This one hurts…A LOT!
This one is going to sting a bunch for many reasons. Here are my Harris Hits from this 32-27 stinging loss to the Titans.
Let's start here…
The Texans scored on the first offensive play of the game for the third time in the history of the franchise (that we could recall)...and lost.
The Texans had a whopping 13 TFL…and lost.
The Texans sacked Will Levis a team-record EIGHT times…and lost.
Texans DE Danielle Hunter may have played one of the best individual defensive games in the history of this franchise…and the Texans lost.
The Texans recovered two Titans fumbles…and lost.
Nico Collins had another touchdown and should've had a second…and the Texans lost.
The Texans had a 65-yard pick-6 late in the third quarter…and lost.
The Texans hit two 39+ yard throws on AWESOMELY BEAUTIFUL BOMBS…and lost.
K Kai'mi Fairbairn set an NFL record with another 50+ yard field goal…and the Texans lost after he missed a 28-yard field goal that he makes in his sleep.
The Texans nearly ran back the first kickoff, picking up 80 yards in the process…and they lost.
The Texans defense held the Titans to 28.6% on third down…and they lost.
Why?
The Texans couldn't set the edge in the run game, allowing a 2nd best rushing performance for Titans RB Tony Pollard of 119 yards and a touchdown.
The Texans had a penalty on a kickoff that wiped out a 48-yard Dameon Pierce return, an illegal contact penalty on 3rd-and-8 that led to a Titans field goal in the first half, had a delay-of-game penalty on a punt in the first half, nearly gave up a touchdown because a returner didn't down the ball and had to dive on it to avoid a Titans touchdown, dropped a kickoff after the Chig Okonkwo touchdown and tackled at the 18-yard line, had consecutive false starts on third down on the first drive of the fourth quarter, had a holding penalty that cost the Texans field position on a punt to the Tennessee 39-yard line, committed a two men in motion/illegal shift penalty on a go-ahead Nico Collins TD in the fourth quarter, committed a holding on 1st-and-10 from the TEN 11 three plays after Collins should-have-been TD, missed a shorter than an extra point 28-yard field goal and, finally, committed a 15-yard blindside block penalty on the final Titans punt to put the ball at the Texans 7-yard line (instead of the Texans 24-yard line) that led to a Titans safety for the final 32-27 lead.
They let Titans QB Will Levis do the one thing he can do - throw deep…and it led to four plays of 27 yards or more. Levis threw for 198 yards (of his 278) on four throws. FOUR FREAKING THROWS.
No one covered Okonkwo on his one reception the whole game in the fourth quarter…then no one could lay a hand on him as he roared 70-yards for the game-winning touchdown. Relatively untouched for 70 yards.
No one could block Titans star IDL Jeffery Simmons and T'Vondre Sweat when it mattered most, late in the fourth quarter.
QB C.J. Stroud threw two uncharacteristic interceptions, the first of his career against AFC South teams, one of which led to a late second quarter field goal for the Titans.
The Texans offensive line couldn't block anyone effectively as the Texans ran for 2.4 yards per carry on 17 carries.
A key drop on 3rd and 16 in the fourth quarter.
The Texans converted just 23.1% third downs, one of their worst performances on third down all year long.
The Texans committed 11 penalties, the bugaboo that plagued them earlier in the season.
There was so much GOOD on Sunday that was effectively eliminated due to what DeMeco Ryans calls "Texans beating Texans". I wanted to say that there was no way that the Texans should've lost that game, but the mistakes were evident for a full four quarters and got the Texans beat.
And, the frustrating part was that the penalties, interceptions, key drop and missed field goal were just the quantitative things that people could see easily. The run defense went to, well, I don't know where in the first half. Pollard had 89 yards on ten carries in the first half and got the edge a number of times.
Levis had 177 yards passing in the first half and just 101 in the second half, with 70 yards coming on one play. But, the damage was done by the Texans defense allowing him to get comfortable throwing the ball down the field. NO SHOTS!! was my mantra all week and for good reason. We unfortunately got football drunk with the shots that Levis took.
Stroud said after the game that he wasn't playing great football and the two interceptions were examples of that. However, he got the deep ball rocking and then some. On the deep shot to Collins, he threw the ball well before Collins had even turned his head around. The anticipation was brilliant. I'm not going to sit here and put this one on C.J., not at all. Yes, the interceptions weren't great and he's not as sharp as he was last year, but he threw some damn dimes today and should've gotten a win for his efforts.
I could see the frustration on RB Joe Mixon's face and in his body language all day. There was just nowhere to run. OC Bobby Slowik was trying all of his run game concepts and nothing really was working. Nothing.
Hunter was absolutely sublime against the Titans. Five sacks in the last two games. Eight TFLs in the same two games. The shame in not winning this game against Tennessee is that his performance was wasted in a loss. The last two games have been as good a pair of games as I've seen a Texans defender have since J.J. Watt in 2014.
I'll leave on that note because it's what makes me feel good and I didn't feel good yesterday or this morning or right now. But, another opp is right there on the horizon on Sunday.
