For the second time this season, the Tennessee Titans' offense knocked on the goal line less than a yard away from the end zone and was denied on four attempts.
Early in the second quarter, RB Tony Pollard made a leaping dive at the goal line, muscling his way to paydirt against teeming Browns defenders for a Titans touchdown. Briefly, the broadcast score bug showed 20-7 in Tennessee's favor.
The original call on the field was reversed.
On 2nd and goal from less than a yard out, 6'2" QB Cam Ward was shut down at the line of scrimmage. Next play, Ward bumbled around the pocket and decided not to throw, taking a sack for no loss.
Now staring at a 4th and goal, the Titans' offense trotted back onto the field. Pollard was stuffed yet again on a handoff up the middle, resulting in a turnover on downs. Cleveland reclaimed the ball and backed up on their goal line.
The continued struggles of a bad Titans offense
Heading into Week 7 against Cleveland, a struggling Titans' offense had only scored seven touchdowns all season. They were a yard away from their third touchdown of the day in less than two quarters.
The Titans wouldn't find the end zone again until the 58-second mark of the fourth quarter. Pollard topped off a late fourth-quarter drive with a touchdown, equalizing the game at 24-24. For the first time since 2022, Pollard accomplished a hat trick, three touchdowns in one game.
Pollard's scoring glory was short-lived.
Cleveland QB Deshaun Watson threw for 50 passing yards on three plays, dicing up the Titans' defense to set up a game-winning 32-yard field goal with under a minute left. The Browns climbed out of a 14-nothing deficit to defeat Tennessee in front of a home crowd desperate for a win.
Following the Titans' four straight misfired attempts at the goal line, Cleveland then scored 10 unanswered points. Tennessee's offense was unable to rekindle their momentum from earlier in the game.
While Tennessee's inability to score from less than a yard wasn't the sole reason for giving up an improbable 14-point lead to the Browns, it certainly altered their confidence on offense. Tennessee's next four offensive series would end in an interception, punt, fumble and punt. Cleveland would go onto outscore the Titans 20-10 after the first quarter.
The Titans have danced this dance before
Earlier in this season, in Week 4, the Titans failed to score on the goal line, which proved to be a game-swinging stop by the Baltimore defense. Early in the second quarter, Baltimore took a 14-7 lead. Tennessee drove nearly 70 yards down the field to set up a 1st and goal from the Ravens' eight-yard line to potentially tie the game.
Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll dialed up four-straight calls for Pollard to run up the middle. On fourth down from the two-yard line, Pollard was denied at the line of scrimmage.
It was an inexplicable sequence of poor play-calling. Daboll essentially called the same play four times in a row, leaving the Titans scoreless on their red zone trip.
The Ravens responded to their defense's stellar stop by driving 98 yards and scoring a touchdown to take a commanding 21-7 lead at home. A 14-point swing Tennessee wouldn't come back from. Similarly to Tennessee's loss to the Browns, the Titans' offense went without a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter.
In the end, Baltimore pulled off a narrow 24-18 win. The Ravens were scoreless in the second half. Their two-time MVP QB Lamar Jackson didn't return to the field after halftime due to an injury.
The Titans' short yardage dilemma reveals a bigger issue
Through seven weeks, the Titans are tied with Pittsburgh for the fifth lowest touchdown percentage inside the red zone, according to Team Rankings. In 2026, the Titans scored a touchdown inside the 20 at a 47% clip, which is 10% worse than last season.
Tennessee has no go-to goal line scoring play. According to Chunkplay Stats, the Titans rank in the bottom 10 in goal-to-go touchdown rate and fourth-down conversion rate this season.
Although Pollard had a career day against the Browns, he's not a goal line brusier like the Ravens' RB Derrick Henry or the 49ers' RB Christian McCaffrey. Prior to playing Cleveland, Pollard had only scored one touchdown all season.
This season, Pollard has been handed the ball on 26 of Tennessee's 30 rushing attempts in the red zone. Daboll has made no effort for any other running back opportunities in the red zone. The Philadelphia Eagles have popularized a rugby-like formation with their QB Jalen Hurts. Behind Hurts are two players shoving the quarterback, diving across the goal line.
This play is known as the "tush push." The Titans haven't attempted a tush push this season.
Where the tush push works, and the Titans fail
Other teams like the Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks have experimented with the tush push by lining up a tight end under center, leveraging their larger frame to fight through opposing defenses.
Tennessee is yet to find a reliable scoring receiving threat this season. Talents like the Broncos' WR Courtland Sutton and the 49ers' WR Mike Evans have made careers out of their ability to score touchdowns on 50-50 jump situations.
According to Fantasy Pros, Ward is 13-27 passing in the red zone with four touchdowns and an interception.
His four red zone touchdown passes are to three different receivers; WR Wan'Dale Robinson is the only repeat scorer. Robinson hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 4 against Baltimore.
Other teams like the 49ers, Saints and Steelers often target their tight ends for red zone touchdowns. This season, Ward is 1-4 when targeting Titans' tight ends for zero touchdowns.
The Titans are directionless in the red zone, and it has directly resulted in two massive momentum-swinging outcomes that led to losses. It's hard not to wonder if the Titans could've scored at the goal line against Cleveland and Baltimore.
The Titans could have a salvageable 3-4 record. Instead, Tennessee is 1-6 with the playoffs virtually out of sight at this point.
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