The Tennessee Titans are a different team.
Unlike a year ago, when they opened 0-3 en route to an 0-6 start, the Titans are 2-1.
It also appears Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos is a favorable matchup for the Titans, who are 10-3 in their last 13 games.
The Broncos (1-2) are a different team, too. They began the 2009 season 6-0 and are 3-10 since. It could get worse. After Sunday, Denver plays at Baltimore and is home against the New York Jets before the schedule potentially gets easier.
Without a running game (30th in NFL with 201 yards, 32nd with 2.5 yards per run) and missing their top running back, Knowshon Moreno, it will be hard for the Broncos to win period - let alone against three of the NFL’s toughest defenses.
The Titans, who defeated the Oakland Raiders 38-13 in Week 1 and the New York Giants 29-10 in Week 3, have allowed 14 points per game and are seventh in the NFL in total defense, including fifth against the pass. They are also tied for fourth in the NFL with 10 sacks.
The Titans’ pass defense will be put to the test, arguably for the first time this season. Kyle Orton threw for a career-high 476 yards in the Broncos’ 27-13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 3. He has 1,078 yards - second to the San Diego Chargers’ Philip Rivers (1,087) - and is seventh in passer rating (97.3).
The Broncos already have four receivers with 10 or more receptions, including Brandon Lloyd (14), who is averaging 24.2 yards per catch. Jabar Gaffney and Eddie Royal are tied for ninth in the NFL with 17 receptions apiece. Rookie Demaryius Thomas has 10 receptions. All four have a touchdown catch.
Orton’s job might be a little easier Sunday – Titans starting cornerback Jason McCourty is out with a fractured forearm. Rookie Alterraun Verner is expected to take his place.
There is nothing good, though, when it comes to the Broncos’ running game, or its red zone offense. Moreno, who missed all four preseason games with a right hamstring injury, missed the Colts game with a left hamstring injury. He is not expected to play Sunday.
The Broncos were 0-for-5 inside the Colts’ 20-yard line, including 0-for-2 on fourth-down tries.
The Titans, meanwhile, have proven more balanced (442 yards passing, 412 rushing), although they are 28th in total offense. In addition, the Titans have a ground game: Chris Johnson has 301 yards and four touchdowns, despite being held to 34 yards against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a 19-11 loss in Week 2.
The Broncos’ defense will go from one extreme to another. Last week, they faced the Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning, the NFL’s top quarterback. The Broncos have allowed 283 yards rushing this season – sixth in the AFC – but have faced two teams that do not run the ball well in the Colts and the Seattle Seahawks.
The Broncos won the last meeting with Tennessee 34-20 in 2007.