The Denver Gazette’s Chris Tomasson gives his scouting report for Sunday’s game between the Broncos and Titans at Empower Field at Mile High.

Offense

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix should be much more comfortable in this opener than a year ago as a rookie, when he had his worst passer rating of the season at 47.5 in a 26-20 loss at Seattle. Nix has a better receiver corps with Courtland Sutton again looking good and Marvin Mims Jr. and Troy Franklin having shown improvement. A key will be the running game. J.K. Dobbins didn’t have a preseason carry, and RJ Harvey is a rookie. Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward, the No. 1 pick in the draft, makes his NFL debut. He will face a tough pass rush but could be helped by Denver having limited tape on him. Ward will look for Calvin Ridley, who caught 64 passes for 1,017 yards last season. Tony Pollard rushed for 1,079 yards last season, but the Broncos hope to take an early lead and limit his carries.

Advantage: Broncos

Defense

The Broncos, who had an NFL-high 63 sacks last year, will try to rattle Ward with constant pressure. Much of it could come from outside linebackers Nik Bonitto, who had a team-high 13.5 sacks last year, and Johnathon Cooper, who had 10.5. Denver’s defense, though, will be without linebacker Dre Greenlaw (quad) and defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (calf). Safety Talanoa Hufanga will make his much-anticipated Broncos regular-season debut. The Titans have a solid defensive line with three-time Pro Bowl selection Jeffery Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat, coming off a solid rookie season. At linebacker, they have Cody Barton, a starter last season for Denver. The Titans last season were a disastrous No. 30 in scoring defense.

Advantage: Broncos

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Coaching

Denver’s Sean Payton has said his team is capable of going to the Super Bowl and he knows about such things. Payton won a Super Bowl with New Orleans in the 2009 season and is trying to become the first NFL coach to claim rings with two different franchises. The Broncos have been on the rise since Payton arrived in 2023, including last season making the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Tennessee’s Brian Callahan has not been talking Super Bowl. He inherited a rebuilding situation in his first season of 2024, and the Titans went 3-14. With Ward, there is optimism in Tennessee, but the Titans still have a long way to go.

Advantage: Broncos

Intangibles

The Broncos had some offensive issues in the preseason but at least their starting unit closed strong in their third and final series of the Aug. 23 finale at New Orleans. Players new to Denver have talked about their excitement in playing before a raucous regular-season crowd. The Broncos have lost three straight openers, the last two under Payton, and the head coach has stressed the need to start fast this season. After an ugly 29-7 loss to Tampa Bay to start the preseason, the Titans did gain some confidence by winning 23-20 at Atlanta and 23-13 at home to Minnesota. But perhaps the best hope for the Titans is that the Broncos take them lightly.

Advantage: Broncos