The Tennessee Titans lost 27-24 to the Cleveland Browns, and the result carries an unwelcome place in the NFL record book. According to Sportradar, it ties Tennessee with the 2014-18 Browns for the most consecutive games without back-to-back wins in the same season, at 65.
Tampa Bay once went 74 straight games from 1985 to 1989 without consecutive wins, but the Buccaneers won the last game of 1988 and the first of 1989, which separates that stretch from the current mark. The Titans, now 1-6, are guaranteed to push their streak to at least 66 games.
First-year coach Robert Saleh believes the team has a finishing problem, and the numbers support him: Tennessee is 1-4 in games decided by a touchdown or less this season. He counted the win at Indianapolis as a success and said the Titans failed to close out losses to Philadelphia, the New York Giants, Baltimore and Cleveland. With a few different plays, he suggested, the team could be 4-3.
"It is so close, it is so close," Saleh said Monday. "And there's a lot of good that you can take from it, but at the end of the day, if you're not winning, it's very hard to find the good." He added that the message to players is that they are good enough to get into position to win and must find ways to do it in the final minutes.
The offense produced its best showing of the season against Cleveland, with 322 yards and three touchdowns. The Titans held the ball for a season-high 28 minutes, 46 seconds and scored touchdowns on their first two possessions, something they had not done since a Dec. 15, 2024, game against Cincinnati. They also allowed just one sack for no yards, the fourth time this season they have given up one or fewer.
Running back Tony Pollard led the way. He ran for 129 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, and a review wiped out a fourth that would have given Tennessee a 21-7 lead. He also caught three passes for 26 yards and ranks 10th in the NFL in rushing with 478 yards.
The defense was a different story. Despite two takeaways, the Titans surrendered 491 yards to Cleveland, their worst defensive performance of the season, and they have allowed more yards in three of the past four games. With a chance to get a stop and force overtime, they gave up a 36-yard catch-and-run that set up the Browns' game-winning field goal. All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said the defense needs to look in the mirror. "There was plenty of opportunity in that game for us to go over and just take over the game and take the life away from them. We didn't do that," he said.
Cornerback Alontae Taylor has missed two straight games. He was dressed against Cleveland but did not play a snap, and Saleh said the team is moving him to play inside. Tennessee gave Taylor a three-year, $58 million contract in March. Saleh called the nickel role "more of a linebacker position" and said Taylor is attacking it. Saleh had no update on punter Tommy Townsend, who hurt his knee when players collided with his leg at the end of a punt.
The Titans have a 7-34 record since the start of the 2024 season. They visit Cincinnati (4-2) on Sunday, then take their bye week. They return home to face AFC South leader Jacksonville on Nov. 15, a game that could stretch the drought to four full years without consecutive wins.
