The Houston Texans saved their season on Sunday with a gutsy 19-16 win on the road against the Tennessee Titans. The win came despite the absence of C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, George Fant and Will Anderson in what was a statement victory for the coaching staff and the rest of the roster as they rallied around backup quarterback Case Keenum.
Houston now sits at a solid 8-6, far surpassing any pre-season expectations, and control their own destiny with the AFC playoffs within play. Even without some of their stars, Tennessee offered valuable lessons moving forward about how the Texans will have to finish out against the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, and a Tennessee rematch.
Here are four of the biggest takeaways.
1
The Dameon Pierce phenomena is over but Devin Singletary has arrived
Last week, Texans Wire examined what might be wrong with running back Dameon Pierce and if it was going to be correctable.
After Sunday, it would seem certain that the coaching staff also believes that Pierce’s struggles are beyond a simple sophomore slump. He was almost entirely out of the offensive rotation with just four snaps taken and one rushing attempt. In comparison, he was significantly outpaced by backfield partners Devin Singletary (54) and Dare Ogunbowale (14).
If it wasn’t previously time to dismiss the 2023 Pierce experiment as a failure, Sunday was that transition point. However, it didn’t come without a fair share of positive developments for the running game.
If the Dameon Pierce-Bobby Slowik pairing wasn't dead already… It's probably time to make that declaration today.
He saw just four offensive plays, less than Singletary (54) and Ogunbowale (14)
It's a genuine question if he's traded/on the roster next season #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) December 18, 2023
Singletary had his most dominant performance of the season with 26 carries for 121 yards, including a game-sealing touchdown in overtime that was ultimately called back after a holding penalty. He also contributed a 41-yard reception in overtime that put the Texans in position to win the game.
It’s been an unpredictable year for Houston running the ball, hopefully they can build off the momentum from Tennessee against Cleveland’s dominant unit.
2
Jonathan Greenard is going to see a huge payday
For all the hype around rookie defensive end Will Anderson after he was selected third overall, it’s been his running mate Jonathan Greenard who has played the best season of anyone on the defensive line.
#Texans defensive end Jonathan Greenard on beating the #Titans in their Oilers throwback uniforms and on Jalen Pitre comment about what the dline was eating today 'Opportunity' He's up to career high 12 1/2 sacks in a contract year @KPRC2 pic.twitter.com/ZIv7UsuzGr
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) December 17, 2023
Greenard had a career-high 10 sacks entering Sunday’s contest and added another 2.5 while terrorizing Tennessee quarterback Will Levis during the defense’s most complete performance of the season. This was in addition to excellent rush contributions shutting down Derrick Henry, a component of his game that has gathered attention around the league this season.
The Florida Gator product is in-line for a huge pay raise this offseason as an unrestricted free agent and will almost certainly see Houston’s franchise tag if they’re unable to work out a long-term deal. Expect to see Greenard making at least $16 million per year moving forward as he creates a dynamic presence next to Anderson.
3
Steven Nelson and Derek Stingley are peaking at the perfect time
Houston’s secondary is playing very, very well.
Levis threw for less than 200 yards on Sunday and overall the Tennessee air attack struggled to move the ball. Cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Steven Nelson continued their incredible campaigns by combining for 10 targets and allowing just five catches for 85 yards and no scores.
Nelson was able to bait Levis into a brutal mistake playing quarters zone coverage and had an easy interception after the ball was released towards former Texan DeAndre Hopkins. Safety Jalen Pitre had an up-and-down afternoon but made a few important plays down the stretch and ultimately allowed zero receptions on the afternoon.
How sticky was CB Steven Nelson yesterday?
Nelson saw just 4 targets allowing 2 catches for 45 yards and forcing an interception while covering Hopkins. He forced a "tight window" throw percentage of 75%.
Receivers? They averaged a measly 1.0 yards of separation #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) December 18, 2023
The Houston defense is shaping up as a formidable force entering the end of the season and they are well set to benefit from a slate of backup quarterbacks. They’ll face Joe Flacco and Gardner Minshew in addition to Levis one more time while closing out the season.
4
John Metchie's contributions are uncertain, Xavier Hutchinson may be a factor
With the receiver room yet again without Nico Collins and Tank Dell, the Houston faithful got an additional data point on how the coaching staff views the rest of the group. Rookie Xavier Hutchinson and free agent addition Noah Brown led the team in routes run with 35 and 34 respectively while Robert Woods ran a solid 29.
Far down the list, paired closely with practice squad elevation Steven Sims, 2022 second-round pick John Metchie played only eight offensive plays and ran just 5 routes.
Not a duo you would have expected to see near identical snap counts in Sunday's contest
John Metchie: 8 snaps, 5 routes, 1 target
Steven Sims: 7 snaps, 4 routes, 1 targetFeels fair to say if #8 is going to take that leap forward, it will have to be next season #WeAreTexans
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) December 18, 2023
Everything from Metchie this season is a huge bonus after he tackled cancer the previous season. However, it’s now fair to believe that if he’s going to take a leap towards his previous draft capital it will probably have to come in 2024.
Meanwhile, Hutchinson and Brown proved themselves to be fine blockers and capable of being solid contributors once Nico Collins has returned to his pole position in the receiving group. Hopefully Stroud is back soon as well to elevate that entire cast.
