received even scarier upgrades this past offseason through the draft and free agency.

Therefore, Joseph doesn’t need to tip his hand in the first game of the season by showing the rest of the league his variety of schemes against the rookie Ward, who’ll have his hands full. Save the camouflage for those coming AFC and divisional opponents with playoff aspirations. 

Instead of exotic blitz packages or passing off advanced coverage clouds in the secondary, Denver’s pass-rushing posse, led by outside linebackers Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper and defensive end Zach Allen, should be able to get through the Titans' offensive line, a unit led by former Broncos center Lloyd Cushenberry III. ‘Cush’ will be tasked with blocking his former teammate and D.J. Jones. 

Tennessee’s O-line ranks near the bottom of the barrel by many metrics, and is also monitoring the health of two starters. Titans left tackle Dan Moore Jr. missed practice on Wednesday, while right guard Kevin Zeitler didn’t participate in the preseason games.

It’s straightforward in this one for Denver’s defense. Attack and frustrate a beleaguered Titans O-line that’ll struggle to protect its naive and wide-eyed rookie quarterback.

Deploy Denver’s New Quadzilla Monster

Payton can ill afford a half-hearted effort when calling run plays in 2025. Fans will remember how Payton wrote ‘RUN IT!!!’ in Sharpie at the top of his play sheet during a primetime matchup vs. the Los Angeles Chargers down the stretch last season.

Alas, Payton’s self-reminder signaled that perhaps the former Super Bowl-winning head coach can be his own biggest obstacle when trying to find balance between the run and the pass.

But when you draft a 5-foot-8, 205-pound running back nicknamed ‘Quadzilla’ from UCF, the commitment speaks for itself, at least on paper. RJ Harvey is listed as the No. 2 running back on Denver’s depth chart behind the fourth-year veteran J.K. Dobbins, but sooner or later, the young buck will be tasked with shouldering the load. 

Denver’s new-look running back room saw significant turnover this summer, with the third-year Jaleel McLaughlin being the longest-tenured player in the stable, followed by Tyler Badie. Harvey struggled at times in the preseason, but it can be difficult to measure a starter, let alone a rookie’s level of performance, in an exhibition game.

Instead of Harvey always bouncing it outside to the perimeter, a healthy dose of north and south inside handoffs should get him familiar with contact, picking up yardage for Payton’s offense. Additionally, Harvey should be mixed into the passing game early and often, which is a prerequisite for all of Payton’s running backs.

If inside runs get snuffed out, short passes in the flat or basic wheel routes and screens can be a beneficial design to get a dynamic player like Harvey in space. Remember, the idea is to take some pressure off Nix and the Broncos' offensive line, who were obliged to pass the ball relentlessly last season sans a plausible running game.

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‘Quadzilla’ Harvey may not be a common name among the NFL quite yet, but Broncos Country can look to the orange horizon awaiting this monster’s arrival.