Do Titans or Browns have the edge in Cam Ward vs Shedeur Sanders battle?

There will be other players on the field beyond Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, but so few of them are nearly as fun to talk about.

The two rookie quarterbacks who dominated discussions leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft will be head-to-head for the first time as pros when the Tennessee Titans (1-11) visit the Cleveland Browns (3-9) at Huntington Bank Field on Dec. 7 (noon CT, FOX).

Sanders only recently took over as the Browns' starter, after they cycled through Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel to start the season. Ward, meanwhile, has struggled through the Titans' season-long losing ways, holding his post since Week 1 despite the team's total lack of offensive success.

Don't expect much offense out of this one despite the young quarterback talent on display. Both teams rank in the bottom three in the NFL in yards per game, yards per play, passing yards per game, passing yards per play, first downs per game and third-down conversion rate. Throw in the forecast of snowy conditions and winds that could reach up to 20 mph, and it feels unlikely that this game will trend toward shootout territory.

Still, there'll be some interesting matchups and trends to keep an eye on. Here are The Tennessean's scouting report and score prediction for Titans vs Browns.

Titans vs Browns predictions: Our scouting report, score pick

Titans' offense vs Browns' defense

Someone has to stop Myles Garrett. With 3.5 sacks, the Browns' star edge rusher would tie the NFL's single-season sack record — and it would be only his third-most productive game of the season. The Titans rank No. 31 in pressure rate and No. 29 in sack rate, two harbingers of doom against the league's most productive rush specialist.

That said, the Titans are particularly prone to sacks when they have to play from behind. If the defense can play well against Cleveland's less-than-stellar offense, the Titans might be able to stay on schedule a little better than usual.

Advantage: Cleveland

Titans' defense vs Browns' offense

The Titans don't have a Garrett-type presence, and the secondary is as thin as any in the league. But give credit to the Titans' pass rush for its continued growth, and keep perspective on how much the Browns' offense has struggled. Even with Sanders injecting new life in the unit, the Browns haven't reached more than 270 yards in a game. Coach Kevin Stefanski's scheme still works, but the talent isn't all that impressive.

Advantage: Tennessee

Titans vs Browns: Who's the favorite? What's the moneyline?

The Browns are 4-point favorites to win Sunday's game, per BetMGM. The Browns moneyline is set at -210 and the Titans moneyline is set at +175. The over-under points total is set at a paltry 33.5.

Score prediction: Browns 18, Titans 10

The Shedeur Sanders vs Cam Ward angle gets a lot of hype, but it's Cleveland's defense that makes the real difference. The Browns, and the elements, are too much for the NFL's worst team.

Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at [email protected]. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who wins Cam Ward vs Shedeur Sanders duel? Our Titans-Browns prediction