FRED FAOUR
Texans pick up eighth straight win, beat Titans thanks to a terrific running game
Nov 26, 2018, 10:07 pm
Deshaun Watson had a big game running the ball, as did the Texans. Bob Levey/Getty Images
The Houston Texans took another big step in the road to the AFC South title, knocking off Tennessee 34-17 on Monday Night Football. They simply just keep getting it done during an eight-game winning streak that has erased a brutal 0-3 start.
They got it done despite falling in a 10-0 hole early after giving up a 61-yard touchdown pass on a blown coverage.
They got it done primarily because they ran the ball 34 times for 281 yards, including 162 by Lamar Miller, who had a 97-yard burst in the first half.
They got it done because Deshaun Watson was very good both throwing and running the ball. He threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns to Demaryius Thomas on 19 of 24 passing and rushed for another 70 yards and a score. He did not turn the ball over, although he was ruled down by contact on a play that could easily have been a fumble.
They got it done despite a nice game by Marcus Mariota, who completed his first 19 passes and played really well. The Titans were slowed by offensive penalties and six sacks by the Texans, but Mariota was terrific and Tennessee would not have been in the game at all without him. He would finish 21 of 22 for 292 yards and two TDs.
They got it done thanks to Christian Covington (2.5 sacks), J.J. Watt (1.5 sacks), Whitney Mercilus (1.5 sacks) and Jadeveon Clowney (a half sack).
And the Texans got it done because there were two key plays early that went the Texans’ way. Down 10-0, Houston fumbled on a kickoff return, and a Titans player briefly jumped on the ball, but the Texans recovered. They marched down the field and cut the lead to 10-7.
In the second quarter, with the Texans up 14-10, the Titans went for a fourth and one at the Texans’ 3. The defense stuffed the play, and on the first snap after that, Miller broke off his 97-yard touchdown run.
The Texans ran the ball effectively the entire first half, putting up 200 yards, 148 from Miller. Those two plays were the difference in a half the Texans led 24-10. They were able to do just enough in the second half to close the game.
Now the Texans sit at 8-3, with the eight consecutive wins. They lead the AFC South by two games over Indianapolis, which has won five in a row and are 6-5. The Titans fell to 5-6.
It was not perfect. The Texans gave up some big plays in the passing game, and the offense struggled on third down. But it was a solid performance against a team that was desperate.
And the Texans got it done.
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With the Astros now officially ten games under .500 for the season, manager Joe Espada is taking a lot of heat from the fanbase for the team's struggles.
While we don't agree with the sentiment, we even hear fans clamoring for the return of Dusty Baker and Martin Maldonado, thinking the Astros wouldn't be in this mess if they were still here.
Which is ridiculous. First of all, Maldonado has been awful for the White Sox, hitting .048 (even worse than Jose Abreu's .065). And for those of you that think his work with the pitching staff justifies his pathetic offense. Let me say this: Where was Maldy's game calling genius for Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Framber Valdez last year? All of them regressed significantly.
And as far as Baker is concerned, we have no idea how much a difference he would make, we can only speculate. Baker would also be dealing with a pitching staff ravaged with injuries. And let's not forget, Baker was the guy that refused to move Jose Abreu down in the batting order, even though he would finish the regular season with the ninth-worst OPS in baseball.
The reality of the situation is managers can only do so much in baseball. Which leads us to something else that needs to be considered. Is Espada being handcuffed by the front office? Espada and GM Dana Brown both said recently that Jon Singleton was going to get more at-bats while they give Abreu time off to try to figure things out. Yet, there Abreu was in the lineup again in the opening game of the Cubs series.
It makes us wonder how much power does Espada truly have? The Astros have some other options at first base. Yainer Diaz may only have eight games played at the position, but how much worse could he be than Abreu defensively? Abreu already has four errors, and Diaz is obviously a way better hitter. Victor Caratini isn't considered a plus offensive player, but his .276 batting average makes him look like Babe Ruth compared to Abreu. Let him catch more often and play Diaz at first. Starting Diaz at first more often could also lengthen his career long-term.
Maybe that's too wild of a move. Okay, fine. How about playing Mauricio Dubon at first base? I understand he doesn't have much experience at that position, but what's the downside of trying him there? If he can play shortstop, he can play first base. He's driving in runs at a higher rate (11 RBIs) than everyone on the team outside of Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. And he's producing like that as part-time player right now.
The other criticism we see of Espada is his use of Jon Singleton to pinch hit late in games. Let's be real, though, who else does Espada have on the roster to go to? Batting Abreu late in games in which you're trailing should be considered malpractice. Espada can only use who he has to work with. This all really stems from the Astros poor farm system.
They don't have anyone else to turn to. The draft picks the club lost from the sign-stealing scandal are really hurting them right now. First and second rounders from 2020 and 2021 should be helping you in 2024 at the big league level.
Maybe they go to Astros prospect Joey Loperfido soon, but after a hot start he has only two hits in his last six games.
Finally, we have to talk about what seems like a committee making baseball decisions. Lost in a committee is accountability. Who gets the blame for making poor decisions?
As time continues to pass it looks like moving on from former GM James Click was a massive mistake. He's the guy that didn't sign Abreu, but did trade Myles Straw (recently DFA'd) for Yainer Diaz and Phil Maton. He also built an elite bullpen without breaking the bank, and helped the club win a World Series in 2022.
The reality of the situation is Dusty Baker and James Click are not walking back through that door. And all good runs come to an end at some point. Is this what we're witnessing?
Don't miss the video above as we hit on all the points discussed and much more!
Catch Stone Cold 'Stros (an Astros podcast) with Charlie Pallilo, Brandon Strange, and Josh Jordan. We drop two episodes every week on SportsMapHouston's YouTube channel. You can also listen on Apple Podcast, Spotifyor wherever you get your podcasts.