The Broncos defeated the Titans, 20-12, on Sunday at Empower Field at Mile High for the NFL home opener.

Slow start

The Broncos pulled ahead in the second quarter, 10-6, when quarterback Bo Nix hit wide receiver Courtland Sutton on a 22-yard catch in the end zone. It marked the longest completion from an up-and-down first half. Nix took a delay of game penalty, threw an interception and lost a fumble. Running back Tyler Badie led the team with six receiving targets. Denver’s ground game sputtered before the break with nine total carries for just 25 yards. Coach Sean Payton desired a fast start in the home opener. But the offense had more negatives than positives early on Sunday at Empower Field.

Stout defense

The Broncos defense kept them in the game while the offense sputtered. The Titans had four promising drives into Denver territory that ended with field goals. Six players (OLB Jonathon Cooper, OLB Nik Bonitto, ILB Justin Strnad, OLB Jonah Ellis, DE Zach Allen and CB Ja’Quan McMillian) each recorded sacks. The Broncos impressed with open field tackling — especially from newcomer safety Talanoa Hufanga — who forced a fumble recovered by safety Brandon Jones. Give credit to Titans rookie quarterback Cam Ward for a solid effort in his NFL debut. But Denver proved why its defense is considered among the league’s best.

Crawshaw rebounds

Rookie punter Jeremy Crawshaw silenced his critics after an uneven preseason performance. The sixth-round pick and native Australian was brilliant with all three of his punts downed inside the 20-yard line. He averaged 48 yards per boot with a long punt of 53 yards. There was a big special teams gaffe in the fourth quarter when Marvin Mims muffed a punt inside the 30-yard line. He also returned several kicks from the end zone that did not reach the 35 yard line. But place-kicker Wil Lutz was solid making both of his field goal attempts from 33 and 39 yards. It was a mixed bag for special teams.