Official Texans @ Titans Game Thread, 12/24/2022

[Keith]

The Texans (1-12-1) travel to a frozen north in Nashville to face the suddenly free-falling Titans (7-7)on Saturday. The Texans are still without a multitude of starters, but the Titans, losers of four straight and clinging to a 1-game lead on the division, will have at best a hobbled QB Ryan Tannehill (if at all) as he manages an ankle injury. Malik Wills will step in if Tannehill can't play. The nation will be in a deep freeze this weekend, and Nashville won't be spared. Temps for warm-ups might be in the single digits and just in the teens at gametime.

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), Saturday, noon CST, 12/24/2022

Announcers = Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

The line = Tennessee by 4.5 (opened at 7)

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Other Saturday viewing in the Houston area:

FOX (early) = NY Giants @ Minnesota, Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

FOX (late) = Philadelphia @ Dallas, Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen

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Prime time:

TNF = Jacksonville @ NY Jets (Amazon Prime)

Saturday (7:15pm) = Las Vegas @ Pittsburgh, RIch Eisen, Kurt Warner, Steve Mariucci, Michael Irvin (NFLN)

Sunday (12:00pm) = Green Bay @ Miami, Joe Davis, Darryl Johnston (FOX)

Sunday (3:30pm) = Denver @ LA Rams, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo (CBS, also Nickelodeon)

SNF = Tampa Bay @ Arizona (NBC)

MNF = LA Chargers @ Indianapolis (ESPN)

[Keith]

Kickoff delayed until at least 1:02pm CT due to rolling blackouts in the Nashville area.

Titans inactives:
Ryan Tannehill
John Reed
Kristian Fulton
Josh Thompson
Amani Hooker
Dylan Cole
Mario Edwards Jr.

Texans inactives:
Kyle Allen
Kenyon Green
O.J. Howard
Mario Addison
Cobi Francis

Expect Brandin Cooks to play.

[Keith]

Kickoff temp is 20 degrees, a record low for a NFL game in Nashville. Stadium seems less than half full.

Texans win toss and defer. Titans go three-and-out to start. Ogbo Okoronkwo and Blake Cashman sack Malik Willis. Punt to HOU 26.

Jeff Driskel at WR to start, Davis Mills under center. Mmmkay. 2-yd handoff and a couple incompletions. Punt for 38 yds returned to TEN 40.

Malik Willis completes a 3rd down pass at midfield, but is just inches short. Titans go for it, and Willis dives easily for the first down. Derrick Henry then busts through the line for a 48-yd touchdown run.

Extra point by Randy Bullock is good.

0-7, Titans
8:48 remaining in the 1st quarter

[chuck]

I wonder if Sean Payton would be interested in the team, and I wonder if that would even be a step in the right direction.

[Keith]

Following the touchback, drive starts at HOU 25. LG Tytus Howard down on the field following the team's first 1st down of the game. Walked off but doesn't seem good. After a medical tent visit, he walks into the locker room.

Driskel completes to Brevin Jordan for another first down to the Titans' 46. Royce Freeman getting the carries today, gets 4 yards and is up to 16. Mills throws to Driskel on 2nd down for 4 yards. Mills throws on 3rd down to a wide open Jordan Akins for 30 yards to the TEN 8.

Former Texan Zac Cunningham nearly intercepts Mills on 2nd down. Lovie Smith then calls his first timeout. Mills scrambles right and has nowhere to go, so he runs for the goalline and loses the ball into the endzone where Rex Burkhead falls on it. Play reviewed as Mills might have tried to pitch it forward incomplete, but it stands. Mills was just reaching out. Burkhead had stepped out of bounds but came back in before recovering.

Ka'imi Fairbairn kicks the extra point.

Texans 7, Titans 7
2:34 remaining in the 1st.

[Keith]

Originally Posted by chuck

I wonder if Sean Payton would be interested in the team, and I wonder if that would even be a step in the right direction.

I cannot see Payton wanting any part of this franchise. Wants to bring Vic Fangio with him, and I cannot see Fangio wanting to come back, either.

[Keith]

Henry looking to go over 200 yards agains this team for the fifth straight game. Gains 13 after a holding call. Okoronkwo comes up with a big sack on third down. His second today... this guy is trying out there.

Desmond King has a 9-yard return on the punt. Next drive will start in good position on Houston's 41.

Howard reported to be in concussion protocol, so he's probably out.

Titans flagged for offsides. Dare Ogunbowale loses 2 yards on a 1st-and-5, but gets 7 on the next carry for a new set of downs. Driskel-cat returns, Mills off. At least Mills can put on a coat to keep warm during this circus. Titans also forced to call a timeout with 12 men on the field during these subs.

Driskel completes the next play to Chris Moore for 13. Mills back in, motions Jordan from TE to FB, then throws deep to Brandin Cooks for a 33-yd score, but it is called back by a holding penalty on Akins. Oof. Driskel finds Moore for 12 on the 1st-and-20, then Mills to Akins sets up a 3rd-and-3 from the TEN 26. Freeman logs a tough carry for just enough to extend the drive.

First down completion to Freeman gets the offense into the redzone, and Freeman takes a pitch to get another first down at the 12. Drive stalls. Fairbairn kicks the 25-yd field goal.

Texans 10-7
6:50 remaining in the half.

[Keith]

Titans drive stalls. Punt goes to the HOU 8, and King returns it to the 23. Under 4 mins remaining.

Texans respond with a 3-and-out, but not before Miils tries a 50-ish yard pass on third down to Cooks. Long punt, and maybe a Titans player touches the return when the ball almost knicks Robert Woods' helmet. Guess not.

Titans drive opens on their own 25. Willis throws complete for 10, then Henry picks up another 10 and the Titans approach midfield. Woods has a 9-yd completion, and Henry gives them a first down on the next run. Titans call timeout at 1:04 at the HOU 42. Henry is stuffed for a 3-yd loss, then the OL is called for a false start. Blake Cashman then tackles Willis for no gain on a third down at the sideline.

Titans punt, and they down it with 0:09 left. Texans kneel it out.

Texans 10-7
Halftime

[Keith]

Teagan Quitoriano is out with a knee injury.

Texans get the ball to start the second half. Titans send a blitz on 3rd down, and Mills barely gets off a pass to Cooks, good for 16 and a first down to the HOU 44. Another short connection with Cooks moves the offense across the 50. Freeman is stopped on third down, and the Texans elect to go for it on 4th-and-1. From the shotgun, Driskel keeps it and loses a yard, turnover on downs.

Titans take over at their own 47. Maliek Collins stuffs Henry for a 1-yd loss. Willis runs for 12 after being flushed from the pocket as two Texans defenders collide in the backfield. Henry for 6 to the HOU 35. An end-around pitch to Treylon Burks goes for 15 to the 20. Henry then powers forward after being stalled at the LOS, breaking tackles for 6 yards. Willis then does the same for 14 yards all the way into the endzone for the score. Terrible attempts at tackling.

Kick is good.

10-14 Titans
8:51 remaining in the 3rd quarter

[Keith]

Ogunbowale returns the kickoff to the HOU 37. He then gets the next two carries for a total of 1 yard. Not sure what happened to Freeman (aside from him sucking to the tune of 12 carries for 29 yards so far today).

INTERCEPTION. Mills' third down pass is deflected off Cooks and finds the hands of rookie LB Jack Gibbens who returns it to the HOU 40. Titans choose to go for it on 4th-and-8 from the 38, and the pass is broken up by Tavierre Thomas for the turnover on downs.

10-14, Titans
6:06 left in the 3rd quarter

[Keith]

Freeman's back. First two runs go for 3 and -3. Yay. Akins catches the third down target well short. Punt goes 48 yards to Woods who fair catches at the TEN 10.

Henry gets 2 yards apiece on his first two runs. Willis is pressured on third down by Okoronwo before finding Woods just short of the marker. Punt flies for 61 yards, returned for 11 by King to the HOU 31.

Texans offense has been sluggish this quarter. Three more incompletions. Cam Johnston punts, Woods takes it back 10 yards to the TEN 31.

Willis finds Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for 14 yards. Third quarter ends on a 4-yd run by Henry, good hit by Jalen Pitre. Henry might have gone the distance had Pitre not stopped him.

FUMBLE! Henry rumbles for what seemed like a big gain but fumbles along the way. Forced and recovered by rookie LB Jake Hansen at the HOU 42.

Mills picks out Phillip Dorsett for 18 to the Titans' 35. Ogunbowale picks up a first of his own to the 23. Dorsett has another reception of 7 yards to the 16. Ogunbowale gives them 1st and goal from the 10, then gets 4 more to the 6-yd line. Mills is sacked by Denico Autrey back to the 10. 3rd and goal, pass to Burkhead only gets to the 5.

Fairbairn's 22-yd field goal is good.

13-14, Titans
7:25 left in the game

[Keith]

Howard's injury replacement, Jimmy Morrissey, is also in concussion protocol. Justin McCray fills in for him.

Titans go three-and-out. Willis stumbles on a 3rd down carry. High punt is returned 6 yards to the HOU 27 with 5 minutes to play.

Dorsett adjusts to an underthrown ball for a 20-yard gain to the Titans' 47. Mills goes deep again and finds Amari Rodgers for 37 yards! Puts the offense at the 10-yard line. Pitch to Freeman for 4. Mills to Cooks for a 6-yard TD at the back of the endzone. Penalty for hands to the face is declined!

Texans go for two. Three wide to the right, Mills hits none of them. They are now 0-4 in two-point conversion attempts this season.

And yet another 4th quarter with the lead or tie for this 1-win team. Hmm.

Texans 19-14
2:52 remaining in the game

[Keith]

Henry goes for runs of 6 and 11 yards. At the TEN 42, Willis is pressured by Jonathan Greenard and throws the ball at his feet. No call for grounding. Willis keeps for 7 yards to the 49. Two minute warning.

Willis runs for a first down at the HOU 45.

INTERCEPTION!!!

LB Christian Harris makes his first interception a memorable one. Returns it to 38 with 1:33 remaining.

Mills can't handle the center exchange but is able to fall on it. Play flagged for illegal formation, declined. But the clock stops at 1:30. Freeman carry loses 2, Titans use their first timeout with 1:23. 3rd and 12, Driskel keeps it for 2. The Texans choose to punt over a 55-yard field goal attempt. Johnston pooches a beaut, downed by Tremon Smith at the Titans' 4. with 1:10 remaining.

First down pass by Willis is deflected incomplete. 2nd down complete to Woods for 6. Third down attempt is complete for 8, and the Titans have to use their final timeout at 0:38. Texans then call their first timeout.

At the Titans' 18, Willis miraculously escapes for a 9-yard pass. Then completes again for 20 yards and gets a facemaks penalty courtesy of Greenard for an extra 15 yards to the HOU 43.

With 0:05 remaining, Lovie calls his second timeout to plan a hail mary defense, hopefully just says DON'T DPI. Pitre picks it off and kneels to end the game.

Merry Christmas, Titan fans.

Texans 19-14
Final

[Keith]

Stats

Mills 17/28 178, 1 TD, 1 INT, 76.2 QBR
Driskel 3/4 40

Freeman 16-32
Ogunbowale 8-28

Cooks 4-34, TD
Dorsett 3-45
Akins 3-39

Pitre 9 tkl, 1 INT
Harris 6 tkl, 1 INT
Okoronkwo 5 tkl, 2 sacks, 3 TFL
Collins 3 tkl, 2 TFL
Hansen 3 tkl, 1 FF

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