DENVER -- In a season that has been short on style points, the Denver Broncos are doing what needs to be done to slug their way out of a 0-4 start as the defense did the heavy lifting Sunday in a 16-0 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
The victory was the Broncos’ first shutout win since a 23-0 victory over the New York Jets in 2017 and nudged them to 2-4 with a potential season-saving type of matchup Thursday night in Denver against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Broncos held their second consecutive opponent to fewer than 50 yards rushing and finished with seven sacks on two Titans quarterbacks.
The game in two words: Grind it. It was certainly not suitable for framing, but for a team that had lost two games on the last play in the first month of the season, any win, even a teeth-grinding, scraped-knuckle affair like Sunday’s, was a welcome sight.
Especially for a defense that seems to continue to grow into coach Vic Fangio’s system -- the Titans had just 122 total yards when they took over with 4 minutes, 53 seconds left in the game for a stat-padding drive.
Troubling trend: The Broncos have had more than their share of special-teams troubles in recent years, especially the previous two seasons, and while they appear to have repaired plenty of what has ailed them, they still have their moments.
They surrendered a punt return for a touchdown last week against the Chargers and Diontae Spencer fielded two punts inside the Broncos’ 10-yard line -- Vic Fangio said “he’s not doing what he’s been coached to do." Their special-teams missteps on Sunday cost them two timeouts.
The Broncos had to call a timeout in the first quarter on a Titans punt because they only had 10 players in the formation. They had to use another timeout in the second quarter on a 53-yard field goal attempt by Brandon McManus because there was just one second left on the play clock and they weren’t ready to snap the ball.
McManus did make the kick after the timeout.
Biggest hole in the game plan: It’s not that they didn’t try -- quarterback Joe Flacco’s interception came on a deep throw attempt that Noah Fant didn’t look for -- but the Broncos largely missed out on what had worked for all of the other Titans’ opponents this season.
Coming into the game, four of the eight passing touchdowns Tennessee had surrendered had been caught by opposing tight ends and the only 100-yard receiving game the Titans have surrendered this season was also to a tight end.
The Broncos played plenty of two- and three-tight end looks throughout the game, but Fant had the only two catches from the group by the end of the third quarter.
QB breakdown: Flacco’s interception was not his fault -- Fant did not turn his head to track the ball -- and he largely kept the offense out of trouble on what was obviously going to be a game with a significant defensive tilt.
He did hit one downfield shot -- a 41-yarder to Courtland Sutton in the second quarter -- but it was the defense’s day. While Flacco did not have the splash plays the Broncos continue to search for, he kept the Broncos away from the game-changing mistake on a day when that was enough.
Pivotal play: It wasn’t a play per se, but wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders did not play in the second half because of a knee injury. Sanders was on the field for most of the first half -- he had one catch for no gain -- so initially it wasn’t known what play he was injured on, but if he’s going to miss time, an offense already struggling to make things happen will be without one of its most impactful playmakers.