The Tennessee Titans were able to bounce back from their loss last week with a 17-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Week 10 at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.
Both offenses were awful in this game, and particularly so in the first half. But the Titans were able to make just a few more plays than the Broncos were, which was the difference in this game.
The Titans scored their first points on the final drive of the first half with an impressive two-minute drill, and then Tennessee dialed up a flea flicker for its second touchdown of the contest, staking itself to a 14-10 lead.
Tennessee would add three more points after that, but they weren’t needed, as the Titans’ defense thwarted the Broncos’ attempt to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, capping off what was another incredible effort from a group that was insanely short-handed.
Now, let’s dive into the details of the Titans’ Week 10 win over the Broncos.
Final score: Titans 17, Broncos 10
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| DEN | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| TEN | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 |
It was over when...
Russell Wilson threw up a desperation pass on fourth down from the 25-yard line with 20 seconds left in the game, but the pass was deflected by Joshua Kalu and then picked by Terrance Mitchell to seal the win.
Titans' top performers
WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: 5 catches, 119 yards, 2 TD
QB Ryan Tannehill: 19/36, 255 yards, 2 TDs; 2 carries, 12 yards
DL Mario Edwards: 5 tackles (3 for loss), 1 sack, 3 QB hits
DL DeMarcus Walker: 3 tackles (1 for loss), 1.5 sacks, 3 QB hits
OLB Rashad Weaver: 2 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 4 QB hits
CB Terrance Mitchell: 8 tackles, 3 PD, 1 INT
Instant analysis
-The Titans actually went pass-heavy in this game, with 36 attempts to 23 rushes (19 for Derrick Henry). The move would eventually pay dividends, but that was an odd choice against the best pass defense in the NFL.
-The Titans were absolutely lost on offense for almost the entire first half before their two-minute touchdown drive sent them into the break with a head of steam.
-Ryan Tannehill clearly wasn’t 100 percent and missed some throws, but he was able to scramble for a first down and was good enough overall to help the Titans win. He was a clear upgrade over Malik Willis, as we expected.
-NWI stepped up big time in this game with a pair of touchdown catches, one of which came on a flea flicker that went 63 yards. NWI made some nice moves in the open field to complete the scoring play.
-Austin Hooper and Chigoziem Okonkwo also had some big catches, with Chig’s 41-yard reception putting Tennessee in position to kick a field goal late. Both players have come on strong of late, Hooper especially.
-While those performances were all well and good, drops and separation were still an issue for Tennessee’s receivers. Treylon Burks was responsible for one of those drops and finished with three catches for 24 yards.
-The Titans couldn’t get anything going on the ground in this game, as Henry averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. We weren’t thrilled with the pass-heavy approach, but it was necessary with ground game struggling.
-Despite missing Bud Dupree and Jeffery Simmons, the Titans’ defense got consistent pressure all game long, which no doubt impacted Wilson. The Titans finished with six sacks and 18 QB hits. DeMarcus Walker, Mario Edwards and Rashad Weaver all stepped up with sacks.
-Tennessee’s secondary had some hiccups, including a 66-yard touchdown given up, but the unit was very good overall, which is made more impressive by the fact that it didn’t have Kristian Fulton. Mitchell, who was responsible for giving up the 66-yard touchdown, redeemed himself with three passes defensed and a game-ending interception that was tipped by Josh Kalu. The secondary had multiple chances for picks in this game but couldn’t hang on.
-On a day where both teams battled for field position, Ryan Stonehouse was great once again. He averaged 54.0 yards per punt on eight attempts and dropped three inside the 20, including two inside the five.
-Both teams combined for SEVEN punts in the first quarter, and 17 overall.
-The Titans were 6-16 on third downs, while the Broncos were 4-17.
-The Broncos didn’t have a single red zone trip. The Titans converted on one of their two chances in the red zone and continue to be the best team in the league at scoring in the red zone — go figure.
-Todd Downing gets credit for calling a flea flicker that worked, but it certainly wasn’t all good from the embattled offensive coordinator. He once again brought in a cold Malik Willis on a vital play down the stretch with a chance to put the game away, and the rookie once again fumbled, giving Denver life. Thankfully, the defense bailed him out.
-Another head-scratcher was the Titans running on a third-and-3 play and giving it to Dontrell Hilliard, who didn’t convert. Downing does himself no favors, and even in games where he does something right, they are overshadowed by all the wrong.
Injuries
K Randy Bullock (undisclosed): Bullock appeared to tweak something in pre-game warm-ups. He played and made a field goal and extra point, but Stonehouse handled kickoffs.
DB Joshua Kalu (undisclosed): Kalu suffered the injury in the first quarter but would return to the game.
Lonnie Johnson (hamstring): Johnson was helped off the field and then carted to the locker room. He was later ruled out.
DL Kevin Strong (undisclosed): Strong was injured in the second quarter. We didn’t see an update on him, though.
CB Caleb Farley (back): Farley went to the locker room in the third quarter and was later ruled out. Farley had back issues in college and it was the reason he slipped in the draft. Not good.
LB David Long (stinger): Long’s injury came in the third quarter. He would return but was clearly playing hurt and would exit again.
CB Elijah Molden (groin): Molden went back into the locker room late in the third quarter. He did not return. Making matters worse, it was Molden’s groin, the same injury that kept him out the first eight games.
What's next?
The Titans move to 6-3 on the season and will have a quick turnaround with a Thursday night matchup against the Green Bay Packers in Week 11.
There’s never a good time for a Thursday night game, but this timing is especially awful for Tennessee, a team that was dealing with a slew of injuries before suffering even more on Sunday afternoon.
