Statement made: How Texans reignite more than playoff aspirations against rival Titans
TEXANS ON TAP
19 December 2023
With their season hanging in the balance, the Houston Texans headed to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans with backup quarterback Case Keenum filling in for the injured CJ Stroud.
To add even more motivation, Tennessee broke out the Houston Oilers throwback jerseys to try to add insult to injury. But the Texans came away victorious in overtime thanks to a stout defense, an explosive running game, and several clutch field goals.
By securing this victory, the Texans are now back in the playoff hunt with the Jaguars, Colts, and Texans all sitting at 8-6 on the season with 3 games left to play.
Even without defensive star Will Anderson (ankle) on Sunday, the Texans were able to shut down Derrick Henry and the Titans running game that has given Houston fits over the last few years.
And it appears the Texans have finally realized that Devin Singletary is their best option at running back, as he led the team in touches by a large margin, and helped Houston win in overtime with a huge catch and run to put them in field goal position.
Jonathan Greenard recorded 2 more sacks this week, and while that's great in its own right, the timing of his big plays were just as important. One of his sacks led to a punt, and another one of his big plays involved hitting Will Levis' throwing arm, causing the Titans to lose 19 yards and settle for a field goal.
Finally, Ka'imi Fairbairn's return from IR couldn't have come at a better time. He made 4 field goals on Sunday, including the game-winner in overtime.
Be sure to watch the video above as we discuss the huge win, our players of the game, and much more.
Watch and subscribe to Texans on Tap (a Texans podcast) on SportsMapTexans via YouTube.
X-factor matchups for Houston Texans to make statement rebound versus Colts
Oct 24, 2024, 6:10 pm
This week, the Houston Texans take on the Colts in a matchup with division supremacy on the line. If the Texans are able to come away with a victory, they will own the tiebreaker over Indy and enjoy a comfortable lead in the division.
However, a loss to the Colts means the Texans will be in a virtual tie with Indy in the AFC South. So what do the Texans need to do to secure a win?
On offense, they'll have to do a much better job of protecting CJ Stroud. In their last game against the Packers, Stroud faced immense pressure on third downs, with 12 of his 14 dropbacks resulting in pressure.
During one series, Stroud was flushed from the pocket and forced to scramble on three straight plays. They have to clean up the protection, or it will be another long day for the offense.
Fortunately for the Texans, this game is at home. So hopefully the communication issues the Texans o-line dealt with on the road last week won't be an issue at NRG.
Rushing attack
Houston can't afford to rely solely on Joe Mixon and the run game to carry the offense. While Mixon has been terrific, contributing significantly in recent weeks, the Texans will need a balanced attack. Which means Stroud must have time to operate in the pocket.
Bulls on parade
The defense last week was another story for the Texans. They played well against Green Bay, limiting them to 24 points. This week, they face a very different type of quarterback. Anthony Richardson is dead last in passer rating and completion percentage, so that's definitely working in their favor.
We know what Richardson can do with his legs, and Indy is expecting running back Jonathan Taylor to return from an ankle injury, so the rushing defense will be tested.
Richardson's accuracy is certainly a weakness, but he does throw a good deep ball that gave the defense problems in Week 1 this season.
What does Vegas think?
The Texans are favored by 5 points and the total is set at 45.5 points.
This is one video you don't want to miss as we share our in-depth breakdown of the game, as well as our predictions for Sunday's contest.
For Texans’ conversation, catch Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo on our Texans On Tap podcasts. Thursdays feature a preview of the upcoming game, and then we go live (then available on demand) after the final gun of the game: Texans on Tap - YouTube
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Fans of Houston sports and Houston food can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm November 11 at 8th Wonder. Find out more about it here.
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