The Denver Broncos will play host to the Tennessee Titans in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season.

Broncos HC Sean Payton looks to build on a playoff-bound 2024 NFL season, while Titans HC Brian Callahan hopes Tennessee has finally found its franchise quarterback in No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward. It’ll be a tough debut for the rookie, playing against a dominant defense in hostile territory, but sometimes the unknown is just enough to throw a well-balanced team like Denver off its game.

Which team will emerge victorious in this Week 1 battle? The A to Z Sports writing staff shares predictions for the upcoming game below.

Broncos 23, Titans 16

You might think that the NFL schedule makers would set the No. 1 overall pick up for a manageable NFL debut. However, in the case of Cam Ward, you would be wrong. The promising rookie is set to play his first game on the road, at elevation, against what appears to be the best defense in the league on paper. What could go wrong! Survival will be the name of the game for the Titans in this one. Get Ward out in one piece. I won’t be surprised to see them try to muck things up and play in a phone booth this weekend. If they have their way, they’ll probably run the ball as much as humanly possible and keep Ward in front of the sticks.

But the name of the game for the Broncos will be making Ward’s day miserable, and they have the horses to do it—pun intended. Their pass rush was tops in the league in 2024, and they’ll put the Titans’ renovated offensive line to the test all day long. I won’t be surprised to see them establish a lead and force Ward into a pass-heavy, trailing game script. Denver should absolutely expect to win this game. As for Titans optimism, I offer only this: Week 1 is weird. A couple of the worst teams win on an annual basis. Best of luck capturing that magic somehow. I’ve got some late Titans scoring, making this one look closer than it really was.

– Easton Freeze, A to Z Sports, Tennessee Titans

Broncos 32, Titans 17

Bo Nix and Courtland Sutton’s connection will look as advertised in the preseason. Not only that, Broncos Country was given a big reason to celebrate with the emergence of Troy Franklin and Marvin Mims Jr., who should handle business against the Titans in this contest. Denver’s defense is looking just as sharp as it did last season and continues to be one of the very best in the league. No. 1 overall pick in Cam Ward will have his day, but it won’t be Sunday in Denver. He’ll get some stat padding in garbage time, but the Titans will fall. Ward just so happened to walk into a Broncos buzzsaw in a contest that probably won’t feel close from start to finish.

– Adam Zientek, A to Z Sports, Denver Broncos

Broncos 20, Titans 10

The Broncos’ defense has the potential to be the best in the NFL this season, and a Week 1 matchup against a rookie quarterback is an excellent draw for the unit. The Titans quietly have a solid defense, and although it lacks star power, I don’t think they’ll let Denver completely run away with the game. I’m still on the fence with what caliber of quarterback Bo Nix really is, and I don’t believe that the Broncos’ offense will be a well-oiled machine right off the bat.

– Nick Roesch, A to Z Sports, Kansas City Chiefs

Broncos 24, Titans 7

I’m not sure there needs to be a ton said about this matchup. It will be fun to watch rookie QB Cam Ward go up against one of the best defenses in the entire league, but outside of him and maybe Big Jeff (Simmons), there isn’t much about the other sideline that really excites me or even makes me think the Titans could put two scores on the board. Like last year, I think we will see Sean Payton’s offense start slow, but regardless, the defense will be good enough for this game to be a blowout.

– Justin Churchill, A to Z Sports, Las Vegas Raiders

Broncos 27, Titans 14

Bo Nix and the reimagined run game for Denver will handle the Titans. Tennessee’s pass rush is not very impressive, and I’m not sure their offense will be able to make nearly enough plays against a stout Broncos defense to keep them in this game into the fourth quarter. Cam Ward is bringing plenty of excitement to Nashville – for good reason. Even then, Sean Payton’s team is simply too talented and matches up well to take advantage of Tennessee’s weaknesses.

– Adam Holt, A to Z Sports, Los Angeles Chargers

Broncos 28, Titans 19

Whether you view this as the best possible or the worst possible Week 1 matchup for Titans rookie QB Cam Ward, the results are probably the same. He’s going to get to test his mettle against one of the league’s best defenses, on the road. It’s likely to result in a mixed-bag performance, with flashes of brilliance and rookie mistakes. Sean Payton is building the Broncos his way and has the pieces to make this group a tough out, no matter the opponent, every single week. Overall, I think this one might look closer than it actually is with some garbage time scoring from Tennessee.

– Charles Goldman, A to Z Sports, Kansas City Chiefs

The final verdict: Bo Nix’s Broncos best Cam Ward’s Titans

The Broncos are currently favored by over a touchdown, so the above predictions shouldn’t surprise anyone. The most significant commonality in each of our predictions is that the offense in Tennessee won’t be able to score enough against a Denver defense that is regarded as one of the league’s best. While the Titans should be a better team than they were a year ago, they still have a long way to go in terms of personnel improvements. If there’s any saving grace for fans of Tennessee, it’s that our writing staff has now put the jinx on the Broncos (you’re welcome).

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Broncos got a good one: Garrett Bolles gets MVP honors ahead of Week 1 vs. Titans in a huge win for the community

A class act.

Adam Zientek