The Titans get much-needed boost in an ugly season ending their 7-game skid

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Titans came to work Monday with a different feel.

''The vibes are good all around in the building and in the locker room for sure,'' rookie cornerback Marcus Harris said.

Ending a seven-game skid will do that.

The Titans improved to 2-11 with a 31-29 win at Cleveland on Sunday, which hurt their prospects of picking No. 1 overall again in April but was good for the spirits of coaches and players in a season marked by defeats and the firing of a head coach. Cornerback Xavier Woods, who got his second interception of the season in Cleveland, said these Titans have been through a lot.

''So just getting a win, build some more confidence, and hopefully it will roll over as we get another win, it rolls over into the new year and into the next season,'' Woods said. "But this year we just want to get a win.''

Tennessee has five rookie starters and 11 playing in all. Three other starters are in their second NFL seasons, and three third-year Titans are playing key roles as well.

It hasn't been easy with 10 opponents so far this season currently in playoff contention. The Titans are 1-2 against teams with losing records like themselves.

''It's just big for everybody, big for the young players for them to really understand it doesn't matter how you win, you just got to find a way to win and the game's never over, so you just got to keep playing,'' interim coach Mike McCoy said. ''It's a great example. Just keep fighting, keep fighting and win the game.''

What's working

For the first time this season, everything mostly worked. The defense forced two turnovers and two sacks and had a season-high 13 quarterback pressures. Special teams blocked a punt for the first time since Tim Shaw against Pittsburgh on Oct. 11, 2012 and also recovered a fumble on a 2-point conversion attempt. The offense turned those takeaways into 17 points.

The offense had a season-high 184 yards rushing for its best total in nearly a year and gave up only one sack. That's the best protection rookie Cam Ward has had all season, and he helped himself shaking off a would-be sack by Grant Delpit to throw away the ball.

What needs help

Then the defense gave up consecutive TD drives. The offense settled for a field goal after the blocked punt, then went three-and-out with a chance to run out the clock with the Browns trailing 31-23. That gave the ball back to Cleveland with 2:43 left to set up a finish that shouldn't have been that close.

Stock up

Tony Pollard not only ran for a career-high 161 yards, he also had two touchdowns. The veteran also averaged 6.4 yards per carry for his best game this season.

Stock down

Joey Slye. New NFL rules made kickoffs more tricky this season. Timing matters. Right after the Titans opened up a 14-3 lead late in the first quarter, Slye put the ensuing kickoff out of bounds. With the extra yardage, the Browns scored a touchdown four plays later.

LT Dan Moore Jr. returned after missing 10 snaps with a neck injury. Both center Lloyd Cushenberry (foot) and cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (Achilles tendon) have missed two straight games.

Key number

54 — Consecutive games since the Titans strung together back-to-back wins. Tennessee beat Denver on Nov. 23, 2022, then won at Green Bay on Nov. 17. Since then, the Titans are 11-42 overall.

Next steps

The schedule doesn't help the Titans' bid to stack wins. They visit San Francisco (9-4) with the 49ers trying to improve their wild-card spot in the NFC.