Bill O'Brien may be awarding multiple game balls for Sunday's 34-6 win over the Titans, but one of those game balls will go to the Texans defensive backs.
"I'm going to give a game ball, one of the game balls, is going to go to the secondary," O'Brien said. "I think the secondary, when you watch the tape from yesterday, there were many, many snaps where there just really wasn't anybody open."
Kareem Jackson's forced fumble with the ensuing recovery by Quintin Demps, who added a 33-yard return for a touchdown, got the Texans off to a fast 7-0 start in Tennessee. Both safeties, Demps and Eddie Pleasant, had takeaways in the win. Pleasant intercepted Titans quarterback Zach Mettenberger in the third quarter. The Texans scored on the following drive. Andre Hal led the team with two passes defensed.
The Texans defense held the Titans to just 84 net yards of offense in the first half (64 passing, 20 rushing) and scoreless until less than two minutes remained in the game. The play of the secondary helped the pass rushers, O'Brien added.
"The safety position has really improved in their coverage, in their communication, and in their tackling," O'Brien said. "Quintin Demps, Dre Hal, those guys, Eddie Pleasant, then the young kid went in there, (Kurtis) Drummond, and he did a nice job. There's been a lot of improvement at that position."
With the win, the Texans have defeated all three of their divisional opponents (Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tennessee) on the road in a single season for the first time in franchise history.
Houston will host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in the season finale. Kickoff is set for noon CT at NRG Stadium.
