Official Texans @ Titans Game Thread, 1/01/2017

[Arky]

This Sunday, the 9-6 Houston Texans hit the road to Nashville for their final regular season game. They will face the 8-7 Tennessee Titans in a noon game on Sunday. The Texans have 2-5 record (also 2-5 ATS) on the road this year while the Titans have a 4-3 (3-4 ATS) home record.

Titan QB Matt Cassel is expected to make the start for the recently injured Marcus Mariota. Expect Cassel to do quite a bit of handing off to DeMarco Murray (1266 yds, 4.5 avg) and Derrick Henry (425 yds, 4.5 avg.). In the passing game, targets will be Rishard Matthews (831 yds, 14.8 avg.), Delanie Walker (765 yds, 12.8 avg), Tajae Sharpe (522 yds, 12.7 avg.), Kendall Wright (416 yds, 14.3 avg) and Murray coming out of the backfield (379 yds, 7.3 avg). On the other side of the ball, the Titan defense currently ranks 21st giving up 362.1 yds/game and 19th giving up 24.1 pts/game. The Titans are coming off a 38-17 road loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Texans may rest a few key starters but Coach Bill O'Brien has mentioned that he wants the W in order to increase the Texans three-game winning streak going into the playoffs... The Texans won the first meeting between these two back in Week 4, 27-20 on the strength of a Will Fuller punt return TD.

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), noon Sunday, Jan 1, 2017

Announcers = Tom McCarthy, Adam Archuleta

The line = Titans by 3

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area (it's double double-header day):

CBS (late) = Oakland @ Denver, Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

FOX (early) = Dallas @ Philadelphia, Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch

FOX (late) = NY Giants @ Washington, Joe Buck, Troy Aikman

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Prime time:

SNF = Green Bay @ Detroit (NBC)

[Arky]

Pendergast breaks it down: NFL Week 17: Texans-Titans — Four Things to Watch For

Week 17 in the NFL is always a little funky, what with about half the teams having nothing but draft positioning to play for. The Houston Texans, your AFC South division champs for the second straight year, don't empirically have an urgent reason to win their game on Sunday in Nashville, as they will be the AFC's No. 4 seed regardless of the outcome.

However, there are three reasons the Texans should be putting forth suitable effort on Sunday, even if their personnel might be slightly tweaked from normal (more on this in a minute):

[Arky]

Texans win the toss and will kickoff.

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Titans bring the opening kickoff back to their 22 yard line. Titan's ball.

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Murray loses 1.

Murray gets 4. Brings up 3rd and 7.

Pass to Walker gets 7 and the 1st down.

Murray for 1.

Murray for 6. 3rd and 3 coming up.

Cassel's pass is batted down by Covington, inc. Titans will have to punt.

Ervin fair catches the punt at the Texan 13 yard line. Texan's ball.

11:17 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Ball marked at the 14.

Blue for 2.

Dump to Blue loses 2. 3rd and 10 coming up.

Savage sacked and fumbles, Titans recover in the end zone, TD Titans.

Titans 7, Texans 0

9:57 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Hunt brings the ensuing kickoff back to the Texan 25 but illegal block in the back on the Texans backs it up 10. Texan's ball at their 13.

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Screen pass to Fuller gets 6. A Titan (Sims) injured on the play. Injury timeout.

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On 2nd and 4, Blue is caught for a loss of 3. 3rd and 7 coming up.

Short pass to Fuller gets 4. Texans will punt on 4th and 3.

Mariani brings the punt back into Texan territory at the Texan 46. Titan's ball.

7:53 left in the 1st qtr.

[Keith]

Texans OL has already checked out. Rest of the team doesn't look too far behind. I don't need to see Blue rush 25 times this game. I'd like to see Savage drop back 35+ times to pass though.

[Arky]

Pass to Matthews gets 10.

Heath with the sack! Loss of 4.

Flags presnap. Delay of game on the Titans, -5. Makes it 2nd and 19 coming up.

Short pass to Murray loses 2. 3rd and 21 coming up.

Cassel can't find a receiver and scrambles for 3. Titans will have to punt.

Punt is fair caught by Ervin at the Texan 14. Texan's ball.

4:37 left in the 1st qtr.