The Tennessee Titans went into NRG Stadium on Sunday and were no match for the Houston Texans, en route to a 26-3 loss in Week 17.
The Titans were down 3-0 after the first quarter, but things went off the rails after that, with Houston jumping out to a 20-3 lead going into the half on the strength of a 17-point second quarter.
In the process, rookie quarterback Will Levis suffered a foot injury on a sack-fumble that led to a defensive touchdown for the Texans. Levis did not return after being carted to the locker room.
Veteran signal-caller Ryan Tannehill took over from there, but that did nothing to spark the Titans’ offense over the final two quarters, mostly thanks to bad blocking upfront.
The Texans only mustered up a pair of field goals in the second half, but that was more than enough to close things out, as the Titans didn’t score a single point over the final two quarters.
While this was another ugly showing for Tennessee, the good news is it will help their draft positioning, which is all that matters right now in a season that can’t end soon enough.
Now, a deeper dive into Tennessee’s Week 17 loss to Houston.
Final score: Texans 26, Titans 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
| TEN | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| HOU | 3 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 26 |
Titans' top performers
WR DeAndre Hopkins: 7 REC, 72 YDS
K Nick Folk: 1-1 FG
OLB Harold Landry: 5 tackles (3 for loss), 1 sack
Instant analysis: Offense
-There’s really not much to say about Levis after he exited this game in the second quarter and did not return. He did dial up a beautiful deep ball off play-action on the Titans’ first offensive series that should have resulted in a big play, but Treylon Burks just dropped it. His biggest negative was a sack-fumble that led to a Texans touchdown, but the O-line aided in that one with bad pass pro.
-To say Burks desperately needed that catch in another disappointing season would be an understatement. His play balance is terrible, also. He finished with just two catches for 11 yards. I’m comfortable in saying I’m done with the Treylon Burks experience.
-Tannehill replaced Levis and looked better than he did last week, but that didn’t mean much for the overall showing of the offense, which was shut out in the second half. Pass protection and run-blocking were both bad. Tannehill and Levis were sacked a combined six times.
-Henry crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth straight year. It’s a minor miracle he’s tallied that many behind this offensive line. However, he was stifled on the ground once again and Tennessee averaged just 2.5 yards per tote.
-DeAndre Hopkins also crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the seventh time in his career. He led all Titans pass-catchers with seven receptions for 72 yards. His signing has been one of the few positives this season.
-Andre Dillard got the start at left tackle but was benched for the 80th time this season, with Jaelyn Duncan taking over for him. The fact Dillard got the start in the first place is a joke. John Ojukwu got the start at right tackle but wasn’t anything to write home about.
-The Titans were 0-1 in the red zone, 1-12 on third downs and 2-4 on fourth downs.
Instant analysis: Defense
-The Texans did just about whatever they wanted on the ground and through the air and it was another poor showing from the Titans’ defense between the 20’s. The Titans made a pair of stops in the red zone, otherwise this game would have been even more lopsided. The Texans ultimately finished 1-3 in the red area.
-The pass-rush only mustered up one sack and very little pressure, and the run defense gave up 4.7 yards per carry.
-Harold Landry had Tennessee’s lone sack, bringing him up to 10.5 on the season. It’s the second double-digit sack campaign of his career.
Instant analysis: Special teams
-Caleb Murphy was flagged for running into the kicker on a punt that gave the Texans a first down on their second drive. Houston took advantage and drove down the field for a touchdown. Tennessee shooting itself in the foot has been a theme all season long and this was the latest example of that.
-Nick Folk made his lone field goal attempt from 53 yards out. That was the only points the Titans scored on Sunday.
-Ty Zentner had another strong showing, averaging 49.6 yards per punt on five attempts. He had a long of 64 and dropped two inside the 20.
Injuries
-QB Will Levis (foot): Levis was sacked in the second quarter and was carted to the locker room. He was initially ruled questionable to return but never came back.
-WR Colton Dowell (knee): The rookie was injured in the second quarter and was almost immediately ruled out.
What's next?
The 5-11 Titans will finally see their disastrous 2023 season come to an end next week when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars, either on Saturday or Sunday.
Tennessee has a chance to play spoiler with their division rival, but that’s really irrelevant. This team needs the best pick possible and losing helps that.
