DENVER (AP) — Denver's ferocious defense has no bigger fan than Bo Nix.

“It's the best feeling when you've got a great defense,” the second-year quarterback said Sunday after the defense bailed him out and spoiled top overall draft pick Cam Ward's debut in a 20-12 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

Nix had an off-day, throwing a pair of interceptions to go with his one touchdown toss and losing a fumble for the first time since 2021 when he was at Auburn.

Nix's defense had his back again and again, piling up a half-dozen sacks and holding the Titans to a measly 2.4 yards per play.

“I mean, just over and over they got us out of a jam,” Nix said.

Ward was held to 12-of-28 passing for 112 yards with no touchdowns. He didn’t have an interception, but fumbled the ball away in the final minute on his sixth sack.

The Titans went 2 for 14 on third down and their 133 yards of total offense was almost entirely wiped out by their 131 yards on 13 accepted penalties.

“The one that really sticks out is they get the ball down 1 and we get two sacks and get them out of field goal range," Nix said. "That'll change the game in a hurry and changes the environment ... It was awesome to see different players making big plays.”

Because of that deep defense, the Titans managed just six points on their four takeaways.

“Incredibly frustrating,” Tennessee coach Brian Callahan said. “Those are opportunities to score points and put the game away and we didn’t do it.”

Last season, teams that had four or more turnovers won just three of 18 games.

“We had a dominant performance,” said reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II. “Starting the season off like that should allow us to separate ourselves.”

The Broncos befuddled Ward, forcing five punts and a turnover on Tennessee's final six possessions after the Titans had gone ahead 12-10 on Joey Slye's fourth field goal in the third quarter.

Quarterbacks taken at No. 1 overall are now 4-15-1 in the common draft era starting a season opener. Since 2000, the last 17 quarterbacks taken No. 1 overall are 1-15-1.

“The only way," Ward said, “is up.”

Fruitless fourth quarter

Tennessee had three chances to tie it in the final five minutes but came up empty each time.

After holding Nix to no gain on fourth-and-inches at the Denver 46 with 5:07 remaining, Tennessee went three-and-out and punted for the eighth time.

The Titans stuffed Marvin Mims Jr. well short of the line to gain with under 3 minutes to go, but star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons was flagged for unnecessary roughness when he knocked Mims to the ground after the whistle. Earlier, Simmons was responsible for Nix's first lost fumble as a pro.

That flag extended the drive, which ended on an incompletion on fourth-and-8 from the Tennessee 36 with 1:05 remaining. That gave Ward & Co. one last shot but after three incompletions, Ward was strip-sacked by Ja'Quan McMillian on fourth down and Broncos first-round draft pick Jahdae Barron recovered.

Hectic half

The teams combined to score 10 points in the final 16 seconds of the first half.

Nix threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Courtland Sutton that gave Denver its first lead at 10-6, but instead of blasting the ball through the end zone for a touchback, Wil Lutz kicked off to the 5 and Chimere Dike returned it 71 yards to the Denver 24. Slye nailed a 42-yard field goal to pull Tennessee to 10-9 at the break.

Lutz restored Denver's lead with a 33-yard field goal and rookie R.J. Harvey's 50-yard scamper set up J.K. Dobbins' 19-yard TD burst.

Mims, a two-time All-Pro punt returner, muffed a punt early in the fourth quarter, giving Tennessee possession at the Denver 24. Consecutive sacks by Jonah Ellis and Zach Allen pushed the Titans out of field goal range, however.

“Can’t take a sack in those situations," Callahan said. “It’s a learning moment for him. This is a really tough test out the gate, his first start against his defense in this stadium. There’s plenty of things he’s going to learn.”

Injuries

Titans: RB Kalel Mullings sustained an ankle injury in the first half. ... T JC Latham suffered a hip injury and CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. got hurt in the second half.

Broncos: TE Evan Engram suffered a calf injury in the second half, stayed in the game and then limped off in the fourth quarter and tossed his helmet.

Up next

Titans: Host the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday.

Broncos: At the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday.

Machado's 23rd home run powers Padres to 8-1 win over Rockies

DENVER (AP) — Manny Machado hit his 23rd home run and drove in three runs to help the San Diego Padres roll to an 8-1 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

With the win, the Padres remained one game behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the National League West.

Machado was one of four Padres players to hit a home run, with Jackson Merrill, Gavin Sheets and Ramón Laureano each connecting on solo shots. San Diego had entered the day with 123 home runs as a team this season, the second-fewest in the majors.

Merrill had three hits while Machado, Sheets, Jake Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin had two apiece for the Padres, who had lost nine of their previous 12 games.

Dylan Cease (7-11) earned the win for San Diego, giving up four hits and one earned run in five innings. He struck out five.

The loss was the Rockies’ 13th in their past 16 games and dropped them to an MLB-worst 40-103, tying the franchise record for most losses in a season.

Colorado’s Tanner Gordon (5-6) suffered his first loss in nearly a month after allowing six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings. The 27-year-old right-hander gave up three home runs after surrendering just seven in his 11 previous starts this season.

Key moment

 

After an Ezequiel Tovar RBI single shaved the Padres’ lead to 3-1, San Diego responded with a three-run fourth inning. The Rockies wouldn’t get closer than five runs for the rest of the day.

Key stat

The Padres had 18 runs in the final two games of the series against Colorado after scoring just 12 runs in their previous five games combined.

Up next

 

Padres: San Diego returns home, where a yet-to-be-announced starter will face off Monday against LHP Nick Lodolo (8-7, 3.22 ERA) and the Cincinnati Reds.

Rockies: RHP Chase Dollander (2-12, 6.77) will take on RHP Tyler Glasnow (1-3, 4.81) and the host Dodgers Monday.

Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter believes he 'can do more and can do better' after NFL debut

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Travis Hunter started in one corner of EverBank Stadium and worked his way around to the other side, stopping to sign autographs and take pictures with dozens of fans.

All of them wanted a keepsake with the NFL's only two-way star.

Hunter played offense and defense in his regular-season debut, seeing action on both sides of the ball in Jacksonville's 26-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

He played primarily on offense — he was on the field for 44 of 63 snaps — and chipped in six defensive snaps.

“I did my job," said Hunter, the second pick in the NFL draft. "That was the main focus. I did what they asked me to do. I know I can do more and I know I can do better.”

The 2024 Heisman Trophy winner at Colorado, Hunter finished with six receptions for 33 yards. Coach Liam Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence said Hunter made no mistakes on any of his plays.

“He was great. Had some big catches, obviously," Lawrence said. “He's a weapon for us, and he's going to continue to get better and better. He's a matchup in space, great with the ball in his hands. Could have more out there. I felt like I could have gave him a few more opportunities with some of the ones I missed.”

Hunter looked like he might have a touchdown catch late in the second half, but Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn made a leaping, one-handed snag for an interception.

“If he doesn’t get up and make a great play like he did, yeah, I think that was a touchdown,” Hunter said.

Hunter played sparingly on defense mostly because he missed 10 days late in the preseason because of an upper-body injury. Coen said he missed practices in which the defense installed unique coverage schemes for the Panthers.

“It was maybe a little bit less for him this game,” Coen said. “I think it will only continue to evolve and go more. ... I can only see it going and expanding from here.”

During the opener, Hunter gladly served as a sideline cheerleader who was one of the first to revel in big plays with teammates.

“I was just excited to go out there and ready to go out there and win with my team and just bring that energy,” Hunter said. “Every game, I’m trying to bring the energy and bring the guys up and make sure we stay true to ourselves and be the team we know we can be.”

Hunter cut his dreadlocks before the game, saying “it was just time. Time to let it go. New me, new person. Welcome to a new chapter in my life. Just chop it off.”

He also spent time with his grandmother and other family members in the stadium before kickoff. After the game, he celebrated with fans by taking a victory lap like he often did in college.

“It's not hard. I just got to go out there and be myself,” Hunter said. “I've been doing this for a long time, and my job is to go out there and bring the energy and do my job.”