GameDay Prediction: Can Titans Find Enough Points vs. Tough Browns Defense?

Now that the Tennessee Titans' long losing streak is a thing of the past, they're hoping to start a winning streak of sorts on Sunday in Cleveland. But the Browns' defense is one of the best in the league, and this will be a challenge. Here's my gameday prediction on Titans-Browns.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — It was nice that the Tennessee Titans snapped an eight-game losing streak last Sunday that dated back to mid-November of 2022, beating the Los Angeles Chargers in overtime back in Nashville.

Now, can they get a winning streak started?

Tennessee is in Cleveland on Sunday to take on Deshaun Watson and the Browns in a battle of 1-1 teams. Both of their losses — the Titans at New Orleans in Week 1 and the Browns' loss at Pittsburgh on Monday night – were directly related to untimely turnovers.

At their best, today will be interesting. But will we see their best? I'm a big believer that this game also will be determined by someone's costly turnover. It's that close.

The Browns are favored by 3.5 points according to the folks at Fanduel.com. (For our breakdown of the spread and the two team's history vs. the number, CLICK HERE.) That's basically the typical homefield advantage, with the Browns getting a little more edge probably because of their pass rush and No. 2 ranked defense.

The Titans did a lot of good things last Sunday, though, and they'll have Kristian Fulton (hamstring) and Amani Hooker (concussion) back in the secondary after they both missed last Sunday's game.

I think that's big. 

I'm 1-1 in my picks so far on Titans games, guessing right on the low-scoring loss to the Saints, but missing the win over the Chargers last week. I took the Chargers because I still needed the Titans to show me that their much-maligned offensive line could hold up, and their injury-depleted secondary can hang on against Chargers QB Justin Herbert.

They did, for the most part, and made three critical stops in overtime. The Titans got a good punt return and moved downfield far enough to set up Nick Folk for a game-winning field goal.

This game, though, is a tough one for me. The Browns are definitely going to miss running back Nick Chubb, and the Titans are really hard to run on anyway. I'm more of a Herbert fan than I am of Deshaun Watson, and with Fulton and Hooker back, I don't see the Browns throwing for 300-plus yards like Derek Carr (Saints) and Herbert did.

I don't see the Browns scoring a lot of points, to be honest. But I also don't see the Titans scoring a lot, either. This game, to me, will all come down to turnovers — and someone's ability to get touchdowns and not field goals off of them. When the Titans get good field position, quarterback Ryan Tannehill and his mates have to take advantage of it.

My lean toward the Titans stays true on Sunday morning, and I like that extra half point. I'll take the Titans plus the 3.5 points, and see how that goes. I think they win outright, too. I've got Titans 20, Browns 17.

Related stories on Titans-Browns

• HOW TO WATCH: Here's everything you need to know on how to watch — or listen to — the Titans' game with the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, with gametime, TV info, and lots of newsy nuggets. CLICK HERE
• POINT SPREAD: Here's the full history behind what the Titans and Browns ahve done versus the point spread this season, and some trends that should matter on Sunday. CLICK HERE
• TOM BREW COLUMN: The Tennessee Titans have had five scoring drives in back-to-back games for the first time since October of 2021, and new offensive coordinator Tim Kelly has been pushing a lot of the right buttons. The offense is nowhere near perfect so far, but it's definitely a huge step in the right direction. CLICK HERE
• INJURY REPORT: The Tennessee Titans completed their week of practice and released the final injury report of Week 3 ahead of their matchup with the Cleveland Browns. We also saw a few roster moves including Kearis Jackson going on injured reserve. CLICK HERE
• TITANS DISGUISED COVERAGES: The Tennessee Titans had an excellent game plan on defense against the Chargers that included disguised and complex coverages. It unlocked the pass rush and got the Titans off the field on big third downs. CLICK HERE