Tennessee @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 22, 2017 ) Tennessee 12, Cleveland 9

Expectations for the Cleveland Browns are the highest they have been in decades after a promising finish to 2018 and a strong offseason. The Browns will begin trying to live up to those expectations when they host the Tennessee Titans in the season opener on Sunday.

Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield is trying to follow up a stellar rookie campaign and has plenty of weapons at his disposal with star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. joining the team in the offseason and combining with Jarvis Landry on the outside and Nick Chubb in the backfield. "Nobody has done anything yet, so I would say everybody is starting from the same square one," Mayfield told reporters. "I would say it is pretty hard to live up to any hype if you are listening to the outside. None of that really matters, so I think we have a bunch of guys who have bought in to what is going on in this building and the standards we are setting. To us, that is all that matters." The Titans won four straight games to put themselves in position to compete for a playoff spot last season before dropping the season finale to the Indianapolis Colts and missing out by one game. Starting quarterback Marcus Mariota missed that meeting with the Colts with an injury and is focused on staying healthy as he nears a potential contract extension, but the team brought in veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill to serve as the backup just in case the injury bug strikes.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Browns -5.5. O/U: 45.5

ABOUT THE TITANS (2018: 9-7, THIRD IN AFC SOUTH): Mariota has yet to start 16 games in a season and totaled 24 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions over the last two campaigns. "I have been dinged, I have been banged up, and I understand that," Mariota told reporters. "I just have to do my job to be available for this team and hopefully throughout the year that will happen." Tennessee made several moves in an effort to upgrade the protection around Mariota, giving a $44 million contract to free agent left guard Rodger Saffold and drafting guard Nate Davis in the third round.

ABOUT THE BROWNS (2018: 7-8-1, THIRD IN AFC NORTH): Mayfield led Cleveland to a 5-2 record over the final seven games last season and finished with 3,725 passing yards and 27 touchdown passes in 14 games, and he is looking forward to bringing Beckham into the offensive fold. "Very excited to see what we can do, what we are capable of doing out there and adjusting off what they are doing," Mayfield told reporters. "Seeing if we can take care of some one on ones throughout the field." Freddie Kitchens served as the offensive coordinator in 2018 and was promoted to head coach in the offseason but is expected to continue calling offensive plays.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Browns WR Antonio Calloway will sit out the first four games for violating the NFL's drug policy and RB Kareem Hunt will serve an eight-game suspension for violating the personal conduct policy.

2. Titans LT Taylor Lewan will serve a four-game suspension for violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy.

3. Tennessee won the last two meetings - in 2016 and 2017 - by a total of five points.

PREDICTION: Browns 27, Titans 17