Titans vs. Browns Preview: Cam Ward Needs a Clean Day to Steal a Coin Flip at Nissan

Titans fans, Sunday is a coin flip on paper, and that is exactly why it matters. Tennessee carries a 1-5 record, Cleveland carries a 4-2 record, and ESPN's matchup predictor still has this one as close to an even split. A home win over a winning team at Nissan Stadium would be the best thing that has happened to this season so far.

Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans | Sunday, Oct. 25 | Kickoff 12:00 PM CT | CBS | Nissan Stadium

Our Take: This game is about Cam Ward getting a clean afternoon. If the Titans protect him and keep the ball out of harm's way, they have the defense to win a low-scoring game against a Browns offense that has not lit anybody up.

## Expected lineup and depth notes

Cam Ward is the starting quarterback. He has completed 109 of 177 passes for 998 yards with 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, per ESPN's season leaders for this game. Tony Pollard leads the backfield with 87 carries for 349 yards and a touchdown. Tyjae Spears is questionable with a knee issue, so Pollard figures to carry the load if Spears is limited. Carnell Tate is the top target with 29 catches for 344 yards.

The receiver room has a question mark: Calvin Ridley is questionable with a hip injury after not practicing this week. If Ridley can't go, more of the outside work falls to Tate.

On defense, Jeffery Simmons leads the team with 4 sacks and Anthony Hill Jr. leads with 56 tackles. The back end is the worry. Two safeties, Tony Adams (ankle) and Kevin Winston Jr. (quad), are both questionable.

For Cleveland, Deshaun Watson is under center: 111 of 174 for 1,174 yards, 7 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Quinshon Judkins leads the run game with 221 yards, and Denzel Boston has 17 catches for 345 yards and 3 touchdowns. Mason Graham has 4 sacks and Carson Schwesinger has 56 tackles.

## Injury report (official game designations, NFL.com Week 7 report)

Titans: S Tony Adams (ankle) questionable; LB Dorian Mausi (foot) questionable; WR Calvin Ridley (hip) questionable; RB Tyjae Spears (knee) questionable; S Kevin Winston Jr. (quad) questionable. Note: ESPN's injury page lists Mausi on injured reserve, while the NFL.com report lists him questionable. We will confirm at inactives.

Browns: DT Kalia Davis (quad) out; QB Dillon Gabriel (back) out; DT Mike Hall Jr. (ankle) out; G Teven Jenkins (back) out; CB Denzel Ward (hand) questionable; LB Quincy Williams (neck) questionable.

Inactives come out about 90 minutes before kickoff, and we will update this Take if anything changes.

## How they stack up (ESPN team stats)

- Scoring: Browns 17.7 points per game, Titans 14.0.
- Total offense: Browns 289.7 yards per game, Titans 249.2.
- Passing: Browns 195.7, Titans 166.3.
- Rushing: Browns 94.0, Titans 82.8.
- Points allowed: Browns 20.3, Titans 21.5.
- Yards allowed: Browns 339.7, Titans 357.8.

Neither offense moves the ball easily. Cleveland has won close, grinding games, and all of its last five games were decided by five points or fewer. Tennessee's only win in that stretch came on the road at Indianapolis.

## Key storylines

1. Protect Ward. Graham has 4 sacks, and the Browns' defense has held opponents to 20.3 points a game. Ward's 4 interceptions are the stat to watch. A turnover-free day probably means a Titans win.

2. The safeties vs. Boston. Boston is averaging about 20 yards a catch. With Adams and Winston both questionable, the Titans can't afford busted coverage over the top.

3. Pollard and the clock. Tennessee wins this game by keeping it short. Pollard getting 20-plus touches keeps Watson on the sideline.

4. Simmons vs. a banged-up Browns interior. Cleveland will be without guard Teven Jenkins. That is a matchup Simmons should win on passing downs.

5. Ridley's status. If Ridley is active, Ward has two real outside options. If not, the Browns can roll coverage toward Tate.

## Our pick

This is close, and the numbers say so. The Browns are the better team on paper, but they don't score much either, and the Titans are at home with a defense that can make Watson uncomfortable. If Ward plays a clean game, Tennessee steals one.

Our pick (prediction, not a result): Titans win by three, 20 to 17.

Sources: ESPN game page · NFL.com Week 7 injury report · NFL.com Week 7 schedule