Throw records out the window as the Tennessee Titans head to Cleveland for their highly anticipated showdown against the Browns. Rookie quarterbacks Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are set to do battle in one of the top young QB showdowns of the season.
While it will only be Sanders third official start, he gets to face a Titans defense that has been less than stellar. Jeffery Simmons can only do so much, but Ward vs. Sanders is going to be as much fun to watch as Simmons vs. Myles Garrett.
Regardless, Ward and Sanders will have a ton of eyes on them in a matchup that features two teams with a combined four wins. Sanders, who fell to the fifth round, is looking to prove himself against the 2025 No. 1 overall pick.
Cam Ward’s Rollercoaster Season
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) passes during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Coming off the best game of his career against the Seattle Seahawks, Ward regressed quite a bit against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even with Elic Ayomanor, his No. 1 wide receiver, back for that game, he still struggled to get anything going. Ward averaged just 3.7 yards per attempt, by far the lowest of his young career.
On the other hand, Sanders averaged 10.5 yards in his first NFL start. Granted, he only completed 11 passes, but he still led his team to a win over the Las Vegas Raiders, something the Titans failed to do. Ward has completed 24+ passes in his last three games, but he’s only thrown for over 200 yards once in his last four games.
One of the biggest struggles in Ward’s career has been the amount of turnovers. He’s now gone four straight games without an interception, but part of that is how simple the offense has been. It’s too simple, which also isn’t helping anyone. After rushing for 70 yards against the Houston Texans and Seahawks, he ran the ball just once against the Jaguars.
Titans Look To Stop Shedeur Sanders
Nov 30, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (12) drops back to make a pass during the first half against the San Francisco 49ers at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Sanders numbers have been far from stellar, but the Titans offense tends to make quarterbacks look like superheroes against them. Trevor Lawrence, who’s had an up and down season, was nearly perfect in his game against the Titans.
Sanders went 11/20 for 209 yards with a touchdown and interception and 16/25 for 149 yards with a touchdown in his two starts. Those numbers aren’t the greatest, but he’s had such a small sample size it’s far too early to tell. At this point in the season, Tennessee didn’t care if they were facing Dillon Gabriel or Sanders. Now, it’s the perfect opportunity for Sanders to prove why he was a first round talent all along.