By the Numbers: Texans host Titans in final regular season home game of 2023

Dec 31, 2023 at 09:00 AM

John Harris

Texans Analyst

Two weeks after one of the most scintillating wins in the 2023 season, the Texans prepare to take on the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Let's dive into the numbers for this matchup on Sunday.

5 - It's been five years since the Texans have beaten the Titans at NRG Stadium. The last win came on a memorable Monday Night Football contest in 2018. The Texans haven't played on Monday Night Football at home since that 34-17 win over the Tennessee Titans.

30 - In that win over the Titans in 2018, the Texans held star RB Derrick Henry to 30 yards rushing on eight carries.

9 - In the Texans win over the Titans just two weeks ago, the Texans held Henry to nine yards on 16 carries.

680 - In the previous three games at NRG Stadium, Henry has run for 680 yards and seven touchdowns. Each game included at least 200+ yards and two or more touchdowns.

So, it's imperative to send Henry back to the future with a 30 yard effort, like in 2018, to get a win. Speaking of 30…

30 - The Texans sacked Titans QB Will Levis seven times two weeks ago, while posting 11 QB hits and 12 TFL - a sack/TFL/QB hit aggregate number of 30.

90 - In his last game at NRG Stadium, Titans star WR DeAndre Hopkins had six catches for 90 yards in a wild card playoff win over the Buffalo Bills in the 2019 season. This will be Hop's first game back at NRG Stadium since that win.

11 - The last time Kareem Jackson played at NRG Stadium was also in the 2019 season. He had one of the best games in his career…playing for the Broncos! He posted 11 tackles, one TFL, one INT, three passes defensed and returned a fumble for a touchdown in a Broncos win in 2019. He was claimed on waivers this week with Jimmie Ward going on IR and it'll be his first game back at NRG Stadium since that regular season matchup December 8, 2019.

8 - There's a chance that just three Titans offensive starters will start the game that have started for the Titans against the Texans at NRG Stadium (Henry, Aaron Brewer and Chig Okonkwo).

1 - There's a chance that the Titans will have just ONE defensive starter that started against the Texans at NRG Stadium last season (Roger McCreary). In fact, the Texans may have just as many defensive players (Teair Tart) that played for the Titans last year as the Titans have this year that previously started against the Texans.

9 - The largest margin of victory for either the Texans or the Titans (in a true varsity contest - the Texans played their JV squad, basically, in 2019 at home) since that MNF win in 2018. Since then, the margin of victory has been…

2019 - 3

2020 - 6 and 3

2021 - 9 and 3

2022 - 7 and 5

2023 - 3

The rivalry has included two overtime games - one win apiece, with each team winning on the road.

18 - Since the second contest in 2008 (December 14, 2008) between the Texans and the Titans, the Texans have won 18 of the 29 games over the Titans (18-11 overall record in those 29 games). Furthermore, three of those Titans wins came during the last week of the season when the Texans were resting starters after winning the AFC South (2011, 2016 & 2019).

Alright, that's going to do it for this one and for 2023. Here's hoping that the Texans end the calendar year on a GREAT note against the hated Titans, setting up a gargantuan week 18 at Lucas Oil Stadium.