Titans vs. Browns: The Browns Will Win If

Dan Parker of Waiting for Next Year emailed me earlier this week asking me to write a paragraph about what the Titans would need to do to win the game on Sunday. I asked him to do the same for us about the Browns. His paragraph is after the jump.

The Browns Will Win If... they can sustain some drives on offense, and get off the field on third down on defense. The Browns' offense has been stagnant at times, which is not a good thing to bring into a game against a Titans D that's done pretty well against some solid competition. Watching what they did to Baltimore's offense made a believer out of me. Cleveland will have to get contributions from both Peyton Hillis AND Montario Hardesty on the ground, and the wide receivers simply HAVE to get open. Colt McCoy is making a living out of rolling the pocket and/or finding his tight ends and backs in the passing game. The Browns won't survive if that's all they're able to do. Rookie WR Greg Little shows flashes--he did again on their game-winning two-minute drive last Sunday--but he's also invisible for large chunks as well. Josh Cribbs is a playmaker, but he's still not a polished wide receiver. In short, the receivers have to find some space, and Colt has to hit them.

On defense, the Browns' D-line has been dominant at times. The issue is depth; they simply don't have much behind their starters, and consequently their starters can get worn down if they're on the field too much. The secondary catches a break with the injury to Kenny Britt for Tennessee, but Joe Haden is starting to play like a blossoming shut-down corner; just ask Brandon Marshall last week. D'Qwell Jackson is coming off of receiving the defensive player of the month award, and he's certainly earned it. Switching to the 4-3 may just save his career. All of these players must combine to pressure Matt Hasselbeck, not let Chris Johnson remember what it feels like to break big runs, and end some drives short for the Titans. Even if the Titans can't score a ton--and the Browns' D has been a huge bend-but-don't-break unit for a lot of the early going--field position is going to be key against the Titans' D. If the Browns' D can make a habit of getting off the field a time or two on third down without letting the Titans move the ball, it will certainly help Cleveland's offense.