The Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans are all tied up at zero with the first quarter in the books.
The Denver Broncos win the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half. Hopefully their season-long ineptitude in the third quarter doesn’t continue into this game. The Tennessee Titans will get the ball to start the game.
Denver’s defense opened the game in a 4-4 style, which loaded the box naturally. Derrick Henry gained two yards on first down, then Ryan Tannehill’s first pass went incomplete as he was pressured outside by K’Wuan Williams on a corner blitz. On third and 8, Jacob Martin got a sack but was called for offsides. Despite that penalty, they pressured Tannehill again and the ball was dropped. Denver forcing a three and out to start the game was a good start.
A 66-yard punt pinned the Broncos inside their own 5-yard line to start their first drive.
Jerry Jeudy was injured on the first offensive play, but on third and 10, Russell Wilson found Kendall Hinton for as 35-yard gain and a first down. They went hurry up from there, but the drive went no where and they punted the ball back to the Titans.
After netting a first down to start their next drive, Kareem Jackson broke up a first down pass that could have been a pick six had he come up with the interception. Two plays later the Titans would be punting again anyway.
The Broncos next series was a series of unfortunate events. A drop by Courtland Sutton, a fumble by Melvin Gordon that was ruled down by contact, and another misconnect to Sutton for a quick three and out.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before.
– Courtland Sutton drop
– Melvin Gordon fumble
– Go ball on 3rd and short, incomplete.— Jeffrey Essary (@JeffreyEssary) November 13, 2022
Three And Out Count: 1
The Denver defense continued doing its job forcing another punt on the next Titans possession. Five total punts in the first quarter to this point and just three combined first downs.
Another great punt pinned the Broncos inside the five yard line again. Wilson hit Greg Dulcich on first down who turned it up field for a nice 12 yard gain and a first down to start the Broncos next drive.
After back-to-back runs for negative one yard, Wilson fired a pass to Courtland Sutton who made an insane one-handed catch for the first down.
HOW, @SuttonCourtland pic.twitter.com/Y3IxXs9rWQ
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) November 13, 2022
The Broncos would punt shortly after that anyway and the quarter would end with the Titans going three and out again.