Three things the Titans have lacked this season — an explosive running attack, a sturdy offensive line and a penchant for takeaways — were largely responsible for the team’s second win of the season.

But it only seems fitting that even a Titans victory came with repercussions.

Tennessee’s 31-29 defeat of the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at Huntington Bank Field snapped a seven-game losing streak and gave the Titans their first victory over an AFC team in 15 tries.

However, the Titans (2-11) also slipped out of the No. 1 overall draft pick position, sliding to No. 2 behind the New York Giants (2-11) because the Giants’ strength of schedule to date has been inferior to Tennessee’s.

The Titans coaches and players, understandably, had no interest in playing for a No. 1 draft pick, so they were overjoyed at posting a season-high 31 points and knocking off the Browns (3-11).

“I can’t say enough about these players, the way they’ve worked,” Titans interim coach Mike McCoy said. “They deserve this. They really do. So happy for them. Everyone’s excited.”

The victory wasn’t secure until the Titans’ Chimere Dike recovered Cleveland’s onside kick attempt with just over a minute remaining.

That play followed a bizarre, failed two-point attempt by the Browns, who took rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders off the field and tried to execute a gadget play, which ended when running back Quinshon Judkins threw a pressured incompletion to safety Grant Delpit.

The Titans entered the contest ranked 31st in the run game, averaging just 76.7 yards per contest. Tennessee had topped rushing yards as a team only once in its first 12 games this season.

But Tony Pollard and the run game broke loose against the NFL’s second-ranked overall defense (10th against the run). Pollard rushed 25 times for a career-best 161 yards and two touchdowns, taking carries into the end zone from 65 and 32 yards.

Overall, the Titans ran 35 times for a season-high 184 yards.

“With [Cleveland’s Myles Garrett) out there, you have to run the football against this team,” McCoy said. “Just give the guys credit. This is what they want to do. This is how they want to play. We challenged them and they answered.”

The Titans’ offensive line deserved plenty of credit not only for the team’s rushing success, but for its work protecting rookie quarterback Cam Ward.

Ward, who had been sacked an NFL-high 48 times in his first 12 appearances, was dropped just one time against the Browns — Garrett’s NFL-best 20th sack of the season. Ward responded by throwing two touchdown passes for the first time in his career.

“I think they did a fantastic job … moving him off the spot in the run game,” Ward said of the team’s blocking of Garrett. “In the passing game, [the offensive line] did an unbelievable job. [Garrett’s] a great player. I think the O-line stepped up and they were the reason we won the game.”

Then there were the big plays by the defense and special teams, as the Titans turned a Xavier Woods interception, fumble recovery by Cedric Gray and blocked punt by James Williams — Tennessee’s first blocked punt since 2012 — into 17 second-half points and a 31-17 lead.

The interception was the Titans’ first in the last four games, while the fumble recovery was the first for Tennessee since Week 5 in Arizona. That game against the Cardinals marked the last time the Titans won this season, and it came under since-dismissed head coach Brian Callahan.

So Sunday’s victory was the first for McCoy in seven tries as Tennessee’s interim head coach.

“Man, it’s been a minute [since the last win],” Pollard said. “It’s a good feeling.”