Titans chase a rare 2nd straight win as the Browns arrive atop the AFC North

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee safety Amani Hooker couldn’t remember the most recent time the Titans strung together back-to-back wins, and his guess off.

Think back to November 2022, nearly four years ago. That’s when the Titans beat Denver, then won at Green Bay four days later on Nov. 17, 2022. Since then, the Titans are 13-51 cycling through players, coaches and general managers.

Now the Titans are coming off their first win this season, 26-20 at Indianapolis last week. They host the surprising Cleveland Browns (4-2) on Sunday looking to string together victories.

“It’s definitely a huge opportunity,” Hooker said. “I know guys got that feeling of the locker room of what it feels like because … it’s a contagious feeling that you want to do again, and we plan on doing that this week.”

The Titans and Browns have a lot in common with both franchises hiring new coaches in the offseason.

Robert Saleh got his first win with a Tennessee roster that has had 36 combined starts from players in their first or second seasons.

Todd Monken has 45 such players, which is second most in the NFL behind only Miami (53). Yet Monken has the Browns sitting atop the AFC North thanks to a tiebreaker and a 13-10 win over Baltimore last week.

Monken dismisses any thoughts that these Titans are motivated by the team’s past struggles. He knows himself the work a new coaching staff has trying to establish a culture and develop young players. The bigger issue is Saleh’s success last week winning with six sacks, a blocked punt for a touchdown and a big punt return.

“I just look at the players and the coaches and they’ve got a tremendous coaching staff, not only at the coordinator level, but on down and a really good young roster that’s just going to continue to get better,” Monken said.

The biggest advantage Monken has had in Cleveland is Deshaun Watson playing more like the quarterback the Browns thought they got when trading for him in 2022. Watson has thrown for 1,174 yards with seven touchdowns and only two interceptions with four game-winning drives this season.

Saleh has Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 draft, and the Titans are last in the NFL in yards per game, yards passing per game and tied for 31st with 14 points a game.

It’s why Tennessee is leaning on a defense led by All-Pro tackle Jeffery Simmons. Watson has been sacked more than any other NFL quarterback with 24, and he remembers too well facing off against Simmons repeatedly while in Houston.

“He’s a very, very game-wrecker and he makes that defense go,” Watson said. “So we definitely got to make sure we watch out for him and just make sure that we control him as much as possible and get the ball up.”

Need to know

Cleveland (4-2) at Tennessee (1-5)

When/where to watch: Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS

Latest odds: Browns by 1 1/2.

Against the spread: Browns 4-2, Titans 3-3.

Last game: Browns beat the Ravens 13-10, and the Titans beat the Colts 26-20.

Last meeting: Titans beat Browns 31-29 on Dec. 7, 2025, in Cleveland.

Series record: Browns lead 37-33.

Matchup to watch

Ward vs. the Browns’ defensive front. Ward has been sacked only 10 times this season. But he has thrown for only 998 yards with as many touchdowns (four) as interceptions (four). Cleveland ranks second in the NFL with 19 sacks, and the Browns get pressure from everywhere with 11 different players having at least one sack this season.

Stats and stuff

— Watson has thrown 69 consecutive passes without an interception, a span covering three games.

— Cleveland has not allowed a quarterback to throw for 300 yards in 51 consecutive games, the NFL’s longest streak since the Colts had a 52-game streak between 2005 and 2008.

— Browns LB Quincy Williams has forced three fumbles, which is tied for the NFL lead entering Week 7.

— Browns WR Denzel Boston leads all NFL rookies with 345 yards receiving, and Titans WR Carnell Tate ranks second with 344 yards. Tate leads all rookies with 29 receptions.

— The Titans became the NFL’s first team with three takeaways, six sacks and a blocked punt in a game since Indianapolis at Minnesota on Dec. 17, 2022.

— The Titans scored 26 points in the second half last week. That was their most points in a game this season and most in a second half since scoring 28 in the second half against the Browns on Dec. 6, 2020.

— The Titans did not allow a sack last week, their second such game this season.

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