The Titans finally have the monkey of an eight-game losing streak off their back. Now, can they string together two wins in a row and take down another AFC opponent in the Cleveland Browns? The Browns aren’t a laughingstock anymore and picking up a road win at the Dawg Pound won’t be an easy task.
First down
Keep the offensive balance. Ryan Tannehill bounced back nicely from his week one struggles, and did so by spreading the ball to seven different receivers. Yes, DeAndre Hopkins may be the lead dog in the receiving corps, but the involvement of guys like Treylon Burks, Chris Moore and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine made the offense more well-rounded and operating at a much higher level.
Second down
Keep them guessing. The Titans have used their “pony” package of having Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears on the field together quite a few times early in the season. Henry has never had a counterpart with the ability of Spears, and the Titans need to find ways to get the ball to the rookie, without taking needed reps from Henry who is still their go-to guy in the run game.
Third down
May the Schwartz be with you. Former Titans assistant Jim Schwartz, who spent the past couple of seasons in Tennessee, is now the Browns defensive coordinator. No doubt, Schwartz is eager to unleash the likes of Myles Garrett on the Titans still questionable offensive line. The Titans must find ways to protect Tannehill and open holes for Henry. But Schwartz’s knowledge of their system is definitely an advantage for Cleveland.
Fourth down
Get big plays on defense. The Titans defense was good when it most needed to be against the Chargers. In order to take the next step, the Titans need to win the turnover battle against a Browns team that has weapons like Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper on offense. Even without Nick Chubb, the Browns still have talent on offense. Winning the turnover battle could be the difference in a win or a loss on the road in week three.