When the NFL schedule comes out, a common ritual is for fans to go over it game by game and see which ones their favorite team has a good chance of winning. Heading into this season, the Cleveland Browns had just a couple of them circled.
At the time, it was thought a victory in these particular games could be costly, as it would hurt Cleveland’s pursuit of a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. Now, a loss could be detrimental for an entirely different reason.
The Browns, who are in first place in the AFC North, are a betting favorite for the first time this season when they visit the Tennessee Titans in Week 7. A defeat could prove to be a major setback for Cleveland’s playoff hopes.
That is why analyst Ken Carman is sending a warning to the Browns ahead of the Titans matchup, saying there is now a lot of pressure on Cleveland to defeat Tennessee.
“Tennessee, I feel the same way I do about the Jets game. There’s more pressure on them to beat Tennessee than there was to beat the Ravens. There really is, because Tennessee, they just won. That tends to take your guard off. If they were 0-6 at that point, then you’re like, ‘You’ve got a desperate football team that’s gonna play desperately.’ I don’t think anybody’s going to be a pushover, even the Tennessee Titans,” Carman said.
“There’s more pressure on them to beat Tennessee than there was to beat the Ravens.”
➡️ @KenCarman w/ @SportsBoyTony on why the #Browns can’t overlook the Titans after moving to 4-2. pic.twitter.com/XY1lXdUuKD
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) October 20, 2026
The Browns have already learned this lesson the hard way, dropping that Week 5 game to the New York Jets 17-12 at rainy MetLife Stadium. Despite entering at 3-1, with New York at 1-3, Cleveland was still considered the underdog, and it lived up to that status in a sloppy defeat.
Fortunately, the Browns were able to rebound to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 13-10 in Week 6 and regain the top spot in their division. Now, with the Titans coming off their first win of the season, a 26-20 upset on the road against the Indianapolis Colts, they are arguably a less dangerous foe than if they were still winless.
Titans fans likely looked at this Browns game as one they could mark down as a win. But Cleveland has shown that it is more likely to be a playoff team than one that will be drafting in the top 10.
So, if the Browns want to continue to present themselves as legitimate postseason contenders, they have to avoid another letdown and take care of business on the road on Sunday.
NEXT: Browns Move Up In Latest NFL Power Rankings
