Week 1 of the NFL season is upon us and for the Denver Broncos, the first opponent is the Tennessee Titans, the worst team in the NFL in 2024 record-wise.
In that game, Cam Ward will become the first rookie quarterback to ever start against the Broncos in a Week 1 game. The Titans struggled last year and ended up with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft as a result, but guys like C.J. Stroud and Jayden Daniels have shown in recent years that rookie quarterbacks should not be overlooked.
The Titans lead the all-time series between these two teams 25-18-1 and have won the last two meetings as well as three of the last four. Of course, that history includes when the Titans were known as the Houston Oilers, who began playing against the Broncos in the old AFL in the 1960s.
The Broncos and Titans have met in Week 1 just three times in their histories and the Titans have taken two of those meetings, including a battle to open the season in 2020 in an empty stadium in Denver due to the COVID pandemic. The Titans won that game 16-14 due to a late field goal from Stephen Gostkowski.
Broncos vs. Titans/Oilers Week 1 history
| Date | Winner | Final Score |
| 9/3/1966 | Oilers | 45-7 |
| 9/17/1972 | Broncos | 30-17 |
| 9/14/2020 | Titans | 16-14 |
The Broncos have not beaten Tennessee since a 16-0 shutout victory in October 2019. In that game, the Broncos' defense registered seven sacks and had three interceptions.
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The Broncos will likely lean heavily on their defense against a rookie quarterback in this Week 1 matchup as well.
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