Titans (2-3) at Broncos (1-4)
Broncos schedule
L ...... at Oakland ...... 24-16 L ......... Chicago ......... 16-14 L .... at Green Bay .... 27-16 L ..... Jacksonville ..... 26-24 W . at L.A. Chargers . 20-13 Oct. 13 .. Tennessee .. 4:25 Oct. 17 . Kansas City . 8:20 Oct. 27 at Indianapolis 4:25 Nov. 3 .... Cleveland .... 4:25 Nov. 10 ............. BYE ............. Nov. 17 ... at Minnesota ... 1 Nov. 24 ...... at Buffalo ...... 1 Dec. 1 L.A. Chargers 4:25 Dec. 8 ...... at Houston ...... 1 Dec. 15 .. at Kansas City .. 1 Dec. 21/22 .. Detroit .. TBD Dec. 29 .... Oakland .... 4:25
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET, Empower Field at Mile High, Denver TV: CBS
Danny Sheridan’s line: by 21⁄2
Titans’ keys to victory: Much like Denver, Tennessee needs to run the ball to have success. Two weeks ago, Jaguars RB Leonard Fournette gashed the Broncos for 225 rushing yards, and Titans RB Derrick Henry has the ability to do something similar. Even if Tennessee is trailing, it can’t afford to abandon the run game and allow the Broncos to turn their pass rushers loose on QB Marcus Mariota. On defense, the Titans would be wise to stack the box to slow down Denver’s ground game.
Broncos’ keys to victory: Denver needs to feed RBs Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman the ball, both on the ground and through the air. The Broncos’ offense will become predictable if it gives up on the ground game too quickly, and Denver doesn’t want QB Joe Flacco to feel as if it’s his sole responsibility to win games. The defense needs to get after Titans QB Marcus Mariota, who was sacked 42 times last season, tied for eighth most in the NFL. To do that, the Broncos will need to force Tennessee to play from behind.
Matchup to watch: Titans TE Delanie Walker vs. Broncos LBs Todd Davis and Josey Jewell. Walker missed all but one game last season because of an ankle injury. Before that, he caught 296 passes for 3,585 yards and 20 touchdowns from 2014 to 2017. Davis and Jewell have been liabilities in coverage over the past two seasons, and Walker likely will prove to be a mismatch.
Who wins? Tennessee is winless in its last five trips to Denver, but the Titans have looked like the better team this season.
Titans, 27-24 Broncos