NFL Week 14: Tennessee Titans vs. Cleveland Browns

The Titans try to get home-field advantage in the playoffs, but the dangerous Browns look to derail their efforts.

Titans vs. Browns Overview:
Pundits in the preseason picked the Cleveland Browns to make a deep playoff run while the Tennessee Titans were expected to be near the bottom of their division. According to them the Tennessee Titans lacked any receiving threat capable of taking over games while the Cleveland Browns were loaded with weapons at every position. Fourteen weeks later and the Tennessee Titans are 11-1 while the Cleveland Browns are struggling with a 4-8 record. Fans with Tennessee Titans tickets are seeing their team prove doubters wrong with great defense and ball-control football.

Tennessee Titans Offense:
The Tennessee Titans offense is buttressed on the sizeable shoulders of RB LenDale White and the speedy legs of rookie RB Chris Johnson. The thunder-n-lightning combination has worn down every defense in their path, and the ability to switch between power and speed confounds defensive coordinators. A hardy offensive line anchored by C Kevin Mawae and LT Michael Roos pancakes and lassos opposing front sevens. QB Kerry Collins may not be a superstar, but he has earned the respect of fans with Tennessee Titans tickets with his clutch passing attack.

Tennessee Titans Defense:
Possible NFL Defensive Player of the Year DT Albert Haynesworth is worth his gargantuan weight in gold as he can wreck any scheme put against him. With great power, a killer instinct, and a fast burst from his stance, Albert Haynesworth gets after the QB and crushes running backs. DT Tony Brown is coming along nicely as well. Tennessee Titans tickets feature OLB Keith Bullock, who is long in the tooth but still packs a wallop and demands respect from the young guys. The Tennessee Titans secondary features DBs that love to hit and pick off passes like Robert Griffin and Cortland Finnegan.

Cleveland Browns Offense:
The losses of QBs Derrick Anderson and Brady Quinn to injury mean that Ken Dorsey will make a rare NFL appearance under center. All-Pro TE Kellen Winslow is also on the sidelines due to injury. WR Braylon Edwards has the best pure talent on the team and is a year removed from the Pro-Bowl. Speedy WR Donte Stallworth is healthy and will be needed to stretch the defense. The Cleveland Browns do have one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and LT Joe Thomas will be a cornerstone of the franchise for a decade. RB Jamal Lewis is a wrecking ball with legs.

Cleveland Browns Defense:
Like Albert Haynesworth, NT Shaun Rodgers is large and in charge on the line of scrimmage and is having the best year of his career. Routinely taking three blockers to stop, the entire 3-4 defense is made better by his presence inside. ILBs D’Qwell Jackson and Andra Davis are both certified tackling machines with great range. OLB Kamerion Wimbley is the best pass rusher of the entire defense but needs to step up his game. CB Eric Wright and S Sean Jones are two great players that the Cleveland Browns can build around in the future.

Tennessee Titans Keys to Victory:
Fans with Tennessee Titans tickets could even write the offensive game plan for the team. The Tennessee Titans keep it simple and plug away with RBs Chris Johnson and LenDale White. The offensive line will have to double NT Shaun Rodgers on every play to get the human wall out of the running lanes. Getting hats on the ILBs of the 3-4 will allow the RBs to gain massive amounts of yards. The Cleveland Browns have struggled against the run, and this makes them the perfect target for the ground game. QB Kerry Collins just needs to manage the game and move the chains.

Both the team and fans with Tennessee Titans tickets are glad to see Brady Quinn and Kellen Winslow on the sidelines. The loss of their franchise QB and their best offensive player means that the Cleveland Browns will have to rely on the ground attack. This will allow Albert Haynesworth and Tony Brown to crush the inside and let the linebackers chase down Jamal Lewis. The Tennessee Titans rank among the top teams in interceptions and the third-string QB will have limited options against the likes of Chris Hope and Robert Griffin deep in the secondary.

Cleveland Browns Keys to Victory:
Everyone in the packed Nashville Coliseum will know that the run is coming, but it has to be successful anyways. The Cleveland Browns offensive line is one of the best, and they will have to prove their mettle against the great Tennessee Titans front seven. RB Jamal Lewis will not give up, and he must take the Cleveland Browns on his shoulders. QB Ken Dorsey does not throw the ball deep well but with two elite safeties to deal with, the check downs and slants are better targets anyways. The screen could be the pass of choice against the aggressive front seven.

The Tennessee Titans runners and linemen will rush at the Cleveland Browns like a herd of wild bulls so the front seven has to play tough. NT Shaun Rodgers will hold his own at the point of attack, but the two DEs must keep contain. Shaun Rodgers alone can prevent the inside run, so the speed of Chris Johnson to the outside will probably be the run of choice. The wild card will be Tennessee Titans TE Bo Scaife, who is having a career year and makes up for the poor receivers on the outside. With the passing game not much of a concern, the safeties can play up in the box.

Titans vs. Browns Outlook:
Playing at home, fans with Tennessee Titans tickets are sure to sell out The Coliseum in Nashville to see their 11-1 ball club. The crowd advantage will be big as Cleveland Browns QB Ken Dorsey has little experience in the system, and the noise could easily cause many blown calls at the line. The air will be cold and every hit will hurt just that much more as both teams try to establish their brand of power football.

Injuries and plain old twists of fate have brought the mighty Cleveland Browns back down to Earth, while the Tennessee Titans seem to actually get stronger with the occasional injury. The Cleveland Browns love to be spoilers and underdogs, but the Tennessee Titans playing at home will be too much. The Cleveland Browns have heart and an iron will; however, they are running short on starter-quality players. Fans with Tennessee Titans tickets will be out in force to see their team pick up victory No. 12.