TEXANS ON TAP
How Texans faceplant versus Titans is a grave wake-up call for Houston
Nov 24, 2024, 4:21 pm
Titans defeat the Texans, 32-27. Composite Getty Image.
Will Levis threw for 278 yards and his 70-yard touchdown pass to Chig Okonkwo put Tennessee on top in the fourth quarter and the Titans held on for a 32-27 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday.
Okonkwo grabbed a short pass and rumbled for the touchdown to put the Titans (3-8) up 30-27 with 9½ minutes remaining. Safety Eric Murray missed a tackle that would have stopped him near midfield.
Be sure to watch the video above as the crew from Texans on Tap reacts live on YouTube.
The Texans (7-5) had a chance to tie it with less than two minutes remaining, but Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 28-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left. He fell to the ground after the miss before getting up and slamming his helmet on the field.
Titans coach Brian Callahan held both hands in the air and smiled after watching the miss that allowed his team to win on a day it had three turnovers.
The Texans forced a three-and-out, but couldn’t move the ball after that and Harold Landry sacked C.J. Stroud in the end zone for a safety to make it 32-27 and allow Tennessee to snap a two-game skid.
Stroud threw for 247 yards and two touchdowns, but also threw two interceptions as the AFC South-leading Texans lost for the third time in four games.
Jimmie Ward had a 65-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter and the Texans tied a franchise record with eight sacks. But the offense sputtered for most of the game as Joe Mixon was held to 22 yards on 14 carries.
Tennessee extended the lead to 23-17 on a 51-yard field goal by Nick Folk with nine minutes left in the third.
Stroud threw his second interception with about 90 seconds left in the third quarter but Ward’s touchdown came three plays later to put the Texans on top 24-23.
The Titans fumbled a punt early in the fourth quarter and Houston recovered it. A 54-yard field goal by Fairbairn extended the lead to 27-23 with about 10 minutes to go.
Dameon Pierce returned the opening kickoff 80 yards to get the Texans in the red zone. Houston cashed in on the next play when Stroud found rookie Cade Stover on a 19-yard pass for his first touchdown reception.
The Titans trailed by four after a field goal by Folk when Nick Westbrook-Ikhine got in front of the defense and was wide open for a 38-yard TD catch that made it 10-7 late in the first quarter.
Tennessee extended the lead to 17-7 when Tony Pollard ran 10 yards for a touchdown with about 11 minutes left in the second. Pollard finished with 119 yards and a touchdown.
Nico Collins scored on a 5-yard reception with about six minutes left in the second.
Levis fumbled on the Houston 32 with 3½ minutes left in the first half and Houston recovered the ball. Stroud connected with Collins on a 56-yard pass on the next play, but the Texans couldn’t move the ball and settled for a 28-yard field goal to tie it at 17-17.
Houston forced a punt after that, but rookie Jarvis Brownlee Jr. got his first career interception two plays later to give Tennessee the ball back. Folk’s 56-yard field goal, which tied his career long, put the Titans up 20-17 at halftime.
Injuries
The Titans were without cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, after he was placed on injured reserve with a quadriceps injury, and safety Amani Hooker, who was added to the injury report Sunday morning with an illness. Hooker leads the Titans with three interceptions. … Houston S Jalen Pitre injured his shoulder in the second quarter and didn’t return. … CB Ka’dar Hollman left in the fourth quarter with a knee injury.
Up next
Titans: Visit the Commanders next Sunday.
Texans: Visit Jacksonville next Sunday.
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.