Biggest Takeaways From Browns Victory Over Titans

Cleveland took down Tennessee, but it was not a pretty game for the Brown and Orange

Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (10) celebrates his touchdown during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Cleveland Browns took down the Tennessee Titans 27-24 in their Week 7 matchup.

While the Brown and Orange walked away with the win, there are some major positives and negatives that we saw in the game.

Let's break down some of the biggest factors we saw out there on the field.

Oct 25, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans running back Tony Pollard (20) runs the ball against Cleveland Browns safety Grant Delpit (9) during the fourth quarter at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Defensive Struggles

Maybe Tony Pollard has a grudge against the Browns' defense and pulls out his best performances when facing them. Regardless, the defense did a terrible job stopping the league's worst offense.

Coming into the game, the Titans ranked dead last In offensive yards per game, with 263.3. Against the Browns, they put up 322.

Time after time, Pollard would break down the Browns' run defense, which led to Cam Ward dicing up the secondary with quick passes and slant routes.

While there were some great plays made at times, it was very unsettling to see the Browns continually struggle against one of the statistically worst offenses in the entire NFL.

DESHAUN WATSON GO AHEAD TUDDY pic.twitter.com/KuhyT1ebzs

— McNeil (@REFLOG18) October 25, 2026

Deshaun Watson Saves Cleveland Again

You could really argue that Deshaun Watson had two game-winning drives in this matchup.

He started by leading the Browns down the field and finding the end zone with his legs to take a late lead. After the defense gave up a touchdown, he once again marched Cleveland down the field and into field goal range with no time remaining.

At some point, it feels like the juice has to run out with these game-winning drives.

However, it is great to see the Browns finally getting the quarterback they traded for four years ago. As long as he can keep up the production, the Browns will keep winning games.

Cleveland Browns running back Quinshon Judkins (10) celebrates his touchdown during the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Quinshon Judkins Ignited the Run Game

One of the statistics the Browns actually took advantage of was the fact that Tennessee allows the 21st most rushing yards per game in the NFL.

For the first time this season, Quinshon Judkins was able to produce for the Browns as he did in his rookie season.

On the game, Judkins finished with 96 rushing yards on 17 carries (5.6 yards per carry) while finding the endzone twice.

By far, the Browns run game looked the best it did all season. As a whole, Cleveland had 183 rushing yards on offense.

Jul 29, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns guard Zion Johnson (77) at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penalties

Week after week, the Browns can't seem to stay out of their own way.

Averaging nine penalties per game on the season coming into the game, Cleveland got flagged one shy of their mark to be at with a total of eight flags.

Still, multiple drives were halted and ruined thanks to simple mistakes.

One example to think about is Zion Johnson getting two holding penalties in the span of three plays. That surely has to be some sort of record somewhere.

Oct 25, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Tyson Campbell (7) tackles Tennessee Titans wide receiver Carnell Tate (14) during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Overall Thoughts

No matter how ugly, a win is still a win.

While it would've been much nicer to see the Browns play better against a team they probably should've blown out, they still got the job done.

A lot of credit in this game has to go to Todd Monken. No matter what happened, good or bad, he kept his guys focused on the game and managed to come away victorious.

Cleveland truly has found their guy with Monken, and he continues to prove it week after week.