Denver Broncos: Roundtable 2020 game-by-game predictions
By Steven Kriz
Week 1: Tennessee Titans- Steven Kriz Follow @skrizPO
Week 1 is upon us — the Denver Broncos take on the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football. It doesn’t get any better than this.
The last time these two teams met, the Broncos limited rushing champion Derrick Henry to 28 yards, and the Broncos recorded a 16-0 shutout! The game saw incumbent starting quarterback Marcus Mariota permanently sent to the bench and officially began the Ryan Tannehill era for Tennessee en route to an eventual AFC Championship Game loss.
But I digress — this one begins slow with both offenses struggling to get into rhythm. Drew Lock throws an interception on the second drive of the game leading to the first quarters only points–a Titans field goal from 33 yards out.
On the fourth drive of the game, Lock starts to find his groove, hitting back to back 15-yard completions to rookie Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton. On 3rd-and-8 from the 31-yard line, Lock zips a pass up the seam to a gliding Noah Fant and he’s taken down on the 2-yard line, leading to Melvin Gordon’s first touchdown in the orange and blue.
To close the half, Lock leads a solid 2-minute drill to get the Broncos into field goal range, and McManus hits a 51-yard field goal as time expires, giving the Broncos a 10-3 halftime lead.
The second half begins with a 75 yard drive by the Titans, closed by a 4-yard touchdown run by Derrick Henry to even the game. But the Broncos counter on the very next possession, powered by a 34-yard run by Phillip Lindsay, and capped by a 28-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton on a deep post.
The defenses remain tough throughout the remainder of the 3rd quarter, and for much of the fourth. With four minutes to go and Tennessee driving, AJ Bouye makes his presence known picking off Ryan Tannehill on an out route and returning it to the Broncos 15 yard line. After a 3rd and 1 attempt by Gordon is shut down for a loss, McManus drills an easy field goal to give the Broncos a 20-10 lead.
Tannehill manages to get the Titans down the field in a minute and a half for a way-too-late touchdown with 23 seconds remaining in the game, but the onside kick attempt is unsuccessful and the Broncos get to 1-0 in a tight win.
Final Score: Broncos 20 Titans 17