Payton suggested the discrepancies, which closed some with a bruising, 95-rush-yard fourth quarter, were not a matter of being pass-happy but instead a matter of letting Tennessee\u2019s defense too often set the terms.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have to be better there,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd it\u2019s one of those day-afters where you look back and say, \u2018All right, let\u2019s look at how we really wanted to start this game,\u2019 and get those two runners going because we think we\u2019ve really improved in that area.\u201d<\/p>\n
Broncos podcast: Dominant defense, shaky offense and all the rest from Denver\u2019s Week 1 win<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n The third-year Denver coach acknowledged that his set of \u201copeners\u201d \u2014 plays scripted into the early part of the game \u2014 featured more passes than runs, but said the numbers started to get out of whack over the rest of the half.<\/p>\n If Tennessee showed a defensive look, it more often than not had Nix checking out of a run and into a pass. Or throwing the ball on run-pass options.<\/p>\n \u201cThen all of a sudden you\u2019ve thrown the ball 14 times and run the ball three times,\u201d Payton said.<\/p>\n By halftime, the Broncos had 23 drop-backs and nine called runs, including a Nix sneak and kneeldown to end the half.<\/p>\n In the second half, Denver had 20 drop-backs and 19 called runs, including two sneaks and a kneeldown.<\/p>\n Denver only had 56 yards on its first 18 carries but finished with 151 \u2013 including 133 combined on 22 carries for top backs RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins. The biggest shot of damage came on Harvey\u2019s 50-yard run that flipped the field and set up Dobbins\u2019 19-yard touchdown scamper.<\/p>\n \u201cWe finally got to get a couple called in a row, and our defense gave us the opportunity to stick with the run game late into the game,\u201d right tackle Mike McGlinchey said Monday. \u201c(They) allowed us to stay patient enough to kind of get a rhythm in that area of the offense, and the two backs we have are great players. We have to afford them the opportunity to touch the ball more.\u201d<\/p>\n One interesting element about that stretch run: Both big plays came on gap runs, as did a 12-yarder for Dobbins when Denver was backed up deep in its own territory with 4:09 remaining.<\/p>\n Among the offseason storylines for the Broncos was the amount of work they\u2019d put into working on outside zone<\/a>, and the players thought it could add to their run game repertoire.<\/p>\n McGlinchey has done this before.<\/p>\n![\"RJ](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1757379744_381_TDP-L-BRONCOS-TITANSAO2_5703x.jpg\")
RJ Harvey (12) of the Denver Broncos runs ahead of Cedric Gray (33) of the Tennessee Titans for a 50-yard run during the fourth quarter of the Broncos\u2019 20-12 win at Empower Field at Mile High on Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz\/The Denver Post)<\/p>\n