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Offense — F
The Broncos hit one big play — a 66-yard touchdown to rookie wide receiver Jalen Virgil — and otherwise did little to show any improvement coming out of their bye week. The second half, which featured five punts and an interception, was brutal. Denver’s depth is dwindling and its injuries are stacking up, but by any measure this unit is still underperforming to a level that stands as the overriding reason a second-half run feels impossible. The Broncos had 121 yards and put all 10 of their points on the board in back-to-back possessions in the second quarter. Around that stretch in 10 non-kneel-down possessions: Nine punts and an interception.
Defense — B
Ejiro Evero’s unit did exactly what you’d draw up in order to be in position to win a tough game on the road. It held Derrick Henry to 53 yards on 19 carries. It forced eight punts. It even got a big turnover in the middle of the fourth quarter to set up the Denver offense with good field position. As has been the case all season, though, the Broncos have virtually no margin for error. As such, a 13-play drive just before the half and a slip that led to a coverage bust on a flea-flicker touchdown in the third quarter were too much to overcome.
Special teams — D
Denver’s punting unit had a busy day and a tough day. Punter Corliss Waitman had a 28-yarder from plus territory that failed to pin the Titans deep, a touchback and the unit gave up four returns for 51 yards. That meant Waitman netted 37.8 yards on nine punts. Not good. Three of Denver’s first four drives began inside its own 10-yard line and Tyrie Cleveland committed a block-in-the-back penalty on a promising punt return. The best thing you can say is the group didn’t make any catastrophic errors, but coordinator Dwayne Stukes’ units also didn’t do enough to help in a low-scoring, field position-type game.
Coaching — D
Most of the problems that plagued Denver before its bye week continued on in Nashville. Penalties? Yeah, eight of them for 50 yards, including four false-start penalties. Third downs? Denver converted half of its first eight tries and none of its final nine. Red zone? Well, the Broncos didn’t actually make it there.
Denver again played putrid offense in the second half — a season-long bugaboo — and could not figure out ways to protect quarterback Russell Wilson as the injury list on the offensive line kept growing and the Titans kept bringing pressure. It felt like a turning point game for Nathaniel Hackett and Denver, and the season turned in the wrong direction.
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