We’ve got a tank bowl on our hands. The Tennessee Titans and Cleveland Browns have been circling the drain all season long. As the 1-11 Titans head on the road to face the 3-9 Browns, there’s a lot more at stake than draft position; it’s a showdown between two highly controversial rookie quarterbacks.
The Browns enter as 4.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, while the Titans are listed as +180 underdogs. The game’s total is set at 33.5 points. Here is my preview, pick and prediction for Sunday’s Week 14 matchup between the Titans and Browns.
Titans vs. Browns Preview
Cleveland’s season got a whole lot more interesting after Dillon Gabriel got injured. That forced head coach Kevin Stefanski to thrust mercurial rookie QB Shedeur Sanders into starting duties. The Colorado product immediately delivered a win in their most recent tank bowl against the 2-10 Las Vegas Raiders, making some big plays along the way. The team fell flat last Sunday against the 49ers in a snowy showdown, but the promise is still there.
Sunday’s game is another chance for Sanders to stake his claim on the starting QB job in Cleveland, perhaps the hardest job in the NFL to keep, historically speaking.
Tennessee has a different kind of quarterback controversy. Cam Ward had all the confidence from the franchise when he was made the top pick in this past draft. So far, so bad. Tennessee’s offense has been the worst in football. Ward, completing less than 60% of his passes for 196 yards per game, has not helped things. On top of that, no quarterback has taken more sacks than Ward’s 48. It’s going to be a long stretch run in Music City before an offseason full of questions.
Both teams have their issues. Will the Browns separate themselves from the worst of the worst? Or will the Titans drag them down to their level?
Titans vs. Browns Prediction, Pick
Tennessee’s painful offense against Cleveland’s stout defense is the swing factor here. Myles Garrett should feast on Ward, and they have the playmakers to stop the run game. If they force Ward to make plays out of the pocket, there’s no way out for Tennessee. The Browns will pick up another win.
