NASHVILLE – The Titans face the Browns on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland.
Here's a look at six things to watch in the contest:
A Cam Comeback?
OK, so it's not like Titans quarterback Cam Ward fell off a cliff. But after showing strides in previous weeks, Ward didn't sustain his positive momentum in last Sunday's loss to the Jaguars, when he missed some open receivers, and looked less decisive while occasionally holding the ball too long. The Titans would like to see Ward finish this season on a high note, and he'll have a chance to get back on track on Sunday in Cleveland. Ward leads all rookies in passing yards (2,351) and ranks second in TD passes (7), but his 75.2 passer rating ranks last in the NFL. He'll aim for his third straight game on the road with at least 220 pass yards and a touchdown pass.
Don't Let Myles Garrett Go Off
The weather doesn't look great for Sunday, but here's something else that could make life miserable for Ward and the Titans: Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. What Garrett is doing right now is incredible really – he's on pace for 27 sacks this season, and that would shatter the previous single-season record of 22.5. Garrett leads the NFL with 19 sacks through 12 games, and he has more sacks himself than three teams – the Bengals and Panthers have 18, and the 49ers have 16. Garrett has three games with at least three sacks, despite getting chip blocked on 25.6 of his rushes, per NextGenStats. The Titans need to keep Garrett from teeing off on Ward, who has already been sacked 48 times this season.
Facing Shedeur
Ward and Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders trained together leading up to the NFL Draft, and they were big topics of conversation leading up to Ward being selected first overall, and Sanders being picked 144th overall (in the fifth round). Now, they're set to square off against one another in Cleveland. Sanders is averaging 135 passing yards per game in his starts, with a 69.4 passer rating, a 60.0 completion percentage, two touchdown passes, and two interceptions. He has four completions of 30-plus yards since taking over, after Cleveland managed just two such completions in Weeks 1-11 combined. The Titans don't want to give Sanders a shining moment this week.
Chimere Dike
Titans returner Chimere Dike continues to give fans a reason to watch on special teams. Dike leads the NFL in both punt return yards (361) and punt return average (21.2) in his rookie season. The last player to average at least 20 yards per return while having at least 350 punt return yards was Dick Christy with the AFL's New York Titans in 1961. The Browns have struggled on special teams this season, so Sunday provides another big opportunity for Dike, who already has two touchdowns on returns this season.
Run the Ball
Titans interim coach Mike McCoy raved about running back Tony Pollard after last week's game, and I thought Pollard had some gritty, tough runs myself. But the reality is Pollard finished the game with just 10 carries for 60 yards, and that's hardly anything to feel great about. The Titans finished the game with just 67 rushing yards, and that's just not enough to win games. To help Ward, and to keep Garrett and Co. from pinning their ears back and wreaking havoc, the Titans are going to need to run the ball better. The Titans have just two games with 100-plus rush yards this season, and they've been held with less than 80 rushing yards in half their games. The Titans need to be better here.
Rising Stars
It's all about the future for these Titans, so individual performances can provide reasons for optimism. I'll name two more players to watch moving forward, because they're going to be a part of the future success: tight end Gunnard Helm and Cedric Gray. Helm is the first rookie tight end in franchise history to have consecutive games with at least six receptions, and he's getting better each week. Gray has 114 tackles on the season, which is 51 more than any other Titans player. Like Ward and Dike, Helm and Gray are worth watching each week, among others.
