What we learned from Tennessee Titans' 27-24 loss to Cleveland Browns

The Tennessee Titans returned to Nissan Stadium and again fell short in a winnable game against the Cleveland Browns, who won 27-24.Tennessee started strong behind Tony Pollard, who had his best game of 2026 and accounted for all three touchdowns, but the offense was still inconsistent and failed to capitalize on multiple opportunities.While the offense struggled, the defense failed to play complementary football and gave up too many splash plays to the Browns offense, which ultimately cost them the game.Here are four things we learned from the frustrating loss to the Browns.Saleh’s defense let him downFor the second time in 2026, the Titans’ defense had a chance to close the door on a team at Nissan Stadium, but they gave up splash plays and, eventually, the game. Tennessee invested heavily in the defense, and that group has been almost as inconsistent as the offense.One week after having a dominant performance against the Indianapolis Colts, the defensive front failed to generate pressure, and Deshaun Watson had enough time to pick them apart. If the Titans want to grow into contenders, the defensive line must make an impact.What’s wrong with the third-down back role?The Titans held out Tyjae Spears with his knee injury, giving veteran Michael Carter an opportunity, and guess what? Nothing changed, and the production from that role was basically non-existent.Some may blame the players, but others should point directly at the play calling and the struggles this new system is having. Spears and Carter have similar skill sets and should be able to have at least some moderate success; instead, they haven’t produced at any level.Officiating was roughAlthough the team played well enough to win, they couldn’t finish it off and once again came up short. But in this one, fans have started asking questions about the officiating and how it affected critical plays that changed the complexion of the contest.Many are talking about the missed false start on the game-deciding play, but a deeper dive shows multiple missed or questionable calls on the Browns’ goal-line stand that cost the Titans seven points.Unfortunately for NFL fans, this isn’t isolated to this game; it's happening in almost every game this season.May need to break out the JUGS machineThe Titans’ offense struggled with consistency, and Cam Ward again had an uneven day; unfortunately, his receivers did too, with multiple drops and a critical fumble. This is nothing new, as the pass-catchers as a whole haven't consistently helped their young quarterback.This article originally appeared on Titans Wire: What we learned from Tennessee Titans' 27-24 loss to Cleveland Browns