John McClain, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, is in his 48th year of covering the NFL in Houston, including 45 seasons at the Houston Chronicle.

There's no mystery to the Texans' disappointing 32-27 loss to the Titans.

Mistakes, mistakes and more mistakes on offense, defense and special teams.

Head Coach DeMeco Ryans didn't need to watch the tape to understand why his team – favored by eight points – suffered a five-point loss at NRG Stadium to a 2-8 team that was one-half game out of last place in the AFC South.

"We weren't ready to go as a team, so that starts with me," Ryans said.

"We didn't do anything well enough to win this game. Out of all the positives that we did have, there were way too many negative plays.

"Score, get a penalty, get touchdowns called back. Get penalties on special teams. Just way too many negative plays defensively, like unexplainable explosives for touchdowns. We just didn't play good across the board."

The Texans were coming off their most decisive victory of the season, a 34-10 demolishing of the Cowboys. They ruled the AFC South with a 7-4 record. A victory over the Titans would have made them 8-4 and given them an even more lopsided advantage over the second-place Colts, who dropped to 5-7 after losing to the Lions.

"The most frustrating part about it is out of all the bad things that happened, we still had a chance to finish the game," Ryans said. "Everything that could go wrong, it went wrong. We still had a chance there to tie it up and finish the game, and we didn't."

There were several negatives that stood out, like committing 11 penalties for 81 yards, a few that cost the Texans points that were the difference in winning and losing.

But what stood out the most was what the Titans and quarterback Will Levis did to a Texans' defense that entered the game with 34 sacks (tied for third in the NFL), 20 takeaways (third) and 14 interceptions (tied for second). The Texans were also plus-8 in turnover differential (tied for fifth).

But a worrying statistic was touchdown passes allowed. The Texans went into the game with 22, tied with Baltimore for second behind Jacksonville's 23.

The offensively-challenged Titans came to Houston averaging 17 points a game. In 10 games, they'd score more than 17 points twice. They were 1-5 in their previous six games, averaging 15.2 points and scoring more than 17 once.

Going into the game, Tennessee was 25^th in offense (295.4-yard average), including 18^th rushing (117) and 29^th passing (178.4). They began the game by scoring on their first three possessions, a field goal and two touchdowns.

A Texans defense that recorded eight sacks, including seven in the first half, got a 65-yard pick-six by safety Jimmie Ward but spent too much time making quarterback Will Levis look like Warren Moon and running back Tony Pollard look like Eddie George.

Although he was pounded like a bass drum, Levis was 18-of-24 for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He threw the one interception and finished with a 123.3 rating.

Pollard rushed for 119 yards, averaged 5 a carry, and scored a touchdown.

Besides the eight tackles, including a combined five by DEs Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr., the Texans knocked down Levis nine times and registered 13 tackles for loss.

"(We) didn't do enough to stop them," Ryans said. "We didn't stop the run, and we didn't run the ball well, and we gave up way too many points on defense. Our offense did plenty. They gave us enough points."

Ryans knew the Titans had an outstanding defense that was second (278-yard average) in the NFL, including 12^th (113.4) against the run and first against the pass (164.6). The Titans' front seven dominated the Texans' offensive line, especially in the second half. Tennessee recorded each of its four sacks in the fourth quarter.

The Titans smothered the running game, limiting the Texans to 40 yards. The front seven was all over Joe Mixon, who carried 14 times for 22 yards, a 1.6-yard average that eclipsed his previous career worst of 1.8 in the three-point loss to the Lions.

"It starts with their defensive line," Ryans said. "They're a really good front. You have to own the line of scrimmage. You have to be able to control the line of scrimmage and run the ball. We didn't. We had too many negative plays in the running game.

"Defensively, we didn't set the edge well, and the ball got outside a ton, and we didn't tackle well. All of those mistakes are the making for a pretty bad run defense."

On offense, the Texans' passing game worked well for almost all of the first half. Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw touchdown passes of 19 yards to rookie tight end Cade Stover and 5 yards to leading receiver Nico Collins. Ka'imi Fairbairn's 28-yard field goal made it 17-17 just before halftime.

With time running out in the first half, Ryans wanted the offense to try to score. On second down from the 14, Stroud and John Metchie III had a miscommunication, and the Titans intercepted to set up at the Texans' 20.

Sacks by Anderson and Hunter, both of whom played outstanding games, left the Titans at their 38. That brought on kicker Nick Folk. At 40, Folk's at the age when most kickers are barbequing in their backyards on Sunday, but he drilled a 56-yard field goal for a 20-17 halftime advantage.

As he always does, Stroud took the blame for the interception.

"I couldn't really see Metch," he said. "I tried to put it in the window, and we just weren't on the same page. That's giving them points, which ultimately led us to lose.

"I always point at myself. I'm the leader of the offense. I've got to get us rolling. We've got to find a better way to end the first half and start the second half. That starts with me taking care of the football and getting into a rhythm -- running the ball well, getting us into the right reads and the right looks. I would say that's how we're going to get better is I've got to be better."

As has become a nasty habit for the Texans, the offense shut down in the second half. It's now scored one touchdown in the second half of the last six games dating back to Oct. 13 against New England. That touchdown was against Dallas.

Behind 23-17 in the third quarter, Stroud was intercepted when he missed Collins, giving the Titans the ball at the Texans' 39.

"(I) put it (too high)," Stroud said. "If I get it to him, Nico has a lot of space to run. Two mistakes I made that can't happened."

The interception didn't hurt the Texans. On the third play, Ward, playing nickel in place of the injured Jalen Pitre (chest), intercepted Levis and returned it for a pick-six and a 24-23 Texans lead going into the fourth quarter.

The Texans boosted their lead after cornerback Kris Boyd recovered a muffed punt at the Tennessee 43. They settled for Fairbairn's 54-yard field goal. He set an NFL record with his 12^th field goal of at least 50 yards.

The 27-23 lead didn't last long. On the first play of the next possession, Levis threw a short pass to his right to tight end Chig Okonkwo. He caught the ball at his 39 and blew past the linebackers and defensive backs, who looked as if they were running in wet cement. The Titans led 30-27 with 9:35 left in the game.

On the Texans' next series, Stroud completed passes to Tank Dell for 17 yards and Collins for 16, helping the Texans reach the Tennessee 46. On third down, right guard Shaq Mason couldn't get to defensive end Ali Gaye, a former Texan, who had a clear path to Stroud for a 10-yard loss that ruined the series.

Punter Tommy Townsend, signed as a free agent from Kansas City, had another exceptional game with a 48-yard gross, a 47.6 net and four inside the 40. He backed up the Titans to their 6, and Hunter's sack – one of three to go with five tackles for loss – moved them back to their 2.

The Texans started their next drive at the Tennessee 49. After Stroud completed a 16-yard pass to tight end Dalton Schultz, he connected with Collins for a 33-yard touchdown. For the second game in a row, though, Collins had a touchdown wiped out because of a penalty.

An illegal shift when Dell and Mixon moved at the same time nullified the touchdown. Stroud took the blame for not making clear the call in the huddle, which led to Mixon moving when he wasn't supposed to.

"It was my fault," Stroud said. "We had a quick motion with Tank. It was miscommunication on my part in the huddle. Two motions at the same time. Those are things that can't happen.

"I have to be better in the huddle. I've got to give the play better and make sure guys are on the same page. Even when we break the huddle, still communicate a little and make sure everybody's doing what they're (supposed to be) doing."

The Texans were still in good shape. They got a first down at the Tennessee 11 after Stroud connected with Metchie on a 20-yard completion. Then C Jarrett Patterson was called for holding. An 11-yard completion to Stover gave them second down at the 10, but Mixon was stopped for no gain, and Stroud threw incomplete on third down.

Fairbairn entered for what should have been a chip-shot field goal, but he missed wide left from 28 yards.

The Texans got the ball one last time at their 8 after safety M.J. Stewart was called for a 15-yard penalty on a blind-side block on the punt return, his second penalty. Tackle Jeffrey Simmons and outside linebacker Harold Landry II sacked Stroud on second and third down. Simmons destroyed left guard Juice Scruggs, and Landry got Stroud in the back of the end zone for a safety.

Stroud finished 20-of-33 for 247 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and a 78.7 rating. It was his fourth consecutive game with a sub-80 rating.

"It's no secret," he said. "I've got to practice better and play better. I haven't been playing (to) my standard. It's up and down. I've been focused. I watch as much film as anybody. I've got to be hard on myself and realize that games can come down to me making plays. I didn't make enough, and I gave up the ball twice.

"I'm not going to hold my head down. I'm going to keep my chin up, chest high. I'm still a great player, but I've got to put better stuff on the field."

Going into Sunday's game at Jacksonville, the same can be said for all the Texans' players and coaches.