Titans vs. Browns: Scouting the Tennessee Titans with our Q&A with Music City Miracles

This Sunday, the Cleveland Browns take on the Tennessee Titans. To help preview a few topics from the Titans’ perspective, we reached out to Jimmy Morris from Music City Miracles and exchanged five questions with him.

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, the Browns are 3.5-point favorites against the Titans.

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Chris: “The Titans added DeAndre Hopkins to the offense this offseason. How have things been going with the team’s new top receiver?”

Jimmy: “He’s been really solid. The Titans have a long history of bringing in really good receivers who are past their prime. Every time it has ended with that player getting hurt or not being able to get on the field for some reason. DHop came in here and only missed one practice in training camp. He did get an ankle injury on the last play of the week 1 loss to the Saints but was able to play on Sunday. He’s not a huge down the field threat at this point in his career, but he is a great runner and has an insane catch radius. ”

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Chris: “I wanted to ask how rookie OT Peter Skoronski had been performing, but he’ll miss his second straight game with an illness. Instead, tell us about what position on the offensive line is the best for Cleveland to attack defensively.”

Jimmy: “The Titans offensive line is a work in progress. The only returning starter from the 2022 unit is Aaron Brewer, and he doesn’t even play the same position this year - played left guard right year and is the center now. Through two weeks the offensive line has played pretty well. Peter Skoronski was good in camp, the preseason, and in week one. Dillon Radunz will fill in at left guard for Skoronski. Radunz was a second-round pick in 2021. He was drafted to be the right tackle but that didn’t work out. He didn’t get the start last week but played well when he entered the lineup.

As for where to attack the line, the right guard Daniel Brunskill has been the weakest link so far. The Titans signed him in free agency from the San Francisco 49ers. He’s not as bad as some of the guys the Titans ran out there last season but he’s no All-Pro either.”

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Chris: “The Titans selected QB Will Levis with the 33rd pick in this year’s draft, which seems like a sign that your quarterback’s days (Ryan Tannehill) as a starter are numbered. What is the latest on the QB situation in Tennessee?”

Jimmy: “Ryan Tannehill is the QB this season as long as he is healthy and the Titans are in contention. He was pretty bad in week 1 but bounced back and played well in week 2. Tannehill gives this team the best chance to win in 2023. Now, odds are this is Tannehill’s last year in Tennessee. They have drafted a quarterback in each of the last two drafts - Malik Willis in the third round in 2022 and Levis last year. We all assumed that Levis would be the backup this year after how poorly Willis played last year when Tannehill was hurt, but Willis was better in the spring and summer than Levis. Willis is currently the #2. If the Titans don’t take a QB in the 2024 draft those two guys will compete for the starting job next offseason.”

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Chris: “Tell us about one player who Browns fans may not have heard of, but who could have an impact on this Sunday’s game.”

Jimmy: “Rookie RB Tyjae Spears has been a big part of this offense through two games. The Titans took him in the third round and most of us thought he would just be the third down back. That hasn’t been the case so far. He has gotten carries on early downs - including the first play in OT last week against the Chargers. He and Derrick Henry actually play quite a few snaps each game on the field together.”

Chris: “The Browns are early favorites to beat the Titans on Sunday (Browns -3.5 as of this question, per DraftKings Sportsbook). Who would you pick against the spread?”

Jimmy: “I’m picking the Titans to win outright. Their defensive front should be able to give Deshaun Watson fits and force him into a turnover or two that flips field position. This game has all of the ingredients to be a low scoring game, and that is just the type of game the Titans were built to win.”

Thanks again to Jimmy for taking the time to answer my questions.