The Denver Broncos playoff hopes took a hit on Sunday, as the Broncos traveled to Tennessee and lost to the Titans, dropping their record to 8-5.

After being outclassed for most of the game, Denver somehow battled their way back into it and had a chance to tie or win the game on the final drive.

But, trailing 13-10, Broncos tight end A.J. Derby was stripped of the football at the Denver 41-yard line. The Titans recovered the loose ball, and the Broncos lost for the third time in five games.

The Broncos are now in the final stretch of the regular season, and their schedule is about to get significantly tougher. Denver has three games remaining against the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders. Those teams currently have a combined record of 30-8.

Here are five things that we learned from a costly Broncos loss on Sunday.

1. Aqib Talib isn’t going down without a fight

You may love him, you may hate him, but make no mistake … Aqib Talib isn’t going away quietly.

With the Broncos trailing 10-0 late in the second quarter, Denver looked as if they were on their way to being blown out. They looked flat. There was no spark, and not much reason for hope.

Then, Titans wide receiver Harry Douglas made a block on Denver cornerback Chris Harris Jr. The block was legal, but it was definitely low, and in the area of the knees, and Harris had to be helped from the field.

Talib wasted no time in letting Douglas know that he took offense to the dangerous play.

On the next play, Talib attacked Douglas, driving him into the sideline and the two had to be separated. Talib was called for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, and the Titans kicked a field goal to extend their lead to 13-0.

But the play seemed to breathe some energy into the Broncos, and that spark nearly led them to a comeback.

You might not have liked the move, but there’s no question that Talib’s play made a big impact on his teammates, and their level of play showed a noticeable improvement.

2. Once again, the turnovers proved to be too costly

The Broncos are undefeated on the season when they win the turnover battle. They are 6-0 in games that they manage to take care of the football. But once again on Sunday, Denver came down with a costly case of “fumbleitis,” and it cost them dearly.

Down 7-0 early in the first quarter, newly signed running back Justin Forsett entered the game after Devontae Booker missed a block on the opening series. On second-and-6 from their own 29-yard line, Forsett got his first carry in a Broncos uniform and squirted through the line for a quick 9 yards and an apparent first down.

But he lost the ball in the process, and three plays later the Titans were up 10-0.

And then there was the final drive, and the Derby fumble.

Just as important, the Broncos defense forced no turnovers from the Tennessee offense, and Denver finished the game with a minus-two in the turnover column.

The loss drops Denver to 2-5 when they lose that very important statistic.

3. The slow starts have haunted this team all season

It has happened all season, but once again the Broncos failed to score a single point in the first quarter.

Or the second quarter.

Or the third quarter.

Finally, with less than 10 minutes remaining in the game, Trevor Siemian found Emmanuel Sanders for a 3-yard score.

But it wasn’t just the offense that struggled early.

The defense allowed the Titans 170 yards in the first half, and 138 of those yards were on the ground. The Titans held the ball for over 20 minutes in the first half and kept the struggling Denver offense on the sideline.

 

4. The offensive line has gotten worse

The Broncos have started two different quarterbacks this year. Six different running backs have logged carries as they have looked for someone to provide some consistency on the ground. And while some players have shown a bit more promise than others, there is one common thread.

This offensive line is getting worse.

On Sunday, the Broncos managed just 18 yards on the ground against a Tennessee defense that allows over 92 yards per game. Quarterback Trevor Siemian was hit 10 different times and sacked three times.

NFL football games are won and lost in the trenches, and the Broncos offensive line is losing the battle each and every week.

5. Making the playoffs is still possible, but it isn’t going to be easy

Despite the loss to Tennessee, the Broncos are still very much in the postseason race, as they currently maintain the No. 6 seed in the AFC.

But with their three upcoming opponents, it is going to be tough to earn a playoff spot.

While the Broncos will be playing some of the top teams in the NFL, the teams that are lurking behind them have much easier paths.

Now the Broncos have to try to pull off some upsets, and hope that the Dolphins, Ravens, Titans and Colts slip up.

We know that anything can happen once you get into the NFL’s “second season,” but right now it’s going to be very tough for Denver to even get there.