Recap: Tennessee Titans lean on defense to win over Denver Broncos

The Tennessee Titans will try to avoid back-to-back losses and score a win against an AFC foe when they host the Denver Broncos.

The Titans (5-3) face off against the Broncos (3-5) from Nissan Stadium on Sunday (noon, CBS). After winning five straight, the Titans dropped an overtime heartbreaker against the Broncos' division-rival Kansas City Chiefs last weekend, setting up a potential bounce back game for the Titans.

Follow below for live updates as the Titans battle the Broncos.

Tennessee Titans score updates vs. Denver Broncos

Fourth quarter

FINAL: Titans 17, Broncos 10. Like pulling teeth, but still a Titans win. Tennessee moves to 6-3. Denver now 3-6.

INSTANT ANALYSIS: Tennessee Titans ride menacing pass rush to bounce-back win over Denver Broncos

GENTRY ESTES: NWI's redemption — and 3 other takeaways as Tennessee Titans batter Broncos

REPORT CARD: Tennessee Titans grades vs. Denver Broncos: How Russell Wilson was smothered

Scores of note elsewhere:

• Bills 30, Vikings 30 in OT

• Chiefs 27, Jaguars 17

• Dolphins 39, Browns 17

• Giants 24, Texans 16

• Colts 0, Raiders 0 with Matt Ryan starting at QB

11 seconds left: Terrance Mitchell picks off Russell Wilson on 4th down. Wilson was scrambling but didn't have a receiver in the area.

26 seconds left: Rashad Weaver sacks Russell Wilson, and Wilson fumbles. How Sam Okuayinonu doesn't get the ball, I don't know. 4th and long, though.

38 seconds left: Broncos on the move. Courtland Sutton with a big catch. On the Titans' 21.

1:54 left: Russell Wilson scrambles for a first down.

2:00 left: Broncos have 4th and 5 from their own 30, and with no timeouts. This is the ball game.

2:59 left: Randy Bullock is good from 35 yards out. Mike Vrabel pleading with the officials for something.

4:07 left: Play of the day is the flea flicker TD, but No. 2 might be Chig Okonkwo's third conversion just now for 41 yards. Titans into the red zone, looking to put it away.

6:10 left: Austin Hooper third down conversion.

7:16 left: Three and out for the Broncos. Punt time.

7:34 left: Malik Willis in on 3rd and short to take a snap at QB, and fumbles at the mesh point on the read option. Wow.

Broncos recover. Not good football.

Caleb Farley (back) is ruled out, while David Long is questionable to return.

9:29 left: Big catch by Austin Hooper to convert for a first down. He drove the pile, too. 17 yard catch. Titans driving.

Elijah Molden out with groin injury

12:06 left: Dylan Cole sack. Broncos punt.

Elijah Molden ruled out with a groin injury, the injury he was trying to come back from throughout the first two months of the season. Molden spent the first nine weeks of the season on IR.

13:10 left: Demarcus Walker sack. Russell Wilson has looked unsettled in the pocket.

Broncos offense has a plan, surely, but it has looked disjointed today.

Third quarter

End of the third quarter: Robert Woods third down drop.

It's safe to say the Titans need more from Bobby Trees down the stretch. Didn't have a catch last week and just two catches for 10 yards today.

2 seconds left: Kareem Jackson should have had an INT for the Broncos. Ball skied over Robert Woods.

1:00 left: Russell Wilson gets a 4th down sneak conversion but that's the end of the progress on the Broncos drive. A punt upcoming.

Titans flea flicker puts the home team ahead

5:15 left: Touchdown Titans! Ryan Tannehill flea flicker pass to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who is wide open down the right sideline. He makes a Broncos defender miss and wins the race to the end zone.

63-yard TD catch. Titans 14, Broncos 10.

6:53 left: Outside of the long TD pass given up, Titans defense has been very good today. Allowing 2.5 yards per carry.

8:10 left: Naquan Jones sack.

12:25 left: Dontrell Hilliard 3rd and 3 carry is short of the line to gain. Hmmmm.

Titans punt.

14:01 left: Broncos three-and-out to start the second half.

Second quarter

Titans on the board, back in the game before halftime

12 seconds left: Touchdown Titans! Nick Westbrook-Ikhine in the back left corner of the end zone gets two feet down. Good throw and good timing by Ryan Tannehill. 9-yard TD.

Big drive. Much needed heading into halftime.

Broncos 10, Titans 7.

19 seconds left: Ryan Tannehill looks OK scrambling. First and goal, Titans.

29 seconds left: Titans offense getting the short passing game going, moving into field goal range. One timeout remaining for the Titans.

1:21 left: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is open over the middle for a first down into Denver territory.

Lonnie Johnson out

Titans defensive back Lonnie Johnson is out with a hamstring injury. Johnson is mainly a special-teamer, but it's another secondary depth injury for the Titans.

2:26 left: Brandon McManus is good from 39 yards.

Broncos 10, Titans 0.

Joshua Kalu had a potential third down INT broken up by Broncos WR Tyrie Cleveland.

3:13 left: Sam Okuayinonu called for roughing the passer. Broncos now inside the Titans' 25.

That was minimal contact to Russell Wilson's legs after the ball was released.

Next play, Kevin Strong is down on one knee.

4:49 left: Another good catch by Courtland Sutton, leaping for a first down catch,. Broncos driving.

6:28 left: Ryan Tannehill sacked on third down. Titans punt No. 6.

Lonnie Johnson is down and slowly limps off.

Broncos on the board with Jalen Virgil TD

8:21 left: Jalen Virgil, the UDFA rookie out of Appalachian State, makes his first career catch and outraces the Titans secondary down the left sideline for a Broncos TD.

Virgil was wide open. Terrance Mitchell slipped and could not recover. 66-yard catch and run.

Broncos 7, Titans 0.

10:45 left: Dylan Cole TFL.

Jerry Jeudy will not return today with an ankle injury, the Broncos report.

Learn to love the punt

11:30 left: According to Merriam-Webster, the definition for punt: "To kick (something, such as a football or soccer ball) with the top of the foot before the ball which is dropped from the hands hits the ground."

It also means: "To pass (something, such as a problem) to someone else."

There's been nine of them in total so far today. Titans three-and-out means the fifth punt for Ryan Stonehouse.

12:39 left: Terrance Mitchell drops an INT on third down. Hit him square in the chest.

Broncos will punt.

13:42 left: Mario Edwards TFL on a Wilson read-option keep.

15:00 left: David Long had Russell Wilson for a sack, but Wilson spins out of it and makes a completion.

First quarter

End of the first quarter: No score.

Broncos WR Kendall Hinton has 52 receiving yards, or one more than the Titans offense had in the first quarter. Hinton is the only productive note offensively in this one through 15 minutes.

10 seconds left: 3rd and 2 pass broken up near midfield, intended for Robert Woods. A lot of tight windows for Ryan Tannehill to work with so far.

Seven total punts in the first quarter.

2:21 left: Mario Edwards sacks a scrambling Russell Wilson on third down. Denver did a good job initially protecting Wilson against a blitz, but he didn't throw the ball.

3:20 left: Broncos WR Courtland Sutton with a fantastic grab while falling on third down.

4:27 left: Monty Rice TFL.

7:23 left: Mike Vrabel doesn't challenge a possible fumble by Melvin Gordon, who was having trouble keeping control of the ball but was ruled down. That would have been worth a stoppage in college football, at least. Don't know if it would have been overturned. Would have given the Titans possession inside the Broncos' 30.

Instead, the defense forces a three-and-out. Not much offense yet in this one.

8:42 left: Ryan Tannehill looks fine on the run, though his third-down pass is broken up. Intended for Nick Westbrook-Ikhine.

Dylan Cole with a big-time hit on the punt return.

Jerry Jeudy headed to the Denver locker room.

9:26 left: Treylon Burks' first catch today is on a quick WR screen for a couple yards.

11:53 left: Russell Wilson throws the ball away on third down before the Titans blitz gets to him. Broncos punt.

13:06 left: Russell Wilson finds Kendall Hinton for a gain of 30-plus on third down.

Jerry Jeudy, by the way, did slowly walk off the field under his own power earlier. Now in the tent.

Broncos say Jeudy is questionable to return with an ankle injury.

13:22 left: Jerry Jeudy down after falling during a deep route. Holding his left leg.

13:40 left: Geoff Swaim third-down drop. Titans three-and-out.

Ryan Tannehill has already been hit twice, once being a sack wiped away by an offside penalty.

15:00 left: Broncos win the toss and defer. Ryan Tannehill and the Titans offense get the ball first.

Pregame

Ryan Tannehill active, Kristian Fulton inactive

The Tennessee Titans will get Ryan Tannehill back after missing two games with an ankle injury. He is active on Sunday.

Tennessee's defense will be shorthanded. Kristian Fulton is out, joining Jeffery Simmons, Bud Dupree and Amani Hooker on the inactive list on Sunday. Jordan Roos and Chris Conley are also inactive.

For Denver, Justin Simmons and KJ Hamler are the notable names out for Sunday's game.

About 85 minutes until kickoff. Welcome to Sunday of Week 10.

A Twitter List by nicksuss

What time, TV channel is Titans vs. Broncos on?

Kickoff is scheduled for noon CT. The game will be televised on CBS and available to stream locally through Paramount Plus.

Contact Nick Suss at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Recap: Titans lean on defense to win over Denver Broncos