Good teams find ways to win the games they are supposed to win. An opponent’s record matters little once the ball is kicked off, and contenders have to handle the pressure of being favored on the road. The Browns failed that test against the New York Jets earlier this month. On Sunday they passed it, beating the Tennessee Titans 27-24 at Nissan Stadium.
YOUR FIRST PLACE CLEVELAND BROWNS! pic.twitter.com/OHqfkgAYsa
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 25, 2026
Fans had plenty of reactions.
“Mr 4th quarter does it again,” one fan said.
“Man these close games are making me age even more man,” another fan commented.
“Deshaun 5 game winning drives through 7 weeks,” another fan said.
“next week is a must win!!” another commented.
The victory moves Cleveland to 5-2 for the first time since 2020 and keeps the Browns on top of the AFC North.
It did not start well. Tony Pollard ran for touchdowns of 36 and 10 yards in the 1st quarter, and Tennessee led 14-0 before the Browns settled in. Cleveland answered with 17 straight points, and after a scoreless 3rd quarter, the teams traded 10 points apiece in the 4th.
The offense had its best game of the season. The Browns gained 491 total yards, by far their most this year, and averaged 7.4 yards per play.
Deshaun Watson completed 25 of 36 passes for a season-high 308 yards and scored on a run in the 4th quarter. He was sacked only once after taking 13 sacks over the previous 2 games, a big step forward for a line that had Elgton Jenkins back at center.
KC Concepcion led the way with 8 catches for 129 yards, the first 100-yard game of his career, after being limited in practice for most of the week. Harold Fannin Jr. added 6 catches for 91 yards, with most of that production coming after halftime.
The run game finally showed up, too. Quinshon Judkins, who was criticized this week for averaging about 3 yards per carry, ran for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns on 17 carries. Dylan Sampson added 45 yards on 6 carries in his return from a knee injury, and the Browns finished with 183 rushing yards.
The defense was not as sharp as usual. Pollard finished with 129 yards and 3 touchdowns, a reminder of why he has been linked to Cleveland ahead of the trade deadline. Still, the Browns held Cam Ward to 181 passing yards, and Denzel Ward intercepted him while playing through a hand injury. Tyson Campbell forced a fumble that Ronnie Hickman recovered, Adin Huntington added a sack, and Quincy Williams and Hickman each made 10 tackles.
There is still plenty to clean up. The Browns were flagged 8 times for 48 yards and turned the ball over twice. Andre Szmyt, who entered the day on a long run of made kicks, missed 1 of his 3 field goal attempts.
Next is the game that could define the first half of the season. The Browns visit the Pittsburgh Steelers in a rematch with 1st place at stake, and they have not won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh since 2003. If the offense carries this performance into that game, Cleveland will have a real chance to end that streak.
NEXT: Browns Lead Titans 17-14 At Halftime
