The kickoff to one of the most anticipated seasons for the Denver Broncos will commence on Sunday afternoon. For Sean Payton, Bo Nix, and the rest of the Broncos, it’s an opportunity to get started on the right foot.
Heading into Denver is a Tennessee Titans squad that finished last season with three wins. Now with a rookie quarterback leading the way in Cam Ward, Brian Callahan and the Titans will look to pull the major upset.
The Broncos enter Sunday’s game as a huge -7.5-point favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook. That is just behind the Philadelphia Eagles for the largest spread of the week. The Eagles are -8.5-point favorites over the Dallas Cowboys.
Here are the MHR staff’s keys to Sunday’s game.
Broncos need a fast start
Denver is looking to win its first season opener since 2021, when it beat the New York Giants. Needless to say, the Broncos need a fast start to the regular season, especially with how difficult the schedule is to end the season. Denver also needs a fast start in this game. Broncos Country is going to be fired up for this game, so the Broncos need to match that. Knock the Titans on their heels from the jump. I’m thinking the exact same way Denver started the playoff game, only don’t let up. — Ian St. Clair
Force him to make quick decisions, and he will make mistakes. Turn those mistakes into points. — Joe Mahoney
Establish the run game early
Last year, the Titans allowed the sixth-most rushing TDs, tied for the 11th-highest YPA, and the seventh-most rushing yards. We’ll see how their revamped linebacker corps looks, but this appears to be a front seven that can be run on, especially to the outside, if Payton and company commit to it. — Taylor Kothe
Broncos’ O-line needs to perform well
Like Ian said, starting off fast is huge. A big way to accomplish that would be the offensive line performing well. Whether it’s trying to establish the run with J.K. Dobbins and RJ Harvey or pass protect for Bo Nix, Denver’s offensive line needs to perform at a high level. T’Vondre Sweat and Jeffrey Simmons will be formidable foes, and it will be critical for Denver’s players, especially on the interior, to take care of business. — Christoher Hart
Establish some connection for Bo Nix
Lean on Courtland Sutton, but open it up a bit with Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims (if he’s fully healthy). Let’s see what Nix can do with Evan Engram. Nix is surrounded by weapons, so give us a show. — Adam Malnati
Offensive line variations
I’ll be adding to both Taylor and Hart. What I’d like to see, specifically, is Sean Payton calling a variety of Inside Zone variations (slice, wham, singleback, gun, fake orbit, etc.) early and often. I want to get those double teams working and that interior offensive line firing off the ball ASAP. Get those guys in a rhythm (particularly Ben Powers and Luke Wattenberg) and get the Tennessee DTs on their heels. — Ross Allen
What are your keys to Sunday’s game?