Tennessee Titans No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward may not have outdueled Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, but he still did enough to lead his team to victory. Ward finished the game with a pair of passing touchdowns for the first time in his career as they prevailed, 31-29.
The now 2-11 Titans picked up Ward’s second career win, which gives him one more than Sanders has. Obviously, Ward has a 13-game sample size compared to three of the Browns’ former QB4. Regardless, Ward got the win, similar to what happened when Washington State played Colorado.
Ward Wins First NFL Duel vs. Sanders
Cam Ward best incompletion of all time 💀
(via @NFL)
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 7, 2025
One of the main topics of discussion heading into this game revolved around two QBs who are vying to be franchise players. Sanders has had to work his way up the ladder, as the Browns’ quarterback room is as bad as it can get. For Ward, he has no direct competition and has been given the keys to the Titans.
In the end, Ward went 14-for-28 for 117 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. That interception occurred early on as the Titans were driving down the field to take a two-score lead. His mistake was shocking as it snapped his streak of most completions without an interception in the NFL.
Dec 7, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) shakes hands with Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) after the game at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Sanders went 23-for-42 for 364 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. For what it’s worth, Ward was only sacked once while Sanders was brought down twice. Sanders ended up leading the Browns in rushing with three carries for 29 yards and a touchdown. His numbers on the ground were similar to Ward’s when he led the Titans’ ground game against the Seattle Seahawks a few weeks ago.
Cam Ward Still Needs To Improve
Cam Ward & Titans beat Shedeur & Browns 31-29 in their first NFL matchup 👀
Ward: 14/28 | 117 YDS | 2 TD | 1 INT
Sanders: 23/42 | 364 YDS | 4 TOT TD | 1 INT
Which QB impressed you more? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/VVw26xKXqR
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 7, 2025
While his completion percentage left a lot to be desired, this was a solid performance from the Miami graduate. Ward missed one deep throw to Dike, but other than that, it was filled with meaningless incompletions. Keep in mind the Van Jefferson drop, which Ward’s receiver would love to have back.
Sure, Sanders threw for close to 400 yards, but Ward was the one who left Cleveland with the win. The Titans, for whatever reason, seem to play better on the road. They brought their A game with Deion Sanders in attendance, no less. Tennessee is still on a quest for its second straight No. 1 overall pick, and there’s no need to panic just yet, as the New Orleans Saints picked up a win today. For now, the Titans can enjoy Mike McCoy’s first win as interim head coach.