DENVER (AP) Bo Nix overcame three turnovers and the Denver Broncos spoiled top overall draft pick Cam Ward’s debut with a 20-12 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, winning despite a sloppy offensive performance and two key special-teams blunders.
Nix threw a touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton to go with his two interceptions and lost fumble, and rookie running back R.J. Harvey’s 50-yard scamper set up J.K. Dobbins’ 19-yard TD burst up the middle that made it 20-12 midway through the fourth quarter.
Denver’s stingy defense held Ward to 12-of-28 passing for 112 yards with no touchdowns. Ward didn’t have an interception, but fumbled the ball away in the final minute. The Titans managed just 134 yards on 55 plays and went 2 for 14 on third down. Ward was sacked six times.
Quarterbacks taken at No. 1 overall are 4-14-1 in the common draft era starting a season opener. When Caleb Williams got the win with Chicago last year, it was the first season-opening win for a No. 1 pick quarterback since David Carr in 2002.
Ward didn’t join Williams, instead adding his name to a long list of No. 1s who lost their first game. Since 2000, the last 17 quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall are 1-15-1.
Tennessee had three chances to tie it in the final five minutes but came up empty each time.
After holding Nix to no gain on fourth-and-inches at the Denver 46 with 5:07 remaining, Tennessee went three-and-out and punted for the eighth time.
The Titans stuffed Marvin Mims Jr. well short of the line to gain with under 3 minutes to go, but star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons was flagged for unnecessary roughness when he knocked Mims to the ground after the whistle. Earlier, Simmons was responsible for Nix’s first lost fumble as a pro.
That extended the drive, which ended on a head-scratcher when coach Sean Payton called for a pass play on fourth-and-8 from the Tennessee 36 with 1:05 remaining.
An incompletion gave Ward & Co. one last shot but after three incompletions, Ward was strip-sacked by Ja’Quan McMillian on fourth down and Broncos first-round draft pick Jahdae Barron recovered the loose ball.
The teams combined to score 10 points in the final 16 seconds of the first half after managing a combined three field goals up to that point.
Nix threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton that gave Denver its first lead at 10-6, but instead of blasting the ball through the end zone for a touchback, Wil Lutz kicked off to the 5 and Chimere Dike returned it 71 yards to the Denver 24.
Joey Slye nailed a 42-yard field goal to pull Tennessee to 10-9 and then kicked off through the end zone for a touchback with 2 seconds left.
Denver’s defense bailed out the Broncos all afternoon.
Mims, a two-time All-Pro punt returner, muffed a punt early in the fourth quarter, giving Tennessee possession at the Denver 24. Consecutive sacks by Jonah Ellis and Zach Allen pushed the Titans out of field goal range, however.
Injuries:
Titans: RB Kalel Mullings sustained an ankle injury in the first half. … Broncos: TE Evan Engram suffered a calf injury in the second half, stayed in the game and then limped off in the fourth quarter and tossed his helmet. … Denver was without ILB Dre Greenlaw (quad), DT Malcolm Roach (calf), whom they placed on IR Saturday, sidelining him for at least four weeks, and TE Nate Adkins (ankle).
Up n ext
Titans: Host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.
Broncos: At the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday.
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