Predicting the Future: Broncos vs. Titans

The helmets of the Denver Broncos were adorned with the #11 of recently deceased teammate Kenny McKinley as they faced the Indianapolis Colts last week. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

So, about last week…

A lot of you were right, some of you were with me (which is a nice way of saying we were wrong).

How could the Denver Broncos possibly have lost to the Indianapolis Colts? It was a loss, even on paper. I did include a bit of conspiracy in my post; how focused the Colts were last season on beating the Broncos before cashing in on the rest of their regular season. Side note: curiously the Colts let go of former Broncos quarterback Tom Brandstater on Monday. Wonder what they were using him for?

Denver had many opportunities to win this game, there were questionable calls, an inability to cash in on red zone opportunities, blah, blah, blah. I didn’t see what a lot of people saw; yes a loss is always upsetting, but the Broncos held their own against Peyton Manning’s Colts without a lot of who makes the Broncos the Broncos. No Elvis Dumervil, Ryan Harris, Knowshon Moreno, Andre Goodman and Spencer Larsen (who went down early). That and a dollar will get you a scratch game in some states though.

In the Tennessee Titans the Broncos face a team that can beat them in many ways. Denver’s strength has been their passing game (where they rank 1st in the NFL), Tennessee ranks 5th in pass defense, so something’s bound to happen when an unstoppable passing attack meets and immovable pass defense. Well, I am going to tell you the outcome, the Titans will get beasted.

Here’s why, Denver doesn’t have a rushing attack, they are desperate for either Correll Buckhalter or Laurence Maroney to step up in another absentee performance via Knowshon Moreno. I don’t have faith in Maroney, he’s been bad on not one, but two teams thus far in the same year. Buckhalter was one of the main reasons Denver went 6-0 out the gate last season though and I still hold a special place in my crystallized diamond Broncos heart for him.

My idea is actually to put Tim Tebow in at h-back and fake a run to him at least three times, early and often.Yet I publish this column on Sunday mornings and Josh McDaniels has already game planned at that point.

Onto the defense… The Pittsburgh Steelers were able to hold Chris Johnson to 62 yards on just over 20 carries, so the Broncos should be able to hold him to at least 160 on ten carries. That won’t matter though, because if the Broncos are able to improve red zone proficiency this game should be a blow out. Translation: the Titans will be passing and with their 30th ranked pass offense, meeting the 23rd ranked pass defense (really? Wow… oh yeah, Broncos played the Colts last week and Andre Goodman is back) chances are slim that the Titans will be able to withstand the barrage of passes Kyle Orton will be beaming on them like hellfire.

Broncos win 27-21

PS- Ryan Harris is back.