Cleveland @ Tennessee preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 2, 2011 ) Tennessee 31, Cleveland 13

The Tennessee Titans are enduring a three-game slide and have looked overmatched in each of those three setbacks. The Titans hope to have quarterback Jake Locker healthy when they try to end the slide while hosting the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Locker sat out last week’s 41-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts with a wrist injury and is probable against the Browns, who had an extra week to prepare after last Sunday’s bye.

Cleveland is battling teams to the wire and was denied wins on last-second field goals against Pittsburgh and Baltimore, sandwiched around a 26-24 home victory over the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. Quarterback Brian Hoyer is getting fewer questions about backup Johnny Manziel thanks to a solid start, and a rare road win would help keep the Browns relevant in the AFC North. Tennessee played three of its first four games on the road and was trounced 26-10 by Dallas in its lone home game before falling at Cincinnati and Indianapolis by a combined 74-24 in the last two weeks.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Titans -2.5. O/U: 44.5

ABOUT THE BROWNS (1-2): The disadvantage to having the bye so early in the season is the grind the rest of the way, but Cleveland got healthier with tight end Jordan Cameron (shoulder) and linebacker Barkevious Mingo (shoulder) both getting extra time off, and running back Ben Tate (knee) could return to the lineup as well. “We now have 13 straight games,” cornerback Joe Haden told reporters. “We know that we have to get this thing on a roll. I’m really honestly glad that we have the team that we do. I’ve got a whole new mindset and I feel refocused.” The Browns will need that focus on the road, where they have dropped 24 of their last 26.

ABOUT THE TITANS (1-3): Tennessee has a chance to get its season back together with the next three games against teams with a combined 2-9 record before a date with AFC South-leading Houston in Week 8. Locker (wrist) ent through practice on Wednesday and Thursday and is expected to start and help a team that seems to have a lot of areas needing improvement. “It’s hard to single out any one person because there are a lot of things,” Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt told reporters. “First of all, we’ve got to quit turning the ball over, we’ve got to make plays on the ball defensively; special teams we’ve got to do a better job. I could go on.”

EXTRA POINTS

1. Hoyer’s streak of 157 pass attempts without an interception is the longest current run in the NFL.

2. Tennessee TE Delanie Walker (shoulder) was limited in practice Thursday.

3. Cleveland rookie RB Isaiah Crowell is averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

PREDICTION: Browns 28, Titans 24