Titans @ Broncos
Final Score: Broncos 20, Titans 12
Writer: Cody Parker @codyjparker
This was one for the sickos. If you like to see offenses squander tremendous opportunities handed to them by their defense, this was your favorite game on the slate. The football gods did Cam Ward no favors by sending him on the road against one of the league’s best defenses, and Bo Nix seemingly played down to the competition. While this was decidedly a defensive battle, things should get easier for both offenses moving forward, and we did learn things about what both teams would do regarding rotations.
Ultimately, we saw what was more or less expected in this one: a dominant Denver defense overpowering a young QB
Three Up
- JK Dobbins – Don’t sell the farm here, but at least for the early season, Dobbins looks like the back to own in Denver.
- Troy Franklin – Post hype sleeper alert! Franklin was as involved as any Broncos wide receiver not named Courtland Sutton.
- Elic Ayomanor – Not a day he’ll write home about, but Ayomanor played a lot, was targeted seven times, and the Titans will need WRs to step up.
Three Down
- Pat Bryant – There was excitement for Bryant following preseason success, but the rookie played very little and found himself running behind Sutton, Franklin, Marvin Mims, and Trent Sherfield.
- Chig Okonkwo – After flashes of talent early in his career, Okonkwo was given every opportunity to contribute in this game, and failed to make an impact. Despite a drop, Gunnar Helm looms on the horizon.
- Bo Nix – The rushing opportunities will help in fantasy, but Nix will need to play better to become the sophomore breakout many were hoping for.
Tennessee Titans
Quarterback
Cam Ward: 12/28, 112 Yards | 1 Fumble (1 Lost)
Ward was at his best early on. He looked substantially better on script than he did later in the game. Ward started the game 7 of 10, but completed just five passes the rest of the way. The biggest issue for Ward was the passes he didn’t throw, as he took six sacks in the game. Yes, the Broncos (2024 league leaders in sacks) are good at this, but Ward held on to the ball too long, which was an occasional problem for him at Miami and Washington State. He looked lost against the blitz, doubly so when those blitzes came disguised. The worst of these sacks came consecutively in the fourth quarter. After a muffed punt by Marvin Mims, the Titans had the ball deep in Broncos territory, trailing just 13-12. After a two-yard run by Tony Pollard on first down, with the ball on the Denver 22, Ward took back-to-back sacks, retreating all the way to the Denver 49. Out of field goal range, the Titans opted to punt, failing to take the lead and ultimately losing. From a fantasy perspective, Ward’s lack of rushing (he had zero attempts) is a major limiter on his upside. Ward is primarily a pocket passer, but he ran for over 400 yards in college. With that college number including sacks, it would’ve been nice to see at least a few carries here.
Despite all that, Ward led four scoring drives, even if they all ended in three points as opposed to six. Giving your team a chance to win while on the road in your NFL debut deserves aplomb. Also of note is that several of Ward’s on-target throws were dropped. Drops have always been and will always be something all QBs have to deal with, but it was hard to watch this game and not leave with the impression that Ward was let down by his pass-catchers. Tennessee’s pass-catchers struggled to make plays as a whole, often leaving Ward without an open receiver to throw to. With Calvin Ridley covered by Patrick Surtain II, and youth in the receiving corps beyond him, there is hope that this will improve going forward.
Bluntly, this was a bad game for Ward. However, given the degree of difficulty in his debut, it’s very likely that better times are ahead. The Titans head home to Nashville next week to host the Los Angeles Rams, and Ward will be someone to keep your eyes on.
Running Back
Tony Pollard: 18 Carries, 60 Yards, 1 Fumble (1 Lost) | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 29 Yards
With Tyaje Spears on IR, Pollard dominated the Titans’ backfield. Pollard was the back for 18 of Tennessee’s 20 RB carries, and was the lone back targeted. While Pollard was targeted just one time, he made the most of it, turning a third-and-11 checkdown into 29 yards and setting up a Titans field goal, giving them a 3-0 lead. It was a play reminiscent of early-career Pollard, and Ward would be wise to take the check-down, as opposed to the sack more often. It would make sense to see more running back screens as well.
Other than the reception, Pollard failed to deliver splash plays and lost a fumble in Bronco territory, costing the Titans points. There were glimpses of vintage Pollard, just not enough of it. Still, it’s difficult not to be impressed by the sheer usage he saw against the Broncos.
Julius Chestnut: 2 Carries, 2 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Calvin Ridley: 8 Targets, 4 Receptions, 27 Yards
While Ridley was the clear first read for Ward, it was also a lackluster performance. That can partially be attributed to Patrick Surtain II, who travelled with Ridley for much of the game, but it can also be attributed to several drops, the most notable coming on the final drive of the game for what would’ve been a 1st down. On a day when Ward was looking for weapons, Ridley did little to help with the problem. The Titans will need more from their pass-catchers going forward, and that includes Ridley.
Elic Ayomanor: 7 Targets, 2 Receptions, 13 Yards
Worth noting here: Ayomanor caught a deep pass that was ruled out of bounds. While the Titans failed to challenge the play, it looked like a challenge they would have won had they chosen to do so. A stat line of three receptions for 35ish yards starts to look much more appealing. While the numbers are lacking, the confidence this Titans team has in Ayomanor was on display as well. Likewise, the Broncos clearly respected Ayomanor, moving Surtain into the slot to cover Ayomanor on a few occasions where Ridley was out of the game.
Tyler Lockett: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Bryce Oliver: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
Chimere Dike: 1 Target, 0 Receptions | 1 Carry, 9 Yards
Chig Okonkwo: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 19 Yards
I’ve always been a member of the Chig Okonkwo bandwagon, so it’s disappointing to see him be a tight end who’s just kind of “there”. The Titans desperately needed someone to step up as a playmaker in this game, and this was a spot where Okonkwo could’ve done so. He continued to look like an average TE in this game.
Gunnar Helm: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 16 Yards
Helm caught a pass early on that was overturned due to a bobble on the completion process. Had the play stood (and it was close), Helm would’ve been Tennessee’s leading receiver in this game. At a position known for struggling out of the gate, Helm’s debut was impressive.
Denver Broncos
Quarterback
Bo Nix: 25/40, 176 Yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs | 8 Carries, 18 Yards, 1 Fumble (1 Lost)
A popular breakout candidate, Nix struggled in this one. Most of all, poor decision-making was on display. Both interceptions came on throws outside of the pocket, and both throws were far too telegraphed to not get picked off at the NFL level. Nix was sacked only once, but lost a fumble on that play. The accuracy was spotty as well.
In a game where the Broncos’ defense dominated, Nix nearly gave the game away with turnovers, but he also made more plays than his counterpart, while avoiding sacks. Nix played poorly, but it’s poor play in a different manner than we saw early in Nix’s rookie season. Nix displayed an ability to make deep throws, albeit completing two such passes to the other team. The designed runs and scrambles were nice to see as well.
Running Back
JK Dobbins: 16 Carries, 63 Yards, TD | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 5 Yards
It was clear that Dobbins was the most trusted option in the Denver backfield. Dobbins saw work in the most critical game spots, and while he wasn’t in pre-injury form, he did enough not to squander those opportunities. This was a committee approach, with RJ Harvey working in, and Tyler Badie seeing third down work, but Dobbins was the leader of said committee. Dobbins was signed to provide a stabilizing, veteran presence in the RB room, and did just that.
RJ Harvey: 6 Carries, 70 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, -1 Yard
It wasn’t the role fantasy managers hoped for, but Harvey was impressive with the workload given to him. Harvey’s most impressive moment was a 50-yard run to set up a Denver score, ultimately putting the game away, and Harvey nearly broke that run for a touchdown. Harvey will be subject to the Sean Payton rookie treatment, but he made it known that he’s an explosive player.
Tyler Badie: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
Badie played a very standard “satellite back” role in this game, which cut into roles both Dobbins and Harvey were able to play in the passing game. Badie seemed confined exclusively to that role, but he does have some explosiveness to his game.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Courtland Sutton: 9 Targets, 6 Receptions, 61 Yards, TD
Ol’ Reliable. Sutton put up a very Sutton-like performance in this one. There was ambiguity elsewhere heading into this game, but Sutton was the locked-in X receiver and top target coming in. He didn’t deviate from that script whatsoever in this one.
Troy Franklin: 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 44 Yards
Franklin looked much better than what we saw a season ago. He played more than any WR aside from Sutton and was the Broncos’ primary slot receiver. The chemistry Franklin and Nix built at Oregon was very much on display in this game as Franklin proved a reliable target throughout.
Marvin Mims: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 12 Yards
Mims is a player who traditionally gets a lot of “schemed” touches, and that’s most of what he had today. Granted, Mims was inches away from catching a long touchdown on the final offensive play for Denver when Nix narrowly overthrew Mims. It’s intriguing that the Broncos put so much trust in Mims as a receiver in such a critical juncture in the game.
As a returner, Mims nearly gave the Titans the lead on a muffed punt. Luckily for Mims, heroics by the Bronco defense knocked Tennessee out of field goal range, preserving the lead.
Trent Sherfield: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
Evan Engram: 4 Targets, 3 Catches, 21 Yards
A massive offseason acquisition, Engram was dealing with a calf injury in this game. The injury muddies the picture of his usage, but it also seems clear that the Broncos don’t plan to use Engram much as an inline TE. That’s unsurprising, but it also means Engram spends a meaningful amount of time on the bench as inline tight ends are a major part of this offense. When on the field, Engram looks like a perfect skillset match for Nix and he provided a nice short and intermediate option for the young QB in this game.
Lucas Krull: 2 Targets, 1 Catch, 6 Yards
Adam Trautman: 1 Target, 1 Catch, 5 Yards