Official Texans vs. Titans Game Thread, 1/3/2021
 

Week 17 finds the 10-5 Tennessee Titans coming to NRG this Sunday to take on the 4-11 Texans in a late game on CBS. All 32 NFL teams will play on Sunday this week in the final game of the season for most. The Texans are coming off a 37-31 home loss to the Bengals, the Titans are coming off a 40-14 road loss to the Packers on SNF. These two last met in Week 5 when the Titans triumphed over the Texans 42-36 in OT at home. Derek Henry had 212 rushing yards and the Titans scored 15 fourth qtr points to force OT. The Titans will have motivation to remain the top seeded 10-5 team. (5 AFC teams have 10-5 records). The Texans are hurting in too many areas. I've got it:

Titans 36, Texans 22

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), 3:25 pm CST, Sunday, Jan 3, 2021

Announcers = Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon

The line = Titans by 7½ to 9

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (early) = Pittsburgh @ Cleveland, Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

FOX (early) = Dallas @ NY Giants, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

FOX (late) = Green Bay @ Chicago, Kevin Burkhardt, Daryl Johnston

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Prime time:

SNF = Washington @ Philadelphia (NBC)

If the Titans win by less than 14, it will be because they pulled their starters. There's only one playoff team per conference that skips the wild card round so watch several teams rest players because staying healthy will be more important than actually winning.

This, of course, doesn't apply to the Oilers. Judging from J.J.'s comments, some of their players are already in offseason mode. It seems every 3-5 years, the Oilers must be blown up and started over. Looks like this is the way it is headed now - except we won't have a high #1 to begin the rebuild.

After the first games are done, Titans and Colts both need to win to make the playoffs. If either loses, Miami is in. If both lose, Titans have the tiebreaker.

Washington must win tonight to be NFC Least champs, otherwise, it will be New York.

Bears, Rams and Cardinals vie for the last two spots in the NFC in the late games while GB tries to beat the Bears in order to hold the first-round bye.

Sloman is good from 47 for a Titans FG after the Watson INT.

Titans 3, Texans 0

6:41 left in the 1st qtr.

Fairbairn is good from 24 for the Texans.

Texans 3, Titans 3

1:42 left in the 1st qtr.

Henry gets loose for a 52 yard TD.

Titans 10, Texans 3

14:51 left in the half.

Fairbairn is good from 43.

Titans 10, Texans 6

8:15 left in the half.

Tannehill with a 4 yard TD pass to AJ Brown goes for the TD.

Titans 17, Texans 6

4:29 left in the half.

Fairbairn gets a 28-yard FG with just a few seconds left in the half.

Titans 17, Texans 9

Just 3 more FGs to take the lead.....

Oilers playcalling inside the Red Zone last few weeks has been atrocious. It's either "throw short and off target", "throw into the end zone too high and too hard" or "run around to extend the play until somebody tackles the QB".

Next year, there needs to be a real OC to call plays.

Henry runs one in from 6 to open the 2nd half.

Titans 24, Texans 9

9:53 left in the 3rd qtr.

Watson to Cooks on the flea flicker for a 38-yard TD.

Ex-p no good.

Titans 24, Texans 15

8:08 left in the 3rd qtr.

Tannehill scrambles in for a 5 yard TD.

Titans 31, Texans 15

4:29 left in the 3rd qtr.

Watson to Cooks for a 20-yard TD pass.

Try for 2 is good with a short pass to Hansen. Edit: Play is ruled short.

Titans 31, Texans 21

2:59 left in the 3rd qtr.

Texan's defense with the rare turnover - Cunningham slaps the ball loose from Henry.

A few plays and David Johnson punches it in from the 1.

Titans 31, Texans 28

1:20 left in the 3rd qtr.

Titans inexplicably go for it on 4th and 11 and Tannehill gets sacked. Texan's ball.

Watson lobs one in to P Brown for the 7 yard TD.

Texans 35, Titans 31

10:14 left in the game.

Tannehill keeps for a 6-yard TD as the Titans burned a lot of clock on the drive.

Titans 38, Texans 35

Just 1:42 left in the game. Texans with 2 timeouts.

Fairbairn good from 51 to tie the game.

Texans 38, Titans 38

18 seconds left in the game.

Eheh, of course. The defense gives up the long pass.

Sloman is good from 37 with a doinker.

Final score:

Titans 41, Texans 38

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Well, it got entertaining for a while there..... Yet another instance of Watson getting the lead and the defense blowing it....

Doink. A fitting sound effect for the finale of the season.

A remarkable season for Watson comes to an end. Hard to believe a healthy Watson all season could ever include a result such as this.

An interesting offseason awaits.