Titans deny Browns' comeback attempt, end lengthy skid
Cam Ward threw two touchdown passes, and Tony Pollard ran for two touchdowns as the Tennessee Titans ended a seven-game losing streak by beating the host Cleveland Browns 31-29 on Sunday afternoon.
The Titans kept Cleveland out of the end zone in the second half until the Browns tallied two touchdowns in the waning minutes -- and followed both with failed two-point conversion attempts -- to create drama between a pair of struggling teams.
Shedeur Sanders threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Harold Fannin II with 1:03 to play, but a two-point conversion pass failed.
Pollard rushed for 161 yards on 25 carries as the Titans (2-11) won despite managing only 292 yards of total offense. Tennessee piled up its largest point total of the season.
Ward was 14-for-28 for 117 yards and threw an early interception.
Sanders threw for three touchdowns and ran for another for the Browns (3-10). He was 23-for-42 for 364 yards in the air with an interception. Fannin had 114 receiving yards on eight catches.
Pollard gave the Titans a 21-17 lead in the final minute of the third quarter on a 32-yard run. Tennessee padded the lead with 9:29 remaining on Chimere Dike's 5-yard TD reception from Ward and then tacked on Joey Slye's 41-yard field goal with 6:17 left.
Cleveland opted to try a two-point conversion after pulling within 31-23 with 4:27 left on Sanders' 7-yard run. That backfired when the play failed.
The Browns got the ball back with less than three minutes to play at their own 20-yard line and marched for the final touchdown.
The Titans opened a 14-3 lead in the first quarter. Ward connected with Elic Ayomanor on a 14-yard touchdown pass and Pollard ripped off a 65-yard scoring run immediately after Cleveland's Andre Szmyt kicked a 38-yard field goal.
But the Browns held a 17-14 halftime lead thanks to David Njoku's 1-yard touchdown catch and Jerry Jeudy's 60-yard TD reception.
--Field Level Media