Tennessee Titans vs. Denver Broncos Week 6 Pick

Tennessee Titans (2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS) vs. Denver Broncos (1-4 SU, 2-3 ATS)

NFL Week 6

Date/Time: Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 4:25PM EDT

Where: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

TV: CBS

Point Spread: TEN +2.5/DEN -2.5 (SportBet)

Over/Under Total: 39.5

The Tennessee Titans come to Mile High for a week 6 AFC matchup with the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Neither team has seen things go their way this season, with the Titans underachieving in many people’s minds with a 2-3 mark through five games. On Sunday, they fell in an ugly 14-7 loss at home to Buffalo, their third loss in four games after stunning the Browns in week one, 43-13. With 24 points scored in their last three games, they look for better against Denver on Sunday. The Broncos, to their credit, showed they haven’t given up, beating the Chargers, 20-13, on the road on Sunday to win their first game of the season. Can they turn things around or will a desperate Titans team trying to get to .500 and put themselves in a position to make a run?

Tennessee Offense Stall-Out

The Titans started the season well, but their offense has since gone dormant. There are issues, with an offensive line that isn’t always carrying its weight, both when it comes to keeping Marcus Mariota protected at quarterback or in springing loose a run-game. And Derrick Henry is a good back, but just hasn’t had the opportunity to get vertical very often this season. Rookie receiver AJ Brown is promising, and the team’s leading receiver, but the package of Corey Davis, Adam Humphries, Tajae Sharpe, and others haven’t been very impactful so far this season for the most part. Mariota hasn’t been very accurate, though he hasn’t thrown a pick yet this season. It’s just been really flat lately. If the Denver offense that surfaced last week does so again at home this week, this could be a tough spot for Tennessee to get on the right track.

Rating the Denver “D”

While not consistent, there have been signs that this Denver defense can make some progress throughout the season. The secondary is the gem of the unit, with Chris Harris, Duke Dawson, Kareem Jackson, and Justin Simmons reminding some of the pass-defense Denver had a few short years ago when they were a real power. The loss of De’Vante Bausby hurts, but they’re deep in this area. The loss of Bradley Chubb for the season is also a setback, but Von Miller and others can still keep the heat on opposing quarterbacks. It might be a hard week for a sleepy Tennessee aerial attack to take hold. But the Titans should be able to run the ball some and Henry and even Mariota could rip off big chunks of yardage on the ground.

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Can Denver Turn This Around?

Maybe the changes needed some time to take hold. With a new coach, quarterback, and many other pieces, last week showed the Vic Fangio defense begin to manifest. It’s not out of the realm that this team could go on a little run. Other than their road-loss to the Packers, all their defeats were one-score affairs. In holding the Chargers’ offense to 6 points, they showed this defense could be a thorn in an opponent’s side, especially a road Titans squad that hasn’t shown much spark on that side of the ball. Now they need to get the other side of the ball going and last week wasn’t a bad start.

The Broncos finally got their ground-game rolling a bit last week with Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman having some nice runs. Lindsay had 116 yards, while Freeman added 61. With Courtland Sutton’s 70-yard TD catch, he continues to show a growing talent for making big plays for this offense. With Emmanuel Sanders, Noah Fant, and his backs catching balls out of the backfield, there are tools with which to work for Joe Flacco, who has shown he still has some life in his legs. After scoring a lukewarm 38 points so far in their two home-games, can this Denver turn the corner this week?

Looking for the Tennessee Defense to Make an Imprint on This Game

In five games this season, even with a 2-3 record and an offense not really cooperating with the team effort, the Titans have allowed a total of only 76 points. There have been key spots where they weren’t as clutch as they needed to be in some close games, but overall, they’ve been pretty decent. They get after it in the middle with Jayon Brown, Rashaan Evans, and Harold Landry. Logan Ryan and Kevin Byard, along with Malcolm Butler, make a lot of plays in the secondary. Ryan even has 2.5 sacks, with Landry and Cameron Wake getting to the quarterback. Getting Wake back in there after missing last week would be big for this defense. Still, this isn’t a game where you’d figure to see this defense not deliver. And looking to get to .500 and put the unevenness of the early season behind them, look for coach Vrabel to have them fired up on this side of the ball.

Take the Road Underdog

I think Tennessee might be better when not expected to be while taking Denver and having to lay points doesn’t carry a lot of appeal. Even not at full-power, I think the Tennessee defense has enough grit, big-play ability, and stoutness across all areas to sufficiently dissuade a Denver offense that just isn’t going to fire every week. I think the same can be said for Denver’s defense and how it could relate at home to a Tennessee team that hasn’t been getting in the end zone much. But I just see a gritty game unfolding where having points might prove to be a good feeling in the end. I’ll take the Titans.

Loot’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: I’m betting on the Tennessee Titans plus 2.5 points.