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Denver Broncos-Tennessee Titans Preview: Week 1

By Shelby Manning

DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 13: Head coaches Vic Fangio of the Denver Broncos and Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans shake hands on the field after the Denver Broncos 16-0 win at Empower Field at Mile High on October 13, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 13: Head coaches Vic Fangio of the Denver Broncos and Mike Vrabel of the Tennessee Titans shake hands on the field after the Denver Broncos 16-0 win at Empower Field at Mile High on October 13, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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Denver Broncos, Jurrell Casey
NASHVILLE, TN – NOVEMBER 06: Jurrell Casey #99 of the Tennessee Titans against the Cincinnati Bengals at LP Field on November 6, 2011 in Nashville, Tennessee. The Bengals won 24-17. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Key Matchups

Gordon/Lindsay vs. Titans’ Run Defense

Broncos Country will be in for a treat this season with a backfield duo of Melvin Gordon and Phillip Lindsay. Many wonder how these two backs will pair together, and Week 1 will be a good opportunity to test the waters on a 1-2 punch. The Titans’ run defense finished 15th overall at the conclusion of last season, and a defense that finished middle of the pack last season could be an opportunity for the pairing of Gordon and Lindsay to do a little exploitation.

Ryan Tannehill vs. Bradley Chubb 

All eyes will be on Bradley Chubb on Monday night.

In the absence of Miller, there will be a lot of heavy expectations for the young Bradley Chubb. Likewise, Chubb will be looking to make a statement that he can hold down the fort for his teammate and mentor. After tearing his ACL early on in the 2019 season, Chubb missed a heavy majority of the season.

Now, it’s his turn to keep the pass rush in the game.

Chubb was on a limited snap count in training camp due to a setback in his knee, but he feels ready to go.

“I took a little rest, a little down time and a lot of recovery in the training room. I tried not to do too much on it and let it calm down. I feel it’s back to normal”, he said on a Zoom conference.

A big factor in Tannehill’s success on Monday could be how comfortable he feels in the pocket. If Chubb and Co. can make Tannehill uncomfortable, it could be huge for the success of the Broncos.

X-Factors

Titans– A.J. Brown

While it is likely that the Titans’ offense will highly favor their workhorse in Derrick Henry, it is important to keep in mind that with the departure of Chris Harris Jr and Isaac Yiadom, this secondary is brand new and largely untested.

Denver’s starting corners, A.J. Bouye and Bryce Callahan, while both very talented, have yet to play a game in a Broncos uniform. The secondary could deal with some growing pains, and Mike Vrabel’s team could look to exploit that. With Corey Davis listed as questionable, Brown could see an increased workload.

Broncos- Jurrell Casey

The acquisition of defensive end Jurrell Casey was arguably the best free agency move for the Broncos this season, but Miller’s injury makes it even more so.

Jurrell Casey will face his former team for the first time, and it could be a huge opportunity to display his talents in Denver. Likewise, Casey could give the defensive line a huge boost in containing Henry.

As a former teammate, Casey went up against Henry every day in practice. Look for the success of Casey to be a huge factor in Denver’s performance.

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