Titans fight Browns to escape Land of the Lost
Thu Dec 4 5:15am ET
Field Level Media
Draft talk is top of mind for the Tennessee Titans as they touch down in Cleveland with a 1-17 record in their past 18 games and with an active seven-game losing streak.
Even at 3-9, the Cleveland Browns enter the Sunday visit from the Titans mathematically eligible for the AFC playoffs. However, the Browns are only 3-15 during the same stretch, a revolving door of losses that still hasn't netted a franchise quarterback.
While Tennessee (1-11) can drag Cleveland into the ranks of the eliminated with a victory, the Titans should know they will have to befuddle Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders on their own. The rookie, one of two quarterbacks selected by the Browns in the 2025 draft, has pledged to stay disciplined during his third career start.
"Sometimes, I look for the big play, you know? And I do that when I feel like I'm pressing," Sanders said, "when I feel like we need to get a spark. ... So that's something I review within myself, and I know in those situations, I can't do that at certain times."
Cleveland's fifth-round pick in April, Sanders has passed for a touchdown in each of his first two starts, a road victory over the Las Vegas Raiders and a home loss to San Francisco in Week 13. After starting 8-for-11 against the 49ers, including a 34-yard touchdown toss to Harold Fannin Jr. that sparked the Browns to a second-quarter lead, he led an attack that managed just 76 yards in the final two quarters.
Sanders admitted he still is working to build trust with his wide receivers as he navigates what is "not a traditional situation" -- joining the lineup at midseason. Thus far, running back Dylan Sampson has the highest receiving output for the Browns during Sanders' time as starter: 59 yards against Las Vegas.
If the 2026 NFL Draft order were set using the current standings, the Titans would hold the top pick again. The New York Giants (2-11), the New Orleans Saints (2-10) and the Raiders (2-10) and are still in the running and separate Tennessee from a stack of three-loss teams: the Browns, Jets, Commanders and Cardinals. Arizona is the only team to lose to the Titans this season.
Tennessee also is seeking to develop a rhythm behind a rookie QB, albeit the top overall selection in April. Cam Ward led the Titans' offense to only a first-quarter Joey Slye field goal last week before the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars scored the final 25 points of the game.
Ward finished 24-for-38 for 141 yards with zero touchdowns and interceptions.
The Titans had lost each of their previous three games by one score.
"Anytime you're out there, you're competing and trying to win, and I've seen a lot of competitiveness from our group," Titans left guard Peter Skoronski said. "Guys are still hungry just to win a game. It's been awhile, unfortunately."
The 22-point loss to the Jaguars last week was misleading considering Tennessee held Jacksonville to 272 total yards and 3-of-13 success on third downs and locked down running lanes to the tune of 70 yards on 27 carries (2.6-yard average). A defense that has notched three sacks or more in five of the past six games while limiting missed tackles has kept Tennessee afloat.
"You watch these boys hunt on a daily basis," Titans defensive coordinator Dennard Wilson said. "No matter the score, no matter the situation, they come to play."
Browns defensive end Myles Garrett has recorded at least one sack in six consecutive games to extend his career-best total to 19, four sacks shy of breaking the league single-season record of 22.5.
Tennessee offensive coordinator Nick Holz spoke about embracing the challenge of facing Garrett and leaning on the experience of left tackle Dan Moore Jr., who opposed the Browns for four seasons as a member of the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the Titans in 2025.
"You always want to measure yourself against the best, you know what I mean? We'll see how we measure up," Holz said. "It's going to be a great challenge. And he's not the only good player on their defense."
Three of the Titans' four total wins the past two seasons came on the road.
Cleveland has won two in a row in the series with Tennessee, including a 27-3 home win in Week 3 of 2023.
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The Paur Report
Starts, Sits, Sleepers: Week 14
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Quentin Johnston (shoulder) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. This was the Chargers' first practice session as they prepare for Week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs, which means that Johnston will have two more opportunities to log a full session before the team publishes its final injury report of the week. Fantasy managers should check back over the next few days for updates, but at this point, it appears that Johnston has a decent chance to play. He's the overall WR30 in PPR leagues this year and is coming off a decent game in which he caught three passes for 23 yards and a touchdown. In his last contest against the Chiefs, he racked up five catches, 79 yards, and two touchdowns. He's a low-end WR3/flex option for this week.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (glute) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. This was the second consecutive day that Walker was limited. Although it's concerning to see him on the injury report once again, fantasy managers should feel optimistic given that he was able to get on the field in some capacity. If he practices in full on Friday, he should be able to enter the weekend without an injury designation. Otherwise, he could end up being labeled as "questionable." Either way, he's trending in the right direction for Sunday's Week 14 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. Although Walker shares the backfield with Zach Charbonnet, he has posted double-digit fantasy points (PPR) in each of his last three games and remains a high-end RB2 this week. Atlanta has allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to running backs in 2025.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (knee, shoulder) was a full participant in practice on Thursday. This was an improvement after he was limited the day before. Barring any sort of setback, Barner should remain a full participant in Friday's practice, which would put him on track to play in Sunday's Week 14 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. The 23-year-old is the overall TE18 in PPR leagues this year, but his fantasy value could slip a little against a Falcons defense that has allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends in 2025.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (foot) practiced in full on Thursday. This was an improvement for the veteran quarterback after he had logged a limited practice session on Wednesday. Assuming Smith remains a full participant on Friday, he should enter the weekend without any injury designation, leaving him on track to play in Week 14 against the Denver Broncos. In his last game against Denver, the 35-year-old had 143 passing yards, zero touchdowns, one interception, and six sacks. He has been sacked 25 times over his last four games and will remain outside the top 24 fantasy quarterbacks for Sunday's divisional battle.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (ankle) was a limited participant in practice on Thursday. This was the second day in a row that Williams was listed as limited on the team's official injury report. It's refreshing to see the 25-year-old get on the field in any capacity, but ideally, he'll log a full session on Friday to avoid any sort of injury designation heading into the weekend. It's also possible that the Rams have reduced Williams' workload in practice to keep him healthy down the stretch. Offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur recently told ESPN's Dan Graziano that Los Angeles' decision to split touches between Williams and Blake Corum has kept Williams fresh, so we can expect that they'll continue to manage his practice and game workload going forward. Nevertheless, he remains an impactful pass-catching and touchdown threat out of the backfield, keeping him in the low-end RB1 tier for Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals.
From RotoBaller
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (hamstring) was a limited participant in Thursday's practice. According to Sarah Barshop of ESPN.com, Adams said his left hamstring is "feeling good" and feels much better than he expected. As the Rams continue to prepare for Week 14 against the Arizona Cardinals, it was refreshing to see Adams get on the field in some capacity after he missed practice on Wednesday. Ideally, he'll log a full practice on Friday and enter the weekend without an injury designation. However, if that doesn't happen, he's at least trending in the right direction. The veteran receiver has been dominant lately, extending his touchdown streak to six games last Sunday against the Panthers. During that six-game window, he has 293 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he ranks as the overall WR3 in PPR leagues. Assuming he plays this week, he'll continue to be a strong WR1 and should be started in all formats.
From RotoBaller
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (chest) missed a second straight day of practice this week on Thursday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Dortch apparently suffered a chest injury in last week's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is firmly in danger of missing the Week 14 contest this Sunday against the division-rival Los Angeles Rams. In addition to Dortch, Marvin Harrison Jr. (heel) looks iffy to play this weekend as well, which would leave Michael Wilson as the target hog once again in Arizona's passing game. Xavier Weaver and Andre Baccellia would be included in the starting lineup if both Dortch and Harrison are ruled out. Dortch is extremely hard to trust when he's the WR3 for the Cardinals, but he did deliver fantasy-relevant numbers in the two games that Harrison missed after having an appendectomy in Weeks 11 and 12, catching 12 of 15 targets for 119 yards and two touchdowns.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos rookie wide receiver Pat Bryant (hamstring) was added to the injury report on Thursday and was listed as a limited practice participant with a hamstring injury, according to Mike Klis of 9 News. Bryant was fully healthy on Wednesday, so this means that the 22-year-old likely suffered an injury in practice on Thursday. It's definitely something to watch for fantasy managers as the Broncos head into a rematch against the division-rival Las Vegas Raiders on the road this Sunday. Bryant has become much more involved in the offense in the last five games, and he had eight catches on 13 targets for 124 yards in the last two contests. In his first 12 NFL games, Bryant has recorded an 18-273-1 line as the WR3 for the Broncos behind Courtland Sutton and Troy Franklin. If Bryant is unable to play in Week 14, Franklin would become a much more attractive WR4/flex play in fantasy, with Marvin Mims Jr. also becoming a more attractive big-play threat in deeper formats.
From RotoBaller
Cleveland Browns rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has completely taken over the starting tight end role since the bye week. In back-to-back games, Fannin has played over 90% of the snaps, while veteran David Njoku has played under 50%. The rookie was able to find the endzone in Week 13, totaling 43 yards on four receptions against the San Francisco 49ers. As rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders enters the fold, Fannin has taken charge as the leading receiving option in the offense, leading the team in receptions and targets in back-to-back weeks. The Browns face the Tennessee Titans in Week 14, who have allowed the ninth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends this season. However, with a nice target share and connection with Sanders, Fannin is a TE1 in Week 14.
Las Vegas Raiders QB Geno Smith (foot) fully participated in practice Thursday, Dec. 4.
Fantasy Spin: Smith missed some practice time earlier this week but in on track to play in the Week 14 game. He struggled against the Denver Broncos earlier in the season and has thrown at least two touchdowns in only one of the last four games. Fantasy players should have better options available and can avoid Smith.
From TheHuddle
Las Vegas Raiders LB Jamal Adams (knee), WR Alex Bachman (thumb), DE Maxx Crosby (knee), TE Michael Mayer (ankle) and WR Dont'e Thornton Jr. (concussion) did not participate in practice Thursday, Dec. 4. OG Jordan Meredith (ankle) and OG Dylan Parham (back) were limited during practice. C Will Putnam (shoulder) and QB Geno Smith (foot) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
New Orleans Saints OT Taliese Fuaga (ankle), RB Alvin Kamara (ankle, knee), S Justin Reid (knee) and S Jonas Sanker (head) did not participate in practice Thursday, Dec. 4. WR Chris Olave (back) was limited during practice.
From TheHuddle
Denver Broncos TE Nate Adkins (knee), DE Zach Allen (calf) and DT D.J. Jones (ankle) did not participate in practice Thursday, Dec. 4. WR Pat Bryant (hamstring) was limited during practice. LB Jonah Elliss (hamstring) and CB Reese Taylor (chest) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle), who was listed as questionable for Week 14 after not practicing all week, is officially active for the Thursday night game against the visiting Dallas Cowboys. St. Brown suffered a low-ankle sprain in the Thanksgiving Day loss to the Green Bay Packers a week ago and was considered to be on the wrong side of questionable to play this week, especially after not practicing at all Monday through Wednesday. The Lions are battling to stay in playoff contention, though, so the 26-year-old wideout will tough it out and play in a plus matchup against a Cowboys defense that allows the third-most passing yards per game (251.5). The risk fantasy managers run by leaving St. Brown in their lineups is that he'll serve as a decoy for Dallas' defense at less than 100%. On the flip side, St. Brown has been a top-five fantasy WR in half-PPR scoring in 2025, so he's probably still a better gamble than a potential replacement, especially in what is expected to be a high-scoring affair.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings OT Christian Darrisaw (knee) and DE Levi Drake Rodriguez (neck) did not participate in practice Thursday, Dec. 4. LB Jonathan Greenard (shoulder), OG Donovan Jackson (ankle), S Theo Jackson (neck), RB Aaron Jones (shoulder) and S Josh Metellus (shoulder) were limited during practice. T Jonathan Allen (non-injury), OG Blake Brandel (concussion), RB Ty Chandler (knee), DT Javon Hargrave (non-injury), C Ryan Kelly (hip), QB J.J. McCarthy (concussion), DE Jalen Redmond (hip) and S Harrison Smith (non-injury) fully participated in practice.
From TheHuddle
The Dallas Cowboys have declared DT Jay Toia, RB Jaydon Blue, DL Perrion Winfrey, LB Jadeveon Clowney, OT Tyler Guyton and WR Jalen Tolbert inactive for Week 14.
From TheHuddle
New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara (ankle, knee) did not participate in practice Thursday, Dec. 4.
Fantasy Spin: Kamara appears to be on track to miss another game, but fantasy players can keep an eye on the situation over the next few days. Devin Neal will receive another start if Kamara sits out and can be at least a flex option in leagues.
From TheHuddle
Los Angeles Chargers rookie first-round running back Omarion Hampton (ankle) was listed as a limited participant in practice on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Hampton returned to practice last Tuesday for the first time since suffering a fractured ankle back in Week 5, but he was ultimately held out for the team's win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Although the 22-year-old first-rounder was only limited in the first practice of the week, head coach Jim Harbaugh said earlier this week that Hampton was tracking towards making his return for a Week 14 Monday night showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium. Hampton will probably need a full practice on Friday or Saturday to avoid a questionable tag going into Monday's game. The North Carolina product should work up to being L.A.'s primary RB again in time, but in his first game back, he figures to be in more of a timeshare with Kimani Vidal, making him more of an RB3/flex for fantasy purposes.
From RotoBaller
In the first official practice of Week 14, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (hand) was listed as limited on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Herbert had surgery on Monday to fix a metacarpal fracture in his left (non-throwing) hand and had a plate and screws inserted to stabilize the fracture. The 27-year-old plans to play on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 14, and the Chargers' coaching staff is very optimistic he'll be ready. Herbert should be active in Week 14, but he'll be more of a QB2 option for fantasy managers while playing behind a shaky offensive line against a strong Eagles defensive front. If Herbert is active on Monday night, as expected, he's likely to take most, if not all, of the offensive snaps out of the shotgun formation to limit the strain on his injured left hand. That could be an issue near the goal line, and it was announced that backup Trey Lance would be taking the goal-line reps under center this week.
From RotoBaller
Minnesota Vikings RB Aaron Jones (shoulder) was limited during practice Thursday, Dec. 4.
Fantasy Spin: Jones has been limited for the first two practices of the week but seems to have a good chance to be available for the Week 14 game. He should see a majority of the carries in the running game if he plays and can be at least a flex option in fantasy leagues.
From TheHuddle
