Banged-up Browns in tough against Titans

As if Cleveland doesn’t have enough to worry about facing the 11-1 SU Titans, they’ll do so without their first- or second-string quarterbacks. Third-stringer Ken Dorsey will start Sunday’s game at Tennessee in place of Derek Anderson, who could be out for the season.

Anderson underwent an MRI exam Monday after suffering a sprained left medial collateral ligament in Sunday’s 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Starting for the first time in four games, Anderson sustained the injury when Cleveland right tackle Kevin Shaffer fell on the quarterback’s leg on the Browns’ final drive.

Anderson’s injury came just five days after the Browns learned that second-string rookie Brady Quinn would miss the rest of the season with a broken finger. Quinn started Cleveland’s previous three games after Anderson was benched.

Dorsey was 0-for-3 on Sunday in his first action of the season. He has not started since Week 12 of the 2005 season when he was with the San Francisco 49ers.

Tennessee is a 14-point favorite and the over/under is 37.5 in NFL Betting Odds at Sportsbetting.com.

The Titans are at 7-1 odds to win Super Bowl XLIII, and are 2-1 favorites to win the AFC Championship in NFL Futures Betting at Sportsbetting.com.

The Titans have a 5-3 SU and 4-4 ATS record against the Browns over the past eight meetings. The teams haven’t squared off since Nov. 6, 2005, when Cleveland won 20-14 as 3-point home favorites.

Last Sunday, the Browns (4-8 SU, 7-5 ATS) lost to the Indianapolis Colts 10-6 as a 4.5-point underdog, with the score going under the over/under total of 43.5.

The Titans (11-1 SU, 10-1-1 ATS) beat the winless Detroit Lions 47-10 on Thanksgiving Day. The Titans covered the 11-point spread and the score went over the total of 44.