The 2026 NFL season has reached Week 7, and the Cleveland Browns are sitting atop the AFC North at 4-2. The Browns would love to keep things rolling in the right direction, and their next opponent gives them a good chance to do that.
Cleveland will face the 1-5 Tennessee Titans on Sunday, and the 2026 season has been a struggle for them. The Titans started the season 0-5 before pulling out a tight 26-20 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 6. Tennessee trailed that game, 13-0, in the second half, but a couple of forced turnovers and a blocked punt for a touchdown helped it win the game.
There was one other thing that the Titans did well against the Colts, and it’s something that could cause the Browns problems.
Tennessee did a good job at getting after the quarterback in Week 6, posting six sacks as a team. Considering that Cleveland’s offense is struggling to avoid sacks, this is a factor that could define Sunday’s game.
Browns offense can’t be dominated by Titans’ aggressive defensive line
Four different Titans recorded at least one sack in Week 6, with Jeffery Simmons and Jermaine Johnson II leading the way with two apiece. That isn’t necessarily the norm for the Titans, as they have just 16 total sacks in five games. However, Tennessee will be hoping to carry the momentum into Sunday's matchup against the Browns.
Unfortunately for Cleveland, they are the ideal team to face when trying to stay hot in the sack department. The Browns are currently the most sacked team in the NFL this season, giving up 24 total sacks in the first six games. Deshaun Watson was sacked five times in Week 6 and eight times in Week 5.
The sacks have piled up for a number of reasons. At times, an offensive lineman was just beaten quickly. Other times, Watson held on to the ball too long, or the coverage forced a sack. Whatever the reason, Cleveland needs to avoid being sacked against Tennessee.
Giving up a lot of sacks consistently puts an offense behind the sticks and stalls drives. If that happens between the Browns and Titans, Tennessee will be able to hang around and try to squeeze out an upset.
Cleveland can prevent that by keeping Watson clean and getting the ball out of his hands, a strategy that helped jump-start the offense during the second half of last week's upset win over the Ravens.
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