Brian Callahan’s team has won only two games this season, and the club’s next loss will ensure fact that the Tennessee Titans will be finishing with a losing record for third the consecutive year. That would be the longest-such stretch of futility by the organization since a forgettable four-year period from 2012-15.
The opposition this week are the division-leading Houston Texans. This is the first meeting between the clubs this season, and they will clash again on the final weekend of the regular season.
All-Time Series Record
It's been a much different story since the early days of this divisional series. With NFL realignment in 2002 came the debut of the Texans. In the team’s first five seasons, Houston had a real problem with the Titans, dropping eight of the first 10 meetings. Dating back to 2008, the Texans owned the upper hand with a 19-13 advantage, and currently own a three-game winning streak in this rivalry.
A year ago, Houston swept the two-game set for the first time since 2015. In Week 15 at Nashville, the Texans came away with a 19-16 overtime victory. Two weeks later at Houston (Week 17), DeMeco Ryans’s club punished the Titans, 26-3.
Quarterbacks: Tale of the Tape
Discussing the Titans’ quarterback situation has the feel of a broken record. That’s because there hasn’t been a lot of success regardless of who’s behind center, and there’s usually at least one turnover courtesy of either Levis or Mason Rudolph. They have combined for a dozen aerial scores (8 by Levis), as well as 12 picks (8 by Levis). Add in eight fumbles (4 lost), and 16 of the club’s 18 miscues have come via this duo.
Too many times this season, Houston’s C.J. Stroud has not looked like the player that won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors a season ago. Granted, the team remains in first place, but the second-year pro has thrown 12 touchdown passes and committed 10 turnovers in 11 games. Offensive line issues and the absence of talented wideout Nico Collins for five games have made it a little rough for the second-year pro.
Defensive Analysis
The Titans slipped a spot when it came to giving up the fewest yards per game in the NFL, plummeting to No. 2. All kidding aside, coordinator Dennard Wilson’s unit has really deserved a better fate in 2024. Still, a major problem for this club has been the failure to come up with the big play and making life easier for the offense. Including a special teams fumble recovery, Tennessee has only seven takeaways in 10 games.
It has been just the opposite for Ryans’s team. Prior to the Steelers/Browns contest on Thursday night, only the Bills and Vikings (21) forced more turnovers than the Texans (20). There’s definitely been some improvement here as Houston totaled 24 takeaways in 17 regular-season outings a year ago. The Texans figure to have defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and rookie cornerback Kamari Lassiter back this week.
Keys to the Game
Titans: Protecting Levis is a major priority against these Texans. Tennessee’s offensive front must do better than it has the last two weeks. The second-year signal-caller was dropped a combined 12 times in the losses to the Chargers and Vikings. In last season’s two losses to Houston, Levis (8) and Ryan Tannehill (5) were dropped a combined 13 times. The Titans have allowed 33 QB traps in 10 outings this season.
Texans: There’s a common theme in this match-up, and it’s all about keeping the quarterback out of harm’s way. While the Titans have had their own problems keeping their signal-callers up right, Stroud has already been sacked 35 times in his 11 appearances this season. As a team, the Texans have given up 36 QB traps (Davis Mills once). Tennessee’s Harold Landry III and Arden Key could flourish on Sunday.
Titans Player to Watch
Last season in his only season as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, current Titans’ wide receiver Calvin Ridley had a highly-productive campaign. He finished second on the team with 76 catches, but led Doug Pederson’s club with 1,016 receiving yards and eight touchdown grabs. Ryans’s defense did a pretty good job of keeping the big-play performer under wraps. In two games vs. the Texans, he combined for 13 targets, and totaled only eight receptions for just 129 yards, albeit one score.
A year ago, Houston owned the NFL’s 23rd-ranked pass defense in terms of yards allowed, but gave up only 17 TD tosses. This season, only five teams in the league have surrendered fewer passing yards per contest. However, this club has given up a shocking 22 scores through the air in 11 contests. Only the Jaguars (23) have allowed more.