Baker Mayfield, Browns Beat Titans, Clinch 1st Winning Season in 13 Years

The Cleveland Browns stayed red hot with a 41-35 win over the Tennessee Titans.  

Baker Mayfield threw four touchdown passes on the road Sunday at Nissan Stadium, helping the Browns jump out to a 17-0 lead that became 38-7 by halftime.

A second-half push by Tennessee featuring four touchdowns made things nervy for the visitors, with Mayfield fumbling away a chance to seal the win in the final minute. There was just not enough time to complete the comeback as Cleveland held on for the team's fourth straight victory. The 9-3 record clinches the franchise's first winning season since 2007.

The Titans (8-4) couldn't continue their winning ways as Derrick Henry had just 60 rushing yards in the Week 13 loss and was held without a touchdown for just the fifth time this season.  

Notable Performances

Baker Mayfield, QB, CLE: 25-of-33, 334 passing yards, 4 TD

Nick Chubb, RB, CLE: 18 carries, 80 rushing yards, 1 TD

Jarvis Landry, WR, CLE: 8 catches, 62 receiving yards, 1 TD

Ryan Tannehill, QB, TEN: 29-of-45, 389 passing yards, 3 TD, 1 INT

Derrick Henry, RB, TEN: 15 carries, 60 rushing yards

Corey Davis, WR, TEN: 11 catches, 182 receiving yards, 1 TD

Baker Mayfield Dominates Early in Browns Win

Consistency has been a problem for Mayfield in his young career, but he was at his best in the first half against the Titans.

The quarterback helped his team jump out to an early lead thanks to four touchdown passes:

The performance might have been even more impressive than the numbers, with Mayfield earning plenty of praise during the game:

Mayfield made few mistakes, finding his open receivers and hitting them in stride for big plays. 

Of course, the coaching staff also deserves plenty of credit for scheming players open throughout the game. Whether it was designing a touchdown for an offensive lineman or getting Donovan Peoples-Jones open on a play action, the work by head coach Kevin Stefanski was notable:

This included a first-down reception by Mayfield in the first half:

The offense slowed down in the second half, but Nick Chubb came through with big runs to help the team come away with a key AFC win.

Even if the Pittsburgh Steelers have put the AFC North out of reach, the Browns are clearly a dangerous team going into the playoffs.

Turnovers Hurt Titans' Chances at a Comeback

The first half was definitely one to forget for the Titans offense, but there were positives when Ryan Tannehill found his playmakers downfield:

This became the norm in the second half as the Titans covered a lot of ground with the passing attack:

The team created plenty of drama late with a fumble return and then a touchdown with under a minute remaining:

However, Tennessee fell behind early thanks to two first-half fumbles, including the first of the year by Derrick Henry:

An interception then ruined a promising drive late in the third quarter:

Ultimately, it hurt any chance at pulling off a miracle comeback.

Tennessee moved the ball well with 431 total yards from scrimmage but finished minus-two in the turnover margin while going 2-of-10 on third down. This isn't usually a recipe for success in the NFL, and it led to a disappointing loss.

What's Next?

The schedule doesn't get much easier for the Browns, who will host the AFC North-rival Baltimore Ravens next Monday night. The Titans will go on the road next Sunday to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.