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CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- Eddie George rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns and Derrick Mason returned a punt 65 yards for a score to lead the Tennessee Titans to a 33-21 win over the Cleveland Browns. The Titans (9-2) extended their winning streak against AFC Central Division opponents to 13 games and remained one game behind the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tennessee won its last six division games last season and its first seven this year. "We wanted to keep the streak alive in the AFC Central and we did," said Titans quarterback Steve McNair. The Titans are off to the best start in franchise history since the-then Houston Oilers were 9-2 in 1991. Tennessee posted 8-8 records in each of its previous three seasons. "We've won the ones we're supposed to win," said Titans coach Jeff Fisher. "That's what we've been doing all year." George, who has 607 rushing yards in his last six games, scored on a 14-yard run in the first quarter and added a five-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Browns (2-10) slipped to 0-6 at home this season. Rookie Tim Couch scored on a four-yard run and hit running back Terry Kirby with a 78-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give Cleveland a 14-7 lead. But Al Del Greco kicked a pair of field goals in the final 3:32 of the half to pull the Titans within 14-13. Tennessee took the lead for good when McNair scored on a one-yard run 5:02 into the third quarter. McNair completed 18-of-36 passes for 179 yards and rushed for 45 yards on seven carries. Mason broke off his punt return with 1:37 left in the third quarter to open a 26-14 lead for Tennessee. "Derrick Mason's punt return really got us out of the hole and got us going," Fisher said. "Derrick's been close. We've been close all year. It was a great play for us." "I think that got us going," Mason said. "Something like that should ignite the team and it did. I found a hole and took it." Tennessee's Bruce Matthews, a 17th-year veteran, matched Jackie Slater's record for offensive linemen by playing in his 259th game. Matthews has the longest active streak with 191 straight starts. "I'll be glad when all the attention is over," Matthews said. "It was never my intention to set the record or have it talked about. I'm proud of it. I'm blessed more than anything." Tennessee started the game with a 10-play, 67-yard drive which resulted in George's 14-yard scoring run. The Browns tied the game on Couch's touchdown run 3:08 into the second quarter, capping a 15-play, 86-yard drive. Couch hit fellow rookie Kevin Johnson with two passes for 39 yards in the drive. Kirby turned a short pass over the middle into a 78-yard touchdown 2:26 later to give Cleveland the lead. Couch was 19-of-35 for 261 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson finished with five catches for 84 yards. "I'm starting too see things better and make better decisions," Couch said. "I think by this point in the season you start to feel like a seasoned veteran. You just have to keep improving." Del Greco kicked a 27-yard field goal with 3:32 left in the seconf quarter to cap an 11-play, 60-yard drive. McNair connected with tight end Jackie Harris on a 27-yard play to key the drive. Del Greco added a 31-yarder with five seconds left in the half after McNair hit Mason with a 20-yard pass on a 4th-and-14 play to the Cleveland 12. Tennessee kept the momentum in the second half when Johnson fumbled a punt return after being hit by Dainon Sidney and Greg Favors recovered for the Titans at the Cleveland 21. "I think the difference is when they fumbled the ball on the punt," George said. "We had to capitalize on that to take the life out of them." McNair hit Joey Kent with an 11-yard pass and connected with Harris on a seven yard play to the Cleveland 3. Two plays later, McNair scored on a one-yard run 5:02 into the third quarter. He rolled to his right, faked Browns linebacker Jamir Miller to the turf, and waltzed into the end zone. "He's a really strong guy and he's fast as well," Miller said. "What I was gulty of was misjudging that. He is a strong enough guy that even when he stops he can manage to shed you off. Thumbs up to him. He's a real good quarterback." Along with scoring, Mason set up Tennessee's final scoring drive with a 16-yard punt return to the Cleveland 46. George then carried six times for 35 yards and capped the drive with a five-yard TD. "I thought our turnovers, the fumble and the punt return that they took in for scores hurt us a great deal," said Browns coach Chris Palmer. "Those two plays were key in the game. I thought everything else was pretty even."
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