Three Warning Signs and Two Reasons for Confidence for the Browns vs. the Titans in Week 7

Cleveland's offense keeps starting slow and living on last-second kicks, but a Browns defense that blanked Baltimore late now meets the NFL's weakest attack.

by Andrew Hughes

Oct 22, 2026

Cleveland's offense keeps starting slow and living on last-second kicks, but a Browns defense that blanked Baltimore late now meets the NFL's weakest attack.

Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Cleveland Browns fans have learned to keep the antacids within reach on Sundays. Four wins have come down to the final possession, and even the 13-10 win over Ravens needed a walk-off kick after a scoreless first half from the offense.

Now the Browns head to Nashville to face a Tennessee Titans team that just won ugly in Indianapolis for its first victory. Here are three reasons for worry and two reasons for confidence.

Causes for concern for the Browns vs. the Titans

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4)

Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

First halves that dig a hole

Against Baltimore, the Browns managed 46 net yards and three first downs in the first half, and five possessions ended in punts. They had 107 total yards entering the fourth quarter. The offense ranks 28th in scoring at 17.7 points per game.

Tennessee’s defense allows 21.5 points per game, 13th in the league, and Robert Saleh’s group just sacked Daniel Jones six times. Spotting the Titans an early lead at Nissan Stadium would hand a young team the confidence it found in the fourth quarter last week, the kind of game Cleveland lost to the Jets in Week 5.

Third downs remain a problem

Cleveland entered Week 6 converting 30.6% of its third downs, 31st in the NFL. It went 1-for-6 in the first half against the Ravens before improving to 4-for-10 after halftime, according to the team’s game notes.

Baltimore sacked Deshaun Watson three times and hit him five times in the first half alone, and his play on those downs is the root of it. PFF grades his passing at 54.2, 29th of 35 qualifiers, and charges him with 11 turnover-worthy plays. The big quarterback decision stays on hold as long as Cleveland wins, but third-and-long keeps putting the defense back on the field.

Living on the final possession

Cleveland has been outscored 122-106 despite its 4-2 record, according to Pro Football Reference. All four wins came by four points or fewer, and each needed a fourth-quarter game-winning drive.

Andre Szmyt had made 25 straight field goals before Sunday, the third-longest streak in team history, and has won two games with his leg. Tennessee has lost by four to Philadelphia, by five to the Giants and by six to Baltimore, so this one could easily come down to one more kick. Szmyt also missed a 48-yarder with 3:44 left Sunday before getting another chance, a reminder of how thin the line has been.

Signs of encouragement for the Browns vs. the Titans

Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) is tackled by Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field.

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

A defense that shut down Baltimore after two drives

The Ravens scored on their first two possessions and then went scoreless over their final nine, punting seven times. Carson Schwesinger forced the Derrick Henry fumble that flipped the game, Adin Huntington had three quarterback hits and Isaiah McGuire, Maliek Collins and Quincy Williams each recorded a sack. Denzel Ward broke up a key third-down throw to Mark Andrews, and Baltimore finished with a season-low 235 total yards against Cleveland.

“The ball is oxygen and, and that’s something that was big in the offseason for me,” Schwesinger said after the win. Tennessee ranks 31st in scoring and last in total yards, and Cam Ward carries a 75.0 passer rating into the game. Cleveland allows 20.3 points per game, seventh in the NFL, and has done it without Myles Garrett.

Denzel Boston and Harold Fannin Jr. finding the end zone

Boston, a rookie, has 17 catches for 345 yards and three touchdowns, an average of 20.3 yards per catch. Harold Fannin Jr. has added 19 catches for 166 yards and three scores, giving Watson two red-zone options when the offense finally gets moving. Rookie KC Concepcion added four catches on six targets against Baltimore.

Tennessee ranks 17th against the pass, safeties Tony Adams and Kevin Winston Jr. were limited in practice Wednesday and the cornerback room is still sorting out roles after Alontae Taylor sat as a healthy inactive. That’s an opening for Boston downfield.