The Tennessee Titans host the Houston Texans in the final game of the regular season. Kickoff is set for 1pm EDT at Nissan Stadium, and the Titans look to sweep the Texans. The last time they did that was in 2020, and while the Titans own the historical record between these teams, the Texans have dominated over the last decade.
The Titans want nothing more than to oust the team that replaced them in Houston, this is their biggest rivalry each year. But even with a win, the Titans are done when the game ends and the Texans will continue to play in the post season.
There are a lot of moving parts this week with the Texans not committing to sitting players, although there are indications that reps will be limited in preparation for the playoffs. The Titans plan to play both quarterbacks, and injuries have several positions up in the air for Sunday. If the Titans want a shot at winning and sweeping the Texans, there are six things they must do.
Pick a quarterback
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The Titans haven’t played with two quarterbacks all season, so why are they starting now? Brian Callahan indicated that both quarterbacks would play, but if they want to win, they’re better off picking one and sticking with him. Switching between quarterbacks makes the game harder for the rest of the Titans. The goal should be making it comfortable so that the players can be successful. If a receiver doesn’t trust his quarterback or vice versa, the production on the field will reflect that distrust. Pick a passer and stick with him.
Quarterback protection is paramount
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Regardless of who lines up under center, the offensive line has to protect him. Mason Rudolph has been sacked 10 times this season, four of those sacks have come since Will Levis was benched. Levis has been sacked 40 times this season, bringing the sack total to 50 and giving the Titans the sixth-most sacks allowed in the entire NFL. The quarterback can’t do much if he’s on the ground, so the offensive line has to do its job.
Figure out the ground game
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The Texans have the sixth-best pass defense in the NFL. While the Titans have had some success with Calvin Ridley and Chig Okonkwo over the last few weeks, they have to figure out their ground game this week. Tony Pollard missed last week and has been limited in practice with an ankle injury. Tyjae Spears is in concussion protocol and unlikely to be available on Sunday. Julius Chestnut has been handling return duties, but he is available as a running back. If Pollard can’t go or has to have his reps limited because of his injury, Chestnut will be the guy with the ball. He’s not Pollard or Spears, so the Titans need to have a plan for how to make Chestnut successful.
Be ready to stop the run
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C.J. Stroud hasn’t been up to the task the last couple of weeks as the Texans suffered losses to the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens, scoring just 21 points across both games. His reps may or may not be limited this week, but either way the Titans should be ready for a ground attack. The defense has shown just how big of a weakness this is recently, and even if Joe Mixon doesn’t play, Dameon Pierce is a capable running back who averages 5.6 yards per carry. The Titans have to be ready to stop the run.
Get after the quarterback
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As mentioned above, C.J. Stroud hasn’t played well of late and the Texans have lost two in a row. Against the Titans in Week 12, Stroud was 20-for-33 for 247 yards and two touchdowns. But he also threw two interceptions and was sacked four times for 27 yards lost. The Titans have to get pressure on Stroud, force him to leave the pocket, make him uncomfortable, and watch him make a mistake. If he doesn’t play and the Texans got with Davis Mills, this is even more important as the lack of experience will definitely result in mistakes being made under pressure.
Relax and have fun
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It’s the final week of the regular season and the Titans will go into offseason mode on Monday. This will be the last time some of these guys suit up in a Titans uniform, and there are a ton of up-in-the-air changes that are coming. This group struggled this season, but they’ve worked hard and they deserve to have a little fun. Of course the Titans want to beat the Texans, it’s a rivalry. But they can still have fun in the process, relax and know that no matter the outcome of the game, the season is over and it’s time to work on 2025.
