The Titans may have found a small spark in Carnell Tate, but Sunday’s trip into Cleveland comes with a brutal reality check waiting on the other side. Tennessee is coming off its first win of the season against the Indianapolis Colts and trying to string together back-to-back victories for the first time since 2022, but Robert Saleh’s team is still staring down a Browns defense that has been rolling.
That’s where the spotlight lands on Tate. The rookie wideout caught his first career touchdown last week, and with Tennessee’s offense still struggling to find steady footing, he suddenly looks like one of the few players who can give this unit a jolt.
The problem? Cleveland has exactly the kind of cornerback who can flatten that momentum fast.
Denzel Ward is the headliner here, and for good reason. The Browns’ former fourth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has an 87.4 PFF Coverage grade, which ranks third among 102 cornerbacks. He’s also being deployed in a way that makes life even tougher for opposing receivers: Per Sharp Football Analysis, Cleveland leads the league in defensive man coverage, and Ward is left on an island on roughly 57% of snaps.
That setup puts Tate in one of the hardest assignments he could draw this early in his career. Ward is a nine-year veteran who has seen plenty of top-end receiving talent across the AFC North, and the Browns clearly trust him to handle the outside on his own. For Tennessee, that means the rookie’s biggest hurdle may not just be Ward’s coverage skills, but the way Cleveland is built to isolate him.
Brian Daboll may need to get creative if Tennessee wants to create cleaner opportunities for its passing game. The Titans rank 31st in the league in pre-snap motion, using it on just 37% of their plays, so shifting Tate around before the snap or sliding him into the slot more often could help him avoid Ward’s shadow.
If that doesn’t happen, Tennessee may need production from elsewhere. Wan'Dale Robinson and Elic Ayomanor are likely to be counted on for bigger plays, because Ward staying locked onto Tate turns this into a tall task for the rookie. The matchup is the kind that can tilt the game quickly, and for the Titans, finding answers away from Cleveland’s top corner may be the only way through.
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Titans Fans Rip Julius Chestnut Over Another Brutal Season Moment
Julius Chestnut showed up to the Titans game against the Browns dressed for Halloween, with a black outfit and a full-face mask that quickly became a talking point online. For a Tennessee team already trying to keep its footing through a rough stretch, even a pregame appearance turned into another moment fans latched onto and criticized on social media.
The reaction came against the backdrop of a week that already had plenty of noise around the Titans, including the recent release of defensive tackle Jordan Elliott after an incident in the team facility parking lot that violated NFL rules. Robert Saleh described Elliotts actions as a lapse in judgment and a call for help, leaving Tennessee to manage yet another off-field storyline while the focus should have been on what was happening on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Ward Debate Just Got Tougher For Titans Fans
The Titans had a chance to reset the conversation Sunday when they jumped out to a 14-0 lead on the Browns, but the familiar issues returned fast in a 27-24 loss. While Cam Wards up-and-down play will keep drawing the loudest scrutiny, the offense showed enough other cracks to make this more than a simple quarterback verdict, especially with Tony Pollard carrying the load on the ground and scoring three times.
Robert Saleh made clear afterward that the offensive struggles are not solely on Ward, and the numbers from Cleveland back up why the debate is getting messier. Ward went 20 of 31 for 181 yards without a touchdown, and his streak of throwing an interception in five straight games only adds to the pressure, but the Titans are also still searching for consistency around him as they try to turn strong starts into wins. [Read more 🡒]
Titans Waste Tony Pollard Breakout In Another Brutal Home Loss
Tony Pollard gave the Titans exactly the kind of spark they needed, delivering three touchdowns and 155 total yards in a loss to the Browns that pushed Tennessee to 1-6. It was the rare home game where the offense produced a standout individual performance, but the bigger picture never tilted the Titans way as the defense surrendered 27 points and the team came up short again in front of its own crowd.
Malik Willis finished 20 of 31 for 181 yards with one interception, and Tennessee repeatedly failed to turn chances into momentum. Cor'Dale Flotts interception offered one of the few defensive highlights, but the Titans could not cash in often enough around it, leaving Pollards breakout effort as another frustrating footnote in a season that keeps slipping further away. [Read more 🡒]