The Browns fell short in their fourth-quarter comeback Sunday, scoring two touchdowns but failing on two two-point conversions.
The Titans came away with a 31-29 victory against Cleveland at Huntington Bank Field as the Browns fell to 3-10 this season.
QB Shedeur Sanders completed 23 of 42 pass attempts for a season-high 364 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. He threw an interception in the third quarter, his third of the season.
TE Harold Fannin Jr. recorded a team-high 114 receiving yards on eight catches, scoring Cleveland's final touchdown. WR Jerry Jeudy had 76 receiving yards, including a 60-yard touchdown reception, his first of the season.
The Titans slowed down Cleveland's rushing attack. RB Quinshon Judkins was held to 26 yards on 14 attempts and Sanders ran three times for 29 yards and a touchdown. Judkins had a 58-yard reception that set up a TE David Njoku touchdown before the end of the first half.
DE Myles Garrett recorded his 20th sack of the season, getting within 3 sacks of the single-season sack record. LB Carson Schwesinger tallied 12 total tackles in the game.
Key Moments
The Browns fall short in their comeback attempt
With 6:11 left in the game and down 31-17, the Browns tried to climb back into the game. Sanders passed for 46 yards on the drive, moving the Browns down the field. The Titans helped the Browns further with an unnecessary roughness penalty and a face mask penalty that moved Cleveland up 23 combined yards. On the Titans' 7-yard line, Sanders dropped back and looked into the end zone only to find no one. He ran the ball in himself, getting his first career rushing touchdown. The Browns opted to go for two but fumbled the ball, putting them down 31-23.
Cleveland's defense forced a three-and-out from the Titans, allowing the Browns to get the ball back with 2:43 left in the game. Sanders and the Browns took seven plays to go 80 yards, being aided by a roughing the passer and facemask penalty. Sanders connected with Fannin to score, floating a ball into the left corner of the end zone for a 7-yard touchdown. The Browns had to go for two down 31-29, but the two-point conversion once again didn't work. Cleveland attempted an onside kick, but the Titans recovered.
Tennessee ran the clock out on its next possession and won the game.
Titans turn Browns turnovers into touchdowns
Facing a second-and-20 after a holding penalty and an incomplete pass in the third quarter, the Browns' offense needed to pick up yards on the next two plays to keep the drive moving. Sanders dropped back to pass, looking for an open man. He shrugged off a Titans rusher and saw an open WR Gage Larvadain down the field. The pass instead sailed by Larvadain into the hands of Titans S Xavier Woods.
Woods returned the interception 35 yards to the Cleveland 38-yard line, giving the Titans a chance to tie the game or take the lead down 17-14. It took Titans RB Tony Pollard two plays to get into the end zone, scoring a 32-yard touchdown with 51 seconds left in the third quarter. Pollard finished the game with 161 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
With 11:07 left in the game, the Browns received the ball and were down 21-17 with a chance to retake the lead. One play later, the Titans had the ball again. RB Dylan Sampson was tackled and lost the ball on his way down, allowing for Titans LB Cedric Gray to scoop up the ball and return the ball 19 yards to the Browns' 8-yard line.
Cleveland nearly held Tennessee to a field goal, but on third-and-5, Titans QB Cam Ward found WR Chimere Dike for a touchdown. The Titans took a 28-17 lead with the score, giving Cleveland 9:29 to try and mount a comeback.
Sanders takes control to give the Browns their first lead of the game
Down 14-10 with 3:42 left in the first half, Sanders took control of the game to give Cleveland its first lead.
Sanders scrambled up the middle for 14 yards a first down. On the next play, he nearly found Jeudy but he fired a pass past him incomplete. Sanders kept his eye on Jeudy, however, and found him on the next play. He sailed a pass to the wideout and gave him room to make the catch. Jeudy broke a tackle and ran 60 yards for his first touchdown of the season to give Cleveland a 17-14 lead in the game.
The Browns took the lead into halftime after stopping the Titans on the ensuing possession.
Browns and Titans trade explosive plays
With Tennessee driving and in danger of taking a two-possession lead, Devin Bush stepped up. The Titans were situated at Cleveland's 24-yard line with a second-and-9. Ward tried to find WR Elic Ayomanor, but Bush jumped the play and broke the pass up. On third-and-9, Ward tried the same thing but this time Bush intercepted the pass and ran down the right sideline for a 44-yard gain to put Cleveland at the Tennessee 39-yard line. The Browns got as close as the Tennessee 20-yard line, but the Titans held Cleveland out of the end zone and K Andre Szmyt converted a 38-yard field goal.
The Titans needed just one play to get a score of their own, with Pollard speeding past Cleveland's defense to score a 65-yard touchdown run on Tennessee's first play of the ensuing drive. The Browns nearly answered back with a one-play score of their own. Sanders laid the ball off to Judkins on a screen and the rookie running back toed the sideline to get to the Tennessee 2-yard line with a 58-yard gain. The Titans defense held the Browns out of the end zone for two plays until Sanders and Njoku connected in the back of the end zone. The score put the Browns down 14-10 with 14:24 left in the second quarter.
Titans convert on two third downs to score first
The Browns had the Titans right where they wanted them – third-and-10 with a three-and-out within reach. After holding Tennessee to net zero yards on the first two plays from scrimmage, they needed to do the same on third down. Ward and Titans RB Tyjae Spears instead connected for a 24-yard gain and picked up the first down, getting to the Cleveland 29-yard line.
Two plays later, Cleveland had the Titans facing third down again. Ward again found a receiver, this time in Titans TE Chig Okonkwo for a 9-yard gain and gained another first down. Tennessee didn't face another third down on the drive, scoring two plays later with a 14-yard pass between Ward and Ayomanor and taking a 7-0 lead.
Game Highlights
Devin Bush intercepts Cam Ward and runs for a 44-yard gain, getting to the Tennessee 39-yard line.
Quinshon Judkins streaks down the sideline for a 58-yard gain to get to the Tennessee 2-yard line.
Shedeur Sanders finds Jerry Jeudy for a 60-yard touchdown to give the Browns their first lead of the game.
Myles Garrett records his 20th sack of the season.
Scoring Plays
TEN 7, CLE 0 | Elic Ayomanor 14-yard pass from Cam Ward | 9:52 1Q
TEN 7, CLE 3 | Andre Szmyt makes 38-yard field goal | 1:42 1Q
TEN 14, CLE 3 | Tony Pollard 65-yard run | 1:29 1Q
TEN 14, CLE 10 | David Njoku 1-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders | 14:24 2Q
TEN 14, CLE 17 | Jerry Jeudy 60-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders | 2:47 2Q
TEN 21, CLE 17 | Tony Pollard 32-yard touchdown run | 0:51 3Q
TEN 28, CLE 17 | Chimere Dike 5-yard pass from Cam Ward | 9:29 4Q
TEN 31, CLE 17 | Joey Slye makes 41-yard field goal | 6:17 4Q
TEN 31, CLE 23 | Shedeur Sanders 7-yard run (two-point conversion fails) | 4:27 4Q
TEN 31, CLE 29 | Harold Fannin Jr. 7-yard pass from Shedeur Sanders (two-point conversion fails) | 1:03 4Q
What's Next
The Browns after the loss, travel to Chicago for a Week 15 matchup against the Bears on Dec. 14 at Soldier Field.
