DENVER — It wasn’t pretty and it wasn’t the Week 1 performance that Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos were hoping for.
But 1-0 is 1-0, and that’s what the Broncos are after a 20-12 win over the Tennessee Titans to open the regular season.
Bo Nix completed 25 of 40 passes for 176 yards and 1 touchdown but 2 interceptions. RJ Harvey led the Broncos in rushing with 70 yards, 50 of which came on an early 4th quarter run down the left sideline. Courtland Sutton led the Broncos receivers with 6 catches for 61 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Broncos’ defense was the star unit of the day. Denver sacked Cam Ward 6 times.
Here’s what stood out throughout the game.
Denver’s defense is for real
While the Broncos’ offense needed to knock the rust off to start the season, the defense didn’t.
In the fourth quarter, when Sean Payton needed them the most, the Broncos’ defense stepped up.
Following Marvin Mims Jr’s uncharacteristic fumble on a punt return, Denver’s defense had back-to-back sacks to force the Titans out of field goal range.
The first was courtesy of Jonah Elliss.
The second was Zach Allen.
Nik Bonitto worth the money
On his very first play after signing a four-year, $106 million extension, Bonitto had a picture-perfect tackle for a loss on Tony Pollard. Leading up to the game, Vance Joseph praised not only Bonitto’s get off, but his play in the run game. He proved his defensive coordinator right on the first play of the season. He followed that up with another tackle for a loss in the second quarter.
Bonitto then racked up his first sack of the season on a crucial third down to keep the Titans out of the end zone.
Broncos’ offense their biggest enemy
Bo Nix and Denver’s offense were their biggest enemy to start the season. Not only did Nix have an interception and a fumble off a sack, but there were numerous mental mistakes pre-snap and during action.
On Nix’s strip sack by Jeffery Simmons, Nix and J.K. Dobbins were on different pages with which direction the fake handoff should go. That led to confusion the rest of the play.
When the Broncos weren’t getting in their own way, they had success. The Broncos’ first touchdown of the season was a great play design and route, allowing Bo Nix to hit Courtland Sutton with seconds left in the first half.
But Nix and the offense got in their own way again to start the second half. Nix’s first pass, he attempted to fit it into double coverage and was picked off.
The Broncos couldn’t get out of their own way on special teams on Sunday either. After Denver’s touchdown with seconds remaining in the first half, Denver allowed a long kick return to get the Titans in field goal range just before halftime. That cost the Broncos three points.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Marvin Mims Jr. fumbled a punt, which was recovered by the Titans. Thankfully for Denver, the defense forced another punt.
The Bo Show to start, the running game to end
Sean Payton clearly wanted to highlight his quarterback to start off the year. In the first quarter, the Broncos had 14 passing attempts to only three rushing attempts. It was clear Payton wanted to get Nix on the move early and often. On the first drive, Nix had two naked boot passes, which were both complete.
Later in the first, however, a boot led to an interception, when Nix put too much air under the pass.
At the half, the Broncos had 22 passing attempts to only nine rushing attempts, an indication Payton wanted to highlight Nix to start the season.
When the Broncos needed the running game the most, RJ Harvey delivered with a 50-yard explosive play to get Denver in field goal range in the fourth quarter.
Plays later, J.K. Dobbins took it 19 yards to the end zone. That was Dobbins’ first touchdown as a Bronco.
Hello Hufanga
The Broncos signed Talanoa Hufanga to be a big-play safety for the Broncos. In the second quarter of his first game in Denver, he hit Tony Pollard and forced a fumble, in which Brandon Jones recovered. Hufanga was not only a big-time playmaker for Denver, he led the team in tackles.
