The Texans (7-4) host the Titans (2-8) on Sunday in a Week 12 matchup. It's the first meeting this season between the two clubs, and Houston's won the last three in the series. Here are five things to watch when they kick off at noon CT inside NRG Stadium.
Ramble On Joe Mixon
Joe Mixon added another scintillating chapter to his 2024 last Monday night, as he rushed for three touchdowns, cracked the 100-yard mark on the ground again, and also added 44 receiving yards on two catches. The explosiveness he adds to the Texans offense is important: he's gained 100 yards or more in six of the eight games he's played, and he's found the end zone 11 times this year.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud described what impresses him the most about Mixon.
"Just his mentality," Stroud said. "Just comes in every day, just being himself. Then, obviously, what he does on the field, he is very special with the ball in his hand."
Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik explained how Mixon doesn't mope after a run that gets stuffed, or pushed back for a loss. Instead, Mixon gets mad.
"He practices at a championship level, he plays at a championship level," Slowik said. "That is just his mindset. To him, if he gets the ball and he is losing any yards at all, he wants it again because he is mad. He is very upset. If he gets four yards there are times, he wants it again because he is still upset."
Nico's Nice
The Texans were glad to get wide receiver Nico Collins back last week, and he wasted no time in making a big impact. The first play from scrimmage was a screen to him, and Collins raced 77 yards to the end zone. Even though it was called back for a score, it was still a reminder of the threat he is for the Houston offense.
"You can see they played a little more shell coverage in the second half," Stroud said of the Cowboys defense on Monday. "We were able to still withstand and just be smart, taking the check downs, moving the ball down the field, and letting Joe run the ball like he should. So, his presence was felt. I think he will continue to be great for us and help everybody around be him be better."
Collins finished with 54 receiving yards on four catches, and one of those receptions was a 33-yarder.
Pass Rush Addition
The Texans pass rush, which is tied for fifth in the NFL with 34 sacks this year, will get a shot in the arm with the return of defensive end Will Anderson, Jr. The 2023 Defensive Rookie of the Year missed the last two games with an ankle injury, but he practiced as a limited participant on Wednesday and Thursday, and was a full participant on Friday. His return was a welcome one for Head Coach DeMeco Ryans.
"We've been missing him the past couple weeks," Ryans said. "Just his leadership style, his play styles, his demeanor all around, just miss his leadership."
Anderson, who has 7.5 sacks in 2024, was hurt on Halloween night in the Jets game. That morning, he was named the AFC Defensive Player for October.
In his absence, though, the Texans managed to get sacks from Danielle Hunter, Derek Barnett, Denico Autry and Tim Settle.
Will Levis - and takeaways
Quarterback Will Levis has thrown eight touchdowns and eight interceptions in seven games this season, and he's been sacked 27 times. The second-year signal caller has also fumbled the ball four times this season. Nevertheless, the Texans know he can make some plays, according to safety Jalen Pitre.
"It's important that we switch up the looks on him because if we just make it simple for him, he does have the arm strength and the talent to make those difficult throws," Pitre said.
The Texans are in the midst of a turnover binge. Starting with the Week 6 win at New England, they've taken the ball away more times than they've turned it over in five of those six games, and they were even in the other. Three of those contests saw them go plus-3 in turnover differential, and in that span, they're a combined plus-11.
In all, they're tied for 5th in the NFL in turnover differential at plus-8.
The Titans are at the opposite end of the spectrum, as they're tied with the Cowboys for the next-to-worst mark of minus-11 in 2024.
Interior Decimators
The Titans have a rugged defensive front, especially on their interior. Jeffery Simmons has played in a pair of Pro Bowls, and has tallied three sacks, eight quarterback hits and five tackles for loss in eight career games against Houston.
"They are really good," Slowik said. "Their front five is probably for us, in totality, the best we have faced this year. Obviously, Simmons is a heck of a player. He shows up all over the place, he does everything, rushes inside, rushes outside. They have him drop sometimes and he is still a factor even when he is dropping. You always have to be aware of where Simmons is."
Meanwhile, rookie nose tackle T'Vondre Sweat is a mountain of a man, standing 6-4 and weighing 366 pounds. He's logged 31 tackles this season.
"Sweat has been doing a really good job for them," Slowik said. "He jumps off the tape on the inside. He is a really, really big strong man, hard to move, makes a lot of plays in the backfield."
As a defense, the Titans have allowed the fewest passing yards (1,646) in the NFL this season, and only five teams are giving up fewer than the 4.1 yards per carry they've allowed on the ground.
