How Texans' health, pride, and playoff positioning now take center stage

TEXANS LAST STAND

How Texans' health, pride, and playoff positioning now take center stage
Houston wraps up the regular season this Sunday! Composite Getty Image.

The Houston Texans head to Nashville this Sunday to take on the Titans and put a bow on the regular season. There's not much at stake for either team outside of pride, and draft positioning for Tennessee.

Speaking of pride, the Titans will be sporting the Oilers throwback uniforms in the season finale, so that could add some extra motivation. Especially considering the bad blood between these two franchises.

The main focus for the Texans this week should be getting through the game healthy, and trying to recapture some success on offense after a disappointing season.

Newly acquired receiver Diontae Johnson should get some valuable reps in this week's contest, and it would be great to see CJ Stroud develop some chemistry with Johnson before the playoffs begin next week.

If it were up to us, Stroud and the top starters wouldn't see the field this week. But it looks like Texans HC DeMeco Ryans plans to play his starters and see how the game progresses.

While it would be nice to see the offense click even against the lowly Titans, it's hard to imagine this week will be any different from the rest of the regular season.

However, we understand that the Texans would like to wash the bad taste out of their mouths after laying an egg on Christmas against the Ravens.

What does Vegas think?

The Titans are favored by 1.5 and the total is set at 37 points. This matchup features the lowest total of the week, so points could be hard to come by.

Playoff path

It appears the Texans are likely to face either the Steelers or Chargers in the Wild Card round. If we had to chose, we would prefer Houston face the Steelers, because the Chargers are stronger at quarterback.

But Steelers fans travel, so the Texans won't have much of a home field advantage with half the stadium full of Steelers fans.

This is one video you don't want to miss as we preview Texans-Titans, reveal some Pro Bowl snubs, and look ahead to the NFL postseason.

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The Astros beat the Guardians, 4-2. Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images.

Jeremy Peña had three hits to extend his hitting streak to 12 games, Colton Gordon got his first major league win and the Houston Astros defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-2 on Friday night.

Christian Walker drove in a pair of runs in the fifth inning and Brendan Rodgers added a solo shot in the sixth as the Astros improved to 3-1 on their six-game road trip.

Gordon (1-1), who was making his fifth start, allowed one run on seven hits and struck out five. The left-hander was an eighth-round pick in the 2021 amateur draft.

Josh Hader recorded his 17th save, tied for second in the American League.

David Fry homered for the Guardians, who have dropped three of four. Carlos Santana had his 14-game hitting streak snapped.

It is the second hitting streak this season of at least 10 games for Peña. The shortstop is batting .449 (22 of 49) with three home runs and six RBIs during his current run.

Houston took the lead with three runs in the fifth off Cleveland starter Logan Allen (3-4). Peña scored from second on a deep infield single by Jose Altuve and Walker drove in a pair with a base hit to right.

Key moment

Cleveland had a chance to do some damage in the first inning, but Angel Martínez and José Ramírez were thrown out at second by Houston left fielder Mauricio Dubón when they tried to extend base hits into doubles.

Dubón joined Toronto's Addison Barger as outfielders with a pair of assists in one inning this season.

Key stat

Houston's struggles with the bases loaded continues. The Astros were 0 for 2 Friday night and are last in the majors with a .146 batting average.

Up next

Houston RHP Hunter Brown (8-3, 1.83 ERA) is tied for the AL lead in wins. Cleveland will go with RHP Gavin Williams (5-3, 3.79 ERA).

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