Titans tie NFL record for longest drought of consecutive wins

The Tennessee Titans matched an NFL record for the most consecutive games without back-to-back wins in a single season following their 27-24 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The defeat extends the franchise's streak to 65 games, tying the mark set by the Cleveland Browns from 2014 through 2018. Sportradar confirmed the statistical tie, noting that while Tampa Bay went 74 games from 1985 to 1989 without consecutive wins, the Buccaneers secured victories at the end of 1988 and the start of 1989, breaking the continuous streak.

The Titans finished the game with a 1-6 record. Their inability to string together wins has become a defining feature of the team's early season struggles. Head coach Robert Saleh, in his first year with the franchise, identified a specific pattern in the losses. The team is 1-4 in games decided by a touchdown or less. Saleh cited the loss to Cleveland, the loss to Baltimore, the loss to the New York Giants, and the loss to Philadelphia as examples of games where the team failed to close out the victory. He pointed to the win at Indianapolis as a success where the team executed its game plan completely.

Offensive performance did not account for the loss. The Titans recorded 322 total yards and three touchdowns, marking their best offensive output of the season. They controlled the ball for 28 minutes and 46 seconds, a season high. For the first time since December 15, 2024, against Cincinnati, the team scored a touchdown on its first two possessions. The offensive line limited pressure effectively, allowing only one sack for no yards. This marks the fourth game this season where the defense surrendered one or fewer sacks.

The defense struggled to contain Cleveland's offense. The Browns gained 491 yards, the highest total allowed by the Titans this season. The team has given up more yards in three of the last four games. In a critical moment, the defense failed to force an overtime situation. Cleveland completed a 36-yard pass that set up the game-winning field goal. All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said the team missed opportunities to dominate the game. "There was plenty of opportunity in that game for us to go over and just take over the game and take the life away from them. We didn’t do that," Simmons said.

Running back Tony Pollard had his most productive game of the season. He rushed for 129 yards and scored three touchdowns, a career high. Officials reviewed and wiped out a fourth touchdown that would have extended the lead to 21-7. Pollard also caught three passes for 26 yards. He currently ranks 10th in the NFL with 478 rushing yards. Cornerback Alontae Taylor missed his second consecutive game. He dressed for the contest but did not play a snap. Saleh said the team is moving Taylor to an inside linebacker role. "Obviously, our nickel is a little bit more complicated than most, it’s more of a linebacker position," Saleh said. "But Alontae has been great, he’s attacking the heck out of it and we’ll see where he’s at this week."

Punter Tommy Townsend has no confirmed status update. He hurt his knee during a play when two players collided with his leg while finishing a punt. Saleh noted that the team's issues are fixable given their position to win close games. "It is so close, it is so close," Saleh said. "And there’s a lot of good that you can take from it, but at the end of the day, if you’re not winning, it’s very hard to find the good. And it’s just telling these guys the truth that we’re good enough to put ourselves in position to win, we’ve got to find ways to win in the final minutes."

The Titans visit the Cincinnati Bengals, who hold a 4-2 record, on Sunday. The team will then take a bye week. They will host the Jacksonville Jaguars, the AFC South leader, on November 15. A loss in that game would mark four full years without consecutive wins.