Winners and Losers From Titans' Loss to Broncos

The Tennessee Titans opened the 2025 season with a loss on the road to the Denver Broncos. They had their fair share of struggles on both sides of the ball, but somehow had a chance to march down the field late in the fourth quarter to force overtime. They were unable to do so, but even after an ugly performance, they still took one of the best teams in the league to the wire in their home stadium.

There were some positives and negatives, so today, we're going to identify three winners and losers from the Titans' season opener.

Winner: Cam Ward

If you just looked at the box score, you wouldn't think Cam Ward had the best debut. He was 12-for-28 with 112 yards, no touchdowns and an interception, but he looked much, much better than that.

Ward's offensive line did him no favors today, but his receivers also failed him. He put some passes on the absolute money on Sunday, but Calvin Ridley, Elic Ayomanor and others just couldn't bring them down. On their final drive when they were trying to force overtime, Ward hit his receiver in the hands on second and third down, but Ridley and Chig Okonkwo were unable to catch either of them, which would've resulted in a first down.

Ward was failed by his teammates in the season opener, but if you look past the stat sheet, you'd realize it was a pretty impressive debut against one of the best defenses in football.

Loser: Offensive Line

While Ward's receivers dropped a ton of passes, his offensive line put him under pressure all day. The Broncos have an elite defensive front and led the league in sacks last year, and Tennessee's revamped offensive line could do little to stop their pass rush. Ward was sacked six times on Sunday, and it felt like he was pressured on nearly every drop back. This line needs to be much better in the future if they want Ward to succeed.

Winner: Chimere Dike

Chimere Dike may not have caught a pass on Sunday, but he made his presence felt as a returner. He returned four kickoffs for 144 yards, which included a 71-yard return right before the half, which led to a field goal to cut Denver's lead to one. It proved to be massive; without it, Tennessee never would've had the chance to tie the game late in the fourth. It was a surprise when the Titans cut James Proche, who was the favorite to win the returner job, but Dike showed why he beat out the veteran.

Tennessee Titans, WR, Chimere Dik — Sep 7, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike (17) runs with the ball against the Denver Broncos in the first half at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Loser: Calvin Ridley

Ridley had a pretty big year in his first season with the Titans, catching 54 passes for 1,017 yards and four touchdowns. He was expected to take the next step with Cam Ward as his quarterback and be a complete WR1, but he really struggled in the Titans' season opener, catching four of his eight targets for just 27 yards. He was credited with three drops, including a huge one on the final drive, which would've gained at least 15 yards. The Titans will really need him to step it up and come through in big situations later in the year.

Winner: Joey Slye

The Titans put a lot of pressure on their kicker, Joey Slye, on Sunday. They called on him four times, and every time he trotted out there, they absolutely needed him to drill the kick to keep them in the game. He made field goals of 33, 35, 42 and 50 yards to help keep the Titans in this game. You know it's a bad day at the office when your kicker is considered a winner, but it was a very strong opener for Slye.

Loser: Brian Callahan

There was talk inside the Titans' building about firing Brian Callahan after his first season with the team. In the end, they decided to give him another chance with the quarterback he picks at the helm, but things didn't go to well in the opener. The offensive play calling wasn't great, and the decision to throw the ball twice late in the half, which caused the clock to stop and led to the Broncos getting a late touchdown, was questionable at best.

Callahan's seat is already heating up, and Sunday's game did little to cool it off.

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