Browns and Titans ‘battle’ for top draft spot with a month to go

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

Four downs on Browns (3-9) v. Tennessee Titans (1-11)

First down: Your prison inmate game.

Grant Delpit kept it real while discussing this frightful matchup. “There’s not gonna be a lot of people watching this game, just keeping it honest,” said the Browns’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee. “Two teams that … we have like four combined wins overall. We’re gonna see who loves this game, see who loves football.” This is one of those unfortunate situations in which the loser wins more than the winner. The Titans currently sit in the No. 1 draft position. Another loss would secure their top spot ahead of the Giants (2-11), Saints (2-10) and Raiders (2-10). The Browns currently sit in the No. 5 hole. The Browns up-to-date strength of schedule figure of .490 is the worst of the top eight teams vying for the No. 1 pick. That gives them an edge because strength of schedule is the draft order tie-breaker; the lower number breaks the tie. A loss would draw the Browns closer to top with four games to go.

Second down: Nineteen down, four to go.

Myles Garrett has entered the “could happen in any game” zone. At 19 sacks through 12 games, he needs 3.5 to tie the official NFL single-season record of 22.5. Four would tie him with Al “Bubba” Baker’s real record of 23. In his current incredible run of 14 sacks in five games, Garrett had five against New England QB Drake Maye and four against Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson. It would seem the Titans pose little resistance to the Garrett juggernaut. Rookie QB Cam Ward has taken an NFL-high 48 sacks and his suspect offensive line has been in disarray since legendary offensive line coach Bill Callahan parted ways with the organization a day after it fired his son, Brian, as head coach. “I’ll go for four, but I respect that team over there and what they can do,” Garrett said on Friday. “So, I got to make sure we stop the run and earn four opportunities, in which I can make that happen.” Garrett previously said he hopes to break the record in a win at home. Well, consider this matchup a golf ball on a tee. All Garrett has to do is smack down the middle.

Third down: Their first NFL encounter.

Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders never competed in a college game, but they trained together while competing for the No. 1 draft spot in April. Ward was chosen No. 1 and Sanders dropped to No. 144 (fifth round). If both QBs were prospering as rookies, their first NFL matchup might have more juice. As it is, both quarterbacks downplayed it. “I think every rookie's journey is different,” Ward said this week. “He may have a good game this week, a bad game next week. I may have a bad game this week, good game next week. So, you really just take it week to week.” Sanders said, “Yeah, Cam's competitive. It's always fun, you know, getting out there, training with him. And then we both ended up getting drafted, and we both went our separate ways. And that's really everybody that I played in college with almost, you know. Everybody's focused on what they got to do, and it's all love whenever we see each other. I think it's nothing extra within myself [playing against Ward]. It's a lot of great quarterbacks, you know, week by week that we play against. So, I wouldn't say this adds anything."

Fourth down: Punt return alert.

There’s only one Titan that puts fear in any opponent and his name is Chimere Dike. The fourth-round rookie from Florida via Wisconsin has recently gotten more involved as a receiver. But he has made an indelible mark in his first season as a return specialist. Dike leads the NFL – by a mile – with a punt return average of 21.1 yards. He has two touchdowns and a third was stopped when he was leg-whipped by Jacksonville punter Logan Cooke after a 47-yard return. Dike also has 1,282 yards in kickoff returns (25.6). Dike’s 1,921 all-purpose yards leads the NFL by plenty; Christian McCaffrey is second at 1,655. Browns special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone coached Dike in the Senior Bowl. “I love the kid,” Ventrone said. “Really, really good skill set. Fast, good ball skills, good ball security. Very good vision. Has the ability to run every type of return out there. So, we will have to do a good job.” You think? Ventrone’s coverage units have been gashed for punt returns of 23 yards, 23, 65 for a touchdown, and 74 for a touchdown; and for kickoff returns of 40 and 99 yards for a touchdown. “I think we got that cleaned up,” said Delpit, a member of the punt coverage team. “We just can’t have any more.”

The pick: Browns 20, Titans 6.

My record: 7-5.