Broncos vs. Titans Open Thread/Live Blog | Week 1
The Denver Broncos are poised to kick off the 2020 season on Monday Night Football vs. the Tennessee Titans. Given the sudden spike of injuries this past week, the optimism that had surrounded the Broncos throughout the offseason seems to have been significantly dimmed.
I say that based on the countless conversations and social media posts made by Broncos fans. However, despite the team suiting up in the season-opener without Von Miller or No. 1 wide receiver Courtland Sutton, many reasons for optimism and confidence remain.
Join us as we live-blog and discuss TENsDEN here in our weekly Open Thread. Dive into the conversation — it's easy — by simply going to the top of the site and in the bottom right-hand corner of the Mile High Huddle logo, click the follow button.
You can log in with Facebook or Google and either way, it's free. From there, sound off in the comment section and share your reactions and observations with our staff, subscribers, and fellow members of the MHH community as we react to the game in real-time.
What to Watch For
• The Broncos need one win to extend its Week 1 home-opener win streak to eight games and to improve their league-best .658 winning percentage in regular-season openers.
• Kicker Brandon McManus needs one field goal to pass Matt Prater (141) for third all-time in team history.
• Drew Lock started five games last year, and his four wins in his first five starts was tied for the second-most in team history among any quarterback. Can he win 5-of-6?
Inactives
First Quarter
Titans to receive. Broncos will get the ball to open the second half.
Ryan Tannehill scrambles for a 10-yard pickup on first down. Play-action.
False start on Titans.
Broncos getting some solid initial pressure on Tannehill. Titans exploit it with a screen to Jonnu Smith for a 22-yard gain.
Broncos blits on 3rd-&-5. Josey Jewell gets a nice hit on Tannehill.
A.J. Bouye breaks up the pass to A.J. Brown. Punt.
Phillip Lindsay and Melvin Gordon literally co-start. Not just in the nominal sense. Both on the field for the first snap. 7-yard gain by Gordon.
2nd-&-3, Drew Lock hits Noah Fant on the play-action fake, goes for 17 yards.
Lloyd Cushenberry-Lock snap is fumbled, Lock recovers but gets swallowed up by Jadeveon Clowney for a sack.
Lock goes deep on 3rd-&-8 to Jerry Jeudy. A little long. Incomplete. Punt.
Titans penalized for holding on the punt return. Minus 10 yards.
Tannehill running no huddle hits Corey Davis for a 16-yard gain, which is followed by a 10-yard romp by Derrick Henry.
Tannehill rolling in play-action crossing routes. Hits Davis again for 20 yards.
On 3rd-&-7, Broncos bring a blitz, Tannehill targets J. Smith again but the rookie cornerback Michael Ojemudia breaks up the pass.
From 47 yards out, Stephen Gostkowski misses wide right. Still goose eggs at Mile High.
Two hand-offs to Gordon, and the Broncos moe the chains. This offense needs to capitalize on the field position.
Jeudy picks up his first NFL reception. An 11-yard gain to move the chains. Broncos in plus-territory.
Nick Vannett's first reception as a Broncos goes for minus-6 yards as the Titans sniff out the screen.
On 3rd-&-16, Lindsay picks up 10 yards on the draw. Short of the sticks, the Broncos move the chains thanks to a Titans' penalty in the secondary.
Lock scrambles, points, throws a little across his body to Fant for a nine-yard touchdown. Titans also penalized for defensive holding.
Touchdown stands. Extra point is good by Brandon McManus.
Broncos 7, Titans 0
On 3rd-&-4, Tannehill is hit while he throws and Khalif Raymond drops the pass. Punt
Second Quarter
On 3rd-&-1, Lock scrambles with Clowney in pursuit and hits Tim Patrick to move the chains. 6-yard gain.
Screen to Gordon. Gordon catches, then fumbles. Titans recover.
Titans in business in the red zone. Tannehill gets Dre'Mont Jones to jump. Gives the Titans new life.
Titans capitalize. On the goal-line, Tannehill hits MyCole Pruitt for a touchdown. Extra point is good.
Gordon's fumble kills the Broncos.
Broncos 7, Titans 7
After a perfect pass goes right through Jake Butt's fingers, Lock hits Fant on 3rd-&-9 for a 31-yard gain.
Another fumbled snap, Lock recovers and scrambles to pick up the first down.
On 2nd-&-Goal, Lock misses a wide-open Nick Vannett. On 3rd-&-Goal, Gordon bottled up.
Vic Fangio is going for it on fourth down.
It's a shuffle-pass to Butt, gets bottled up. Tennessee gets the massive stop. Turnover on downs.
Bouye banged up on a pass to Davis. Looks like a shoulder. Initially ruled incomplete.
Bouye's injury under two minutes means Broncos charged a timeout.
Call overturned. Complete.
Tannehill completes to Brown for 12-yard gain. Timeout Tennessee.
Shelby Harris blocks Gostokowski's field-goal attempt.
7-7
Third Quarter
Lock goes deep to Patrick, incomplete.
Tyrie Cleveland gets his first NFL catch for a 7-yard gain.
On 3rd-&-3, Lock hits Jeudy and the rookie promptly drops it. Punt.
Ojemudia gets an interception but it's nullified by an Alexander Johnson personal foul.
3rd-&-10, Shelby Harris deflects the pass. Incomplete.
Gostowksi misses from 42 yards. Third missed field goal of the night for Tennessee.
Lindsay has not returned from the locker room since the second half opened. He is questionable to return with a foot injury.
On 3rd-&-Long, Lock is almost picked off targeting Jeudy. Incomplete. Broncos avert disaster. Punt.
Sam Martin has been fire tonight. Booms a 53-yard punt that is promptly covered with a nice open-field tackle by Malik Reed.
Jewell gets penalized for a facemask on Jeremy McNichols on 3rd-&-3.
Titans move the chains to the 8-yard line.
Henry bottled up on first down. End of third quarter with the Titans threatening.
Fourth Quarter
Gordon picks up 25-yard gain.
Phillip Lindsay has been ruled out.
Broncos go 75 yard on nine plays, culminates in the first touchdown of Melvin Gordon's Orange & Blue career. McManus' XP is good.
Broncos 14, Titans 13
Broncos force a three-and-out. Titans punt.
Broncos killed two minutes but ultimately stall out with a low-percentage throw deep with Lock getting hit hard by Harold Landry.
Martin punts it 51 yards. Titans pinned on their own 4-yard line.
Titans go three-and-out after Kareem Jackson broke up the pass. Punt from deep in their own end zone.
Broncos stall, with two passes both of which go incomplete. Lock misses a deep shot to Hamilton that was wide-open. Punt.
Titans moving the ball. Already close to midfield at two-minute warning.
Broncos let the Titans drive down the field in the clutch, & Gostkowski finally connects on a 25-yard field goal. 16-14 with :17 to go.
Titans 16, Broncos 14
