Titans offense flattened in defeat at Denver

AP photo by David Zalubowski / Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota looks on from the sideline during the second half of Sunday's 16-0 loss to the host Denver Broncos.
AP photo by David Zalubowski / Tennessee Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota looks on from the sideline during the second half of Sunday's 16-0 loss to the host Denver Broncos.

DENVER - On a day the Denver Broncos honored their past, their current roster put on a good, old-fashioned defensive destruction of the Tennessee Titans.

The Broncos blasted their way to seven sacks and three interceptions while sending Marcus Mariota to the bench and then stifling his backup, Ryan Tannehill, in a 16-0 win, their first shutout in two years.

They allowed just 204 yards on a day they honored recent Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Champ Bailey and other members of their all-time top 100 team, including Rich "Tombstone" Jackson, Karl Mecklenburg and Dennis Smith.

"I had it in my mind to put on a show for those guys," said cornerback Chris Harris Jr., whose interception just before halftime snapped Mariota's streak of 206 passes without being picked off. "Especially Champ - I told him I'd give him my football from my 20th pick."

This marked the first time Denver (2-4) had seven sacks and three interceptions in a game since Sept. 16, 1984. It also happened three times in the 1970s and twice in the 1960s.

Mariota was sacked three times, and he was benched after Justin Simmons' interception early in the third quarter led to the game's only touchdown, a 2-yard run by Phillip Lindsay that made it 13-0.

"I was inaccurate today, didn't give our guys a chance to make plays," said Mariota, who was just 7-for-18 passing for 63 yards and a paltry rating of 9.5.

Coach Mike Vrabel's team dropped to 2-4 with its second straight loss.

"We're just trying to find a way to move the football, score some points," Vrabel said. "Our defense was forcing them to kick field goals. We gave up the touchdown, but I felt like we were in the game and we needed to find a way to score."

No such luck. Tannehill was sacked four times and picked off by Kareem Jackson on Tennessee's final drive, which reached the Denver 5-yard line before two offensive penalties and a sack pushed the Titans back to the 30.

"We were very pumped," Harris said of Jackson's interception with 1:30 remaining, which allowed Joe Flacco to kneel out the clock. "We wanted a shutout."

Jackson was glad to see the Broncos put out of mind a slow September in which they three games without a sack and four without a takeaway.

"It's a lot of fun when you dominate, especially when you start the way we did," Jackson said. "We felt like we were close. We felt like we had to make one or two more plays and things would start to swing in our direction."

Tannehill was 13-of-16 for 144 yards, but much of that came with the Broncos playing it safe while protecting the end zone late.

"I just wasn't good enough," Tannehill said. "We failed to put points on the board. You're not going to win any games if you can't put points on the board."

The Broncos, who haven't allowed a touchdown in nine quarters, host Kansas City (4-2) on Thursday night with the chance to get back into the AFC West race after starting the Vic Fangio head coaching era with four frustrating losses.

"I'm hyped up," Harris said. "I can't wait. I'm ready for the Chiefs."

Broncos inside linebacker Alexander Johnson had a team-leading nine tackles, two quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks and a tackle for loss.

"He's been killing it since he stepped in, and I'm happy for him," said veteran pass rusher Von Miller, who got half a sack.

Also collecting sacks for Denver were DeMarcus Walker and Derek Wolfe with two apiece and Shelby Harris with one.

"It's great," Miller said. "We just kept chipping away. You hit the rock 100 times, and on the 101st blow it cracks for us. It's good to have so many guys have so much success today. We had three picks. Turnovers have been evading us all season long."

The Titans gained 12 first downs in the game, just three more than their total number of punts. With Mariota running the show, they managed just six first downs and 88 total yards. A week earlier, they scored just once in a home loss to the Buffalo Bills.

"We're not pulling our weight as an offense," Mariota said. "We have to find a way to improve and change that, because our defense is playing lights out."

Mariota was asked if he hoped his demotion to the bench was temporary.

"For me as a competitor, I would love to be out there with my guys," he said. "But again it's going to come down to the coaches and what they decide."

Then he was pressed about whether this was his team to lead.

"Absolutely. Absolutely," he replied. "No matter what, I'm a team player. If they call my number, I'll be ready to go and I'll make the most of the opportunity."

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