Titans, Texans hoping to avoid bottom of division
The old Houston football team had again tormented the fans of the new Houston team.
When the Tennessee Titans (4-6) and the Texans meet again Sunday, a sellout crowd at Reliant Stadium will eagerly anticipate another chance to see their estranged team leave Houston with a defeat. The Texans (4-6) won the first matchup between the teams more than a month ago, but the chance to complete the sweep at home would indeed be a sweet moment for the NFL’s youngest franchise.
The game will also have more than bragging rights at stake, because the loser will move into sole possession of last place in the AFC South.
“It would be big to be able to go and get two from them in the same year,” Texans quarterback David Carr said. “I know our crowd is always fired up when we play against the old Texans. They are going to be extra excited.”
The win over the Titans in Nashville on Oct. 17 was one of the last highlights of the Texans’ rapidly deteriorating season.
Carr threw for 266 yards and a touchdown and the Texans intercepted McNair four times in the franchise’s first win over the team it replaced in Houston. The victory was also the Texans’ third win in four games, igniting talk around town about a possible playoff run.
That talk probably won’t be heard again around Houston for a while.
Houston has since dropped three straight, including a last-second 16-13 loss to Green Bay last Sunday. The Texans have reverted to their expansion ways, ranking 30th in the NFL in defense and doing so badly on offense their fans started booing in the defeat to the Packers.
“The thing is, we never talked about the playoffs before,” Texans cornerback Aaron Glenn said. “We’re in a situation now where our backs are against the wall. That’s not saying anything about the playoffs. We just need to get victories.”
Meanwhile, McNair and the Titans have slowly turned around their season since that deflating loss to the Texans.
On Sunday, McNair started for the first time since Oct. 24 and finished a game for the first time since the Texans loss, leading the Titans past Jacksonville 18-15 by engineering a drive for the winning score with 3:31 left.
The victory was the Titans’ second in three games.
“It’s definitely more upbeat, and we’ve got more confidence behind us,” Tennessee offensive tackle Fred Miller said. “We’ve got Steve back and he’s going to play very well.”
The Titans beat the Jaguars despite playing without six starters, including running back Chris Brown (turf toe), left tackle Brad Hopkins (broken right hand) and both safeties. Coach Jeff Fisher announced Monday he had lost two more players to season-ending injuries.