“Don’t anybody every question me about those field goals and timeouts again,” said Shanahan, who started a trend with that timeout against Oakland. “I told you this would happen sooner or later. You live by the sword and die by the sword.”

And really, this one wasn’t so much about field goals as big plays for the Broncos.

A team that had only one touchdown of 20 yards or more all season on offense got its second early, when Cutler found Brandon Stokley in the middle of the field and Stokley outran the Titans defense for a 48-yard score.

On the first drive of the third quarter, Cutler found Marshall in single coverage on Calvin Lowry, who went for the ball and missed, allowing Marshall to score for a 27-10 lead.

Cutler lost the stats matchup to Young, his 2006 draft classmate, finishing 16-for-21 for 200 yards. But Cutler got the win. Selvin Young finished with 54 yards before leaving with a twisted knee.

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That could set the stage for Hall, who could start next week against Chicago if Young is hurt and the Broncos are without Henry, who is awaiting the league’s decision on results of a positive drug test. Henry was inactive against Tennessee with a knee injury.

The Titans, meanwhile, have lost two straight and hardly looked like the team that appeared poised to push Indianapolis in the AFC South.

The defense got beat up for the second straight week. Last time, it was on the ground (166 yards against Jacksonville) and this time by the big play.

“It all came down to missed tackles,” Fisher said. “We had missed tackle on the long touchdown run, missed tackles on the long touchdown pass play. That’s the problem with missed tackles.”

Meanwhile, the receivers dropped no fewer than four easy catches, including one by Brandon Jones, who got behind Champ Bailey but bobbled the pass, which helped stall a promising drive on the opening possession.

Notes: Titans RB LenDale White, a Denver native, had 56 ticket requests. He finished the game with 42 yards on 13 carries and a lost fumble in the second quarter. ... Ian Gold had a huge game for Denver with eight tackles, an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.