DENVER – The Titans lost 20-12 to the Broncos here on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High.
Here's a look at six things that stood out in the contest:
Cam's Debut
No, it wasn't perfect. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward completed just 12-of-28 passes for 112 yards in the contest, and he was sacked six times. Ward and the offense went just 2-of-14 on third down, and the Titans offense couldn't make plays when it needed to most. There were times when Ward needed to get rid of the football sooner. But I thought Ward showed poise, and confidence, on a day when he was victimized by drops, and at times shaky protection. If the Titans are going to win games this season, they're going to have to be better around their quarterback.
Too Many Penalties
How about this for an ugly stat: The Titans had just two more yards of offense (133) than they had penalty yards (131). I doubt any NFL team has won a game with numbers like that. On this day, the Titans committed 13 penalties, including some really costly ones on third down. Defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons had a late roughness penalty that extended a Denver drive, and cornerback Jarvis Brownlee was flagged for three penalties. The Titans made things a lot tougher on themselves all day because of penalties.
Forced Turnovers by the Defense
Titans cornerback Roger McCreary intercepted Broncos quarterback Bo Nix toward the end of the first quarter when he went up and took the ball away from Broncos receiver Courtland Sutton. Simmons also forced a fumble with a sack, and it was recovered by fellow defensive lineman Sebastian Joseph-Day. Later, safety Xavier Woods intercepted Nix, giving the defense three forced turnovers on the day. The Titans ended up getting a fourth on special teams when linebacker Dorian Mausi jumped on a loose football following a muffed punt. The Titans actually had five change-of-possession plays, counting the fourth down stop late. Unfortunately, they didn't take full advantage of them.
End of Half Swing
Coach Brian Callahan said he was trying to be aggressive at the end of the first half. But what transpired in the closing minute ended up costing the Titans four points. Here's the recap: The Titans had the football at their own seven-yard line, up 6-3, with 47 seconds left in the half. The Broncos had two timeouts left. Instead of running the ball and heading into halftime, the Titans were aggressive with their play calling, opting to throw the football instead. Two of the throws fell incomplete, and Ward was sacked on third down. The Titans punted, and the Broncos ended up scoring a touchdown with 16 seconds left to take a halftime lead. Chimere Dike's long return, and then a field goal by Joey Slye, got three of the points back at least.
Red Zone Woes
The Titans had drives that ended at the Denver 15, 17, 24, 32, 39, 46 and 49 in the contest, but had just four field goals to show for it in the end. A Tony Pollard fumble ended one of the possessions, but the others ended short of the end zone, and the missed opportunities proved costly at the end. The Titans reached the Denver three-yard line in the first half, but Ward was sacked for a 12-yard loss after run plays were stuffed inside the five. The Titans had a chance to pull the upset on Sunday, and the failure to take advantage of these opportunities proved to be one of the reasons why it didn't happen.
Special Teams
As mentioned previously, kicker Joey Slye hit four field goals – he was a perfect 4-of-4, with makes from 33, 35, 42, and 50 yards. Punter Johnny Hekker averaged 49.4 yards on eight punts, with a long of 65 yards. Hekker had a net of 41.0. Return man Chimere Dike, as mentioned previously, had a 71-yard kick return that set up a field goal, and he did a nice job across the board in the return game. The Titans even recovered a muffed punt, when Mausi jumped on the loose football. Jaylen Harrell had two special teams tackles on a day when the coverage teams were mostly solid.
The Tennessee Titans take on the Denver Broncos in Week 1 at Empower Field at Mile High.
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Jessie Rogers/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans and the Denver Broncos compete at Empower Field at Mile High on September 07, 2025 in Denver, CO. Photo By Donald Page/Tennessee Titans
