How Texans' health, pride, and playoff positioning now take center stage
TEXANS LAST STAND
02 January
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.
José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.
Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.
There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.
Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.
Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.
He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.
Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.
Key moment
The home run by Peraza.
Key stat
It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.
Up next
LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.
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