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Titans-Browns Week 14 Postgame Notes

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TEAM NOTES

  • The Titans defeated the Browns at Cleveland 31-29. It was their first road game since Oct. 26 at Indianapolis. They will travel for the second consecutive game next week when they meet the 49ers in San Francisco.
  • Mike McCoy earned his first win as Titans interim head coach, while rookie Cam Ward earned his second win as a starting quarterback.
  • The temperature at kickoff was 33 degrees with winds at 6 miles per hour for a wind chill of 27 degrees.
  • The Titans tied their season high with five rookie starters: quarterback Cam Ward, tight end Gunnar Helm, wide receiver Elic Ayomanor, cornerback Marcus Harris and safety Kevin Winston Jr. Prior to the 2025 season, the last time five or more Titans rookie draft picks started any game was during the 2005 campaign, when five or more draft picks started a total of six times.
  • The Titans tied their season high with 11 rookie participants in the game.
  • The Titans' 31 points set a season high and were the most points for the team since scoring 32 in a win at Houston on Nov. 24, 2024.
  • The Titans turned their two takeaways (two touchdowns) and blocked punt (field goal) into 17 total points.
  • The Titans out-rushed the Browns 184 yards to 61 yards.
  • With two takeaways and one giveaway, the Titans won the turnover battle for the fourth time in 2025.
  • The Titans won the time-of-possession battle 31:56 to 28:04.

TEAM NOTES – OFFENSE

  • Led by Tony Pollard's career-high 161 rushing yards, the offense totaled 184 rushing yards in the contest, which was the Titans' best number of the season and their most since a 184-yard team rushing effort against Houston on Dec. 24, 2022.
  • The Titans matched their season high with 14 points in the first quarter (Nov. 2 vs. L.A. Chargers).
  • On their opening possession, the Titans drove 53 yards on eight plays for a touchdown. It was the team's first opening-drive touchdown since Dec. 15, 2024 against Cincinnati.
  • Tight end Gunnar Helm and wide receivers Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor became the first rookie trio in Titans/Oilers history to record 30 receptions each. On the season, Helm has 37 receptions, while Ayomanor has 30 and Dike has 34.
  • Chimere Dike and Elic Ayomanor became the franchise's first pair of rookies to each record three touchdown catches in a season since 1968, when Mac Haik (eight) and Jim Beirne (four) accomplished the feat together.
  • The Browns defense entered the contest ranked second in the NFL with 44 sacks in 2025. The Titans offense limited them to one sack. It was the fourth time all season the Browns were allowed no more than one sack.
  • The Browns defense entered the contest ranked first in the NFL with an average of 3.70 opponent rushing yards per attempt. The Titans averaged 5.3 yards per attempt, totaling 184 rushing yards on 35 carries.
  • The Titans rushed for 121 yards in the first half. It was their best first-half total since rushing for 123 yards in the opening two quarters against Indianapolis on Dec. 3, 2023.
  • The offense converted both of its red-zone opportunities into touchdowns.

TEAM NOTES – DEFENSE

  • The Titans defense allowed 61 rushing yards to the Browns. It was the lowest total given up by the defense since the Texans netted 40 rushing yards against the Titans on Nov. 24, 2024.
  • Cleveland's 3.1-yard rushing average was the third-lowest figure the Titans surrendered this season through 13 games (2.1 at Las Vegas, 2.6 against Jacksonville).
  • The defense totaled nine passes defensed to match the season high they originally established against the Texans on Nov. 16. Prior to that game, the last time the defense had nine or more passes defensed was against the Jacksonville Jaguars (nine) on Dec. 12, 2021.
  • Tennessee ended with a season-high 13 quarterback hits at Cleveland, sacking Shedeur Sanders twice. Defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons led the way with 1.5 sacks while outside linebacker Jihad Ward led the team with four quarterback hits.
  • The Titans defense held Cleveland scoreless on a pair of two-point conversion attempts in the fourth quarter. They recovered a fumble on the first try and forced an incomplete pass on the second attempt to preserve a 31-29 lead.

TEAM NOTES – SPECIAL TEAMS

  • In the fourth quarter, Titans linebacker James Williams Sr. blocked a punt by Corey Bojorquez. It was the first time the Titans blocked a punt since Tim Shaw recorded one against Pittsburgh on Oct. 11, 2012. Mike Brown recovered Williams' block, leading to Joey Slye's 41-yard field goal four plays later to give Tennessee the eventual winning margin.
  • The 2025 Titans special teams unit is the NFL's first since the 2015 Philadelphia Eagles to register a blocked punt and two punt return touchdowns in the same season.

WR ELIC AYOMANOR

  • Scored his third touchdown of the season on a 14-yard pass from Cam Ward in the first quarter. It was his third touchdown grab of the season.

CB DARRELL BAKER JR.

  • Broke up a deep pass intended for Isaiah Bond in the third quarter.
  • Finished with two tackles and two passes defensed.

LB CODY BARTON

  • Broke up a pass intended for Harold Fannin Jr. in the third quarter to force a Browns fourth down.
  • Notched four tackles and matched a season-best and career-high three passes defensed.
  • Increased his season total to 10 passes defensed, becoming the team's first linebacker to reach the mark in a single season since Keith Bulluck (10) in 2005.

RB JULIUS CHESTNUT

  • Tied for the team lead with three tackles on special teams, extending his team-high total to 12 on the season.

WR CHIMERE DIKE

  • Registered a team-high five receptions for 24 yards and one touchdown.
  • Returned the opening kickoff 41 yards.
  • Caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Cam Ward in the fourth quarter. It was the third touchdown reception of his rookie season.
  • His league-high 1,984 all-purpose yards in 2025 established a new franchise rookie record, surpassing Jerry LeVias' 1,946 all-purpose yards as a rookie in 1969.
  • With 1,323 kickoff return yards in 2025, he moved past Bobby Jancik (1,317 in 1963) for the second-highest single-season total in franchise history, trailing only Marc Mariani (1,530 in 2010).
  • Dike and Jacksonville's Parker Washington became the NFL's first players with at least two punt return touchdowns and three touchdown receptions in a season since Kansas City's Tyreek Hill (two punt return touchdowns and six receiving touchdowns) in 2016. Dike, Hill and Dez Bryant (two punt return touchdowns and six receiving touchdowns in 2010) are the only rookies to accomplish the feat since the start of the 2000 campaign.

LB CEDRIC GRAY

  • Led the defense with 10 tackles and added his first career fumble recovery.
  • Recovered a Dylan Sampson fumble in the fourth quarter to set up a Titans touchdown drive.
  • With 124 tackles through 13 games, he became the team's fourth player since the beginning of the 2000 campaign to reach 120 tackles in the first 13 games of the season (GSIS tackle statistics), joining Stephen Tulloch (136 in 2010), Azeez Al-Shaair (124 in 2020) and Keith Bulluck (120 in 2004).
  • Added a quarterback hit.

OLB JAYLEN HARRELL

  • Combined with Jeffery Simmons to bring down Shedeur Sanders for a third-down sack in the first quarter.
  • Added two tackles.

CB MARCUS HARRIS

  • Recorded his first career forced fumble after knocking the ball loose from Dylan Sampson in the fourth quarter. The fumble was recovered by Cedric Gray and led to a Titans touchdown on the ensuing offensive drive.
  • Added two tackles.

P JOHNNY HEKKER

  • Punted eight times for a 47.9-yard gross average and a 40.9-yard net average with two punts placed inside the 20.

TE GUNNAR HELM

  • Caught one pass for eight yards.
  • With 37 receptions in 2025, he tied Bo Scaife (37 in 2005) for the most receptions in franchise history among rookie tight ends.

S AMANI HOOKER

  • Recorded six tackles to rank third on the team.

WR VAN JEFFERSON

  • Contributed 17 yards on two receptions.

TE CHIG OKONKWO

  • Totaled 20 yards on a pair of receptions.
  • By increasing his career total to 179 receptions, he surpassed Erron Kinney (178) for fifth place in franchise history in career receptions among tight ends, trailing only Frank Wycheck (482), Delanie Walker (381), Bo Scaife (251) and Alvin Reed (199).

RB TONY POLLARD

  • Established a career high with 161 rushing yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns.
  • Established a career long with a 65-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. His previous long was a 58-yard touchdown at New Orleans on Dec. 2, 2021.
  • Recorded his second touchdown of the afternoon on a 32-yard run in the third quarter.
  • Notched his 11th career 100-yard rushing game.
  • It was the Titans' first game with 150 rushing yards by an individual since Derrick Henry (153) against Jacksonville on Jan. 7, 2024.
  • He became the first Titans player with 150 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the same game since Derrick Henry (219 rushing yards and two touchdowns) at Houston on Oct. 30, 2022.
  • Registered his fifth career game with at least two rushing touchdowns and first since Sept. 10, 2023 at N.Y. Giants as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.
  • Increased his season total to four rushing touchdowns and improved his career total to 32 rushing touchdowns.
  • Recorded the most rushing yards by a player against Cleveland in 2025, exceeding the 103 yards by Baltimore's Derrick Henry on Nov. 16.
  • His 97 rushing yards in the opening two quarters set a career high for the first half of a game (89 at Houston on Nov. 24, 2024). It was the most first half rushing yards by a Titans running back since Derrick Henry had 119 against Jacksonville on Dec. 11, 2022.

CB MICAH ROBINSON

  • Tied for the team lead with three special teams tackles.

DT JEFFERY SIMMONS

  • Finished with a team-high 1.5 sacks, seven tackles (second on the team), an additional quarterback hit and a pass defensed.
  • In the fourth quarter, he brought down Shedeur Sanders on third down to force a Browns punt, increasing his team-high total to eight sacks in 2025. During the preceding two plays on the three-and-out drive, he contributed a tackle on first down and a tackle for loss (three-yard loss by Quinshon Judkins) on second down.
  • In the first quarter, he combined with Jaylen Harrell to bring down Shedeur Sanders on third down for a split-sack.
  • With 39.5 career sacks, he passed Kyle Vanden Bosch for 12th place in franchise history and fifth place for the organization during its "Titans" era (1999-present).
  • His 12 tackles for loss in 2025 matches a career high (2021).
  • Logged his eighth career game with seven or more tackles.

K JOEY SLYE

  • Made a 41-yard field goal in the fourth quarter and also made all four extra point attempts.

RB TYJAE SPEARS

  • Posted a team-high 28 receiving yards on two catches to go along with 19 yards on eight carries.
  • In the first quarter, he converted a third-and-10 with a 24-yard reception.

QB CAM WARD

  • Completed 14-of-28 passes for 117 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
  • Logged his first career performance with multiple touchdown passes.
  • During the game's opening drive, he completed all four pass attempts for 48 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Elic Ayomanor.
  • Threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Chimere Dike in the fourth quarter.
  • Became the second rookie quarterback in franchise history to start at least 13 games in a season, along with Vince Young (13 starts in 2006).

OLB JIHAD WARD

  • Logged three tackles and a team-high four quarterback hits.

LB JAMES WILLIAMS SR.

  • Blocked a Browns punt in the fourth quarter that was recovered by Mike Brown.
  • Registered the Titans' first blocked punt since Tim Shaw recorded one against Pittsburgh on Oct. 11, 2012.
  • Added a pass defensed, breaking up a pass intended for Isaiah Bond in the fourth quarter.

S KEVIN WINSTON JR.

  • Brought Quinshon Judkins down in the backfield for a four-yard loss on the Browns' first offensive play from scrimmage.
  • Logged five tackles, including a personal best two tackles for loss.
  • Added two passes defensed.

S XAVIER WOODS

  • Nabbed his second interception of the season on a Shedeur Sanders pass in the third quarter. He returned the pick 35 yards for the longest interception return of his career and the longest interception return by a Titans player since Elijah Molden returned one 44 yards against the Texans on Dec. 17, 2023.
  • It was his 15th career interception and the Titans' sixth interception of the season.

The Tennessee Titans take on the Cleveland Browns in Week 14 at Huntington Bank Field.

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