Who stood out in the Titans’ 16-14 win against Denver
The Tennessee Titans won had their first game of the 2020 season in that sweet, 10 pm primetime slot, which amounted to a 16-14 win over the Denver Broncos– and brought with it two important outcomes.
One, the game marked the very first showing of live Titans football since January– and that lack of experience showed time and time again. Shaking off the rust is natural for a season like this, and luckily, the choppy start to the season didn’t matter. Because thankfully, the second important outcome, was that the Titans got the win.
Hopefully, this will be one of the uglier showings we see from the Titans this season. The group struggled to get the running game going on offense, nearly shot themselves in the foot with a three missed field goal night on special teams, and cost themselves big time and time again in the first quarter with costly penalties. But at the end of the day, a win still counts all the same, no matter how it’s earned.
And even in a rough showing like the Titans put on Monday night, there were still plenty of positives to pull. The Titans had standout players, on both sides of the ball, that are worthy of shouting out a day after their performances.
So, in the spirit of celebrating the first Tennessee Titans win of the 2020 season, let’s break down some of the group’s key contributors.
Corey Davis
Corey Davis showed us all once again why he’s worth the heartache. For as inconsistent, as he’s looked on a week to week basis through the first four seasons of his career, his seven-catch, 101-yard performance showed that for every invisible game he’s had over the years– he’s more than capable of carrying an offense.
And carry the offense he did. On a night where Derrick Henry struggled to do much of anything on the ground until late in the fourth quarter, all while the team’s top receiver AJ Brown was being kept in check, Davis was thriving against the Denver secondary. Not only that, but Davis quickly and clearly became Ryan Tannehill’s favorite target for the day, and the one who far and away did the most with his team-leading eight targets.
Davis looked the part of the more-than-capable second wide receiver in this Titans offense, which is all Tennessee needs him to be right now. In a “prove-it” year where Davis will be scrutinized as he tries to live up to his top-five draft billing in 2017– this was an excellent first step.
Jeffery Simmons
Big Jeff is here! And boy, is he scary.
The Titans’ first-round of 2019 played up to his draft status on Monday night, and maybe even a little bit more. While his numbers won’t catch many eyes at the end of the day, watching his performance back in film study will prove to be kind to Jeffery Simmons– particularly on two big sequences.
The first big moment for Big Jeff came early in the second quarter, with the Titans down 7-0 and the Broncos looking to extend their lead. Denver’s quarterback Drew Lock threw a quick screen to Melvin Gordon, who fumbled the ball on a solid tackle from Kevin Byard (who also had a good game). Simmons showed off some great alertness on the play, tracking the ball on the ground and getting down on it fast, before a host of swarming Broncos players could get anywhere near it.
That fumble recovery, and the quick touchdown drive that it set up, proved to be huge in a game where the offense struggled to find the endzone. But just one play later, Simmons would come in even more clutch.
The Titans, still weirdly the kings of stopping opposing offenses on the goalline, showed their mettle once again– shutting down two Denver attempts to reach the endzone from one yard out. Both defensive stands were led by Jeffery Simmons, who became a big part of a group tackle on a Gordon running attempt on third down, and completely stood up the recipient of a Drew Lock shovel pass on fourth down to keep the Broncos out of the endzone.
If it wasn’t already clear, the Titans might have themselves a star in Jeffery Simmons.
Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill wasn’t perfect on Monday night, but he did a lot to silence some of his doubters.
Two big questions about Tannehill’s game remained coming into the 2020 season. Could he play at a similar level to what he did in 2019, and could he still thrive as a high-volume passer?
Both of those questions got an answer on Monday night, when he threw the ball 43 times, completed 67% of those attempts, and got his team a win on a night where Derrick Henry struggled.
Those 43 passing attempts, by the way, were the fifth most of any quarterback from the first week of action. His 67% completion percentage was just three points off where he was last season. And once again, in a game where he wasn’t getting any favors from his running back or especially his kicking game, Tannehill led the Titans to a Week 1 win.
Maybe even more importantly, Tannehill showed off a chemistry with his wide receivers, and an ability to get the ball to them regularly, something that this Titans offense hasn’t always had in recent years. That level of play, should it stay consistent, could be huge for Tennessee moving forward into the rest of the season. Especially during games where they can’t count on Henry to be his usual self.
As for Monday night? Tannehill put together a solid game. One that should be enough, at least for now, to put some of the regression concerns to bed.