Titans vs. Texans Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 24th 2024

Preview and Prediction

The Houston Texans are hoping to leave their midseason struggles behind as they prepare to face the lowly Tennessee Titans in an AFC South showdown on Sunday.

Despite losing three of their last four games, including a disappointing defeat to the Detroit Lions after holding a 16-point halftime lead, the Texans (7-4) still hold a two-game lead in the division over the Indianapolis Colts.

However, their recent dominant 34-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night may be a sign that the team is ready to turn things around. They have a favorable matchup against the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 13 before heading into their bye week.

But Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is not getting ahead of himself and refuses to even mention the word "playoffs."

"I just want our guys to stay focused and locked in on each week's task," Ryans told reporters. "If we do that, we can compete with anyone. It's all about finishing."

Quarterback C.J. Stroud had a solid performance against the Cowboys, throwing for 257 yards and only one interception. Wide receiver Nico Collins also made a strong return after missing five games due to a hamstring injury, catching four passes for 54 yards.

But the real star of the game was running back Joe Mixon, who rushed for three touchdowns and had a total of 153 yards from scrimmage. This was his fifth 100-yard game in the last six games.

"When he's on, Joe is unstoppable," Ryans praised. "I was proud of the team for stepping up and meeting the challenge."

The Texans are expecting to have their star defensive end Will Anderson Jr. back in the lineup after a two-game absence due to an ankle injury. Anderson, who was limited in Wednesday's practice, shares the team lead of 7.5 sacks with fellow defensive end Danielle Hunter.

On the other side, the Titans (2-8) are struggling to find their identity after the departure of their star running back Derrick Henry in the offseason.

They have suffered six double-digit losses and are now facing back-to-back road games against the Texans and the Washington Commanders.

Despite their record, defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons remains optimistic and praised the team's effort in their last game against the Minnesota Vikings.

"The fight this team showed, especially in the second half, is why you play this game," Simmons said. "No matter what our record may be, I come to work ready to go to war with my teammates."

Quarterback Will Levis had a season-best performance against the Vikings, throwing for 295 yards. However, he was only able to complete 17 of his 31 passes and was intercepted once. Levis is not satisfied with the team's offensive ranking, as they currently sit at 28th in scoring (17 points per game) and 25th in total offense (295.4 yards per game).

"We just have to keep coming to work and focus on our daily habits," Levis said on Wednesday. "If we continue to do that, the wins will come."

The Titans will be without standout cornerback L'Jarius Sneed (quadriceps) on Sunday, according to coach Brian Callahan. They also had nine players miss practice on Wednesday due to injury or illness, including receiver Calvin Ridley (illness) and defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day (biceps).

Meanwhile, the Texans had defensive end Denico Autry (knee/oblique) sit out of practice, along with defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (foot) and offensive tackle Blake Fisher (concussion).

The Texans have won the last three meetings between the two teams and will face off again in the final week of the regular season in Nashville.

PREDICTION

Tennessee Titans

Houston Texans

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans Recap OCT 30TH 2022

Derrick Henry rushed 32 times for 219 yards and both Tennessee touchdowns Sunday as the visiting Titans stopped the punchless Houston Texans 17-10.

It was the fourth consecutive 200-yard performance for Henry against the Texans, dating to 2019, and the most rushing yards by any player this year. Tennessee (5-2) rushed for 314 yards as a team and threw just one pass in the second half.

Rookie quarterback Malik Willis, making his first NFL start in place of Ryan Tannehill (ankle, illness), completed 6 of 10 throws for 55 yards with an interception and had 12 rushing yards. Dontrell Hilliard added 83 yards on the ground for the Titans, who won their fifth straight game to remain in first place in the AFC South.

Houston (1-5-1) was completely impotent offensively most of the game, gaining just 161 total yards and earning only 10 first downs. Quarterback Davis Mills completed 17 of 29 passes for 152 yards while being intercepted once and sacked three times.

Mills managed a 3-yard touchdown pass to Dameon Pierce with 17 seconds left in the game, but Robert Woods recovered an onside kick to seal the outcome.

The Texans managed an early lead after Steven Nelson set them up at the Tennessee 11 with a 33-yard interception return. But Bud Dupree's third-down sack forced them to settle for Ka'imi Fairbairn's 43-yard field goal with 10:40 left in the first half.

Tennessee took the lead for good later in the second quarter after Woods' 16-yard punt return put the Titans on Houston's 37-yard line. Henry covered the distance in two plays, scoring on a 29-yard run with 4:20 remaining.

The Titans made it 14-3 with 6:31 left in the third quarter, driving 65 yards and overcoming three false start penalties as Henry and Hilliard took turns carving up Houston's run defense. Henry walked in on fourth-and-goal from the 1 off right tackle.

Another ground-based drive added their final points. Tennessee chewed up 81 yards and more than seven minutes of clock before Randy Bullock converted a 29-yard field goal with 11:08 remaining in the game.

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 24th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans Recap OCT 30TH 2022