Seven Key Takeaways From Texans' Pivotal Win vs. Titans

It wasn't always pretty, but after another second half turnaround from the Houston Texans in Week 11, they managed to put together a second-straight win vs. the Tennessee Titans, 16-13, effectively upping to their fifth victory on the year, and sweeping the season series, 2-0.

A collective effort from the Texans ultimately helped this one end in their favor. Davis Mills stepped up to the occasion as Houston's QB1, the defense stood out as one of the league's most premier units once again, and in turn, leaves this team's playoff hopes alive and well moving forward into the year.

Here are seven of the biggest takeaways from the Texans' action in Nashville for Week 11:

1. Matthew Wright Lifts Texans Up With Game Winner

Houston Texans kicker Matthew Wright (42) kicks a field goal during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Recently-signed Texans kicker Matthew Wright started the day off on the wrong foot after missing a chip shot field goal in the first quarter that would ultimately be negated thanks to a Titans defensive flag.

Houston would end that first quarter drive scoreless from a failed fourth-down conversion, but after that blip on the radar for Wright and his miss, he was perfect for the rest of the way.

He was a perfect 3-3 on field goals, made his only extra point attempted, and of course, iced the Texans' fifth win of the year with his last-second field goal to take Houston over the edge with a victory.

While Ka'imi Fairbairn (quad) is bound to return to his rightful spot as Houston's starting kicker in the next couple of weeks, Wright was a pivotal part in the end results falling in the Texans' favor this weekend.

2. Davis Mills Does Just Enough Once Again

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) looks for a receiver during the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It was another performance that Davis Mills was elevated as the Texans' signal caller where he was letting the passes fly, just as he did against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And just like Houston's last game that Mills was at the helm, he was able to rally this Texans offense to squeeze out enough for a winning effort for a second straight week. He completed 63% of his passes for 274 yards and a touchdown, and wound up leading his guys down the field late in the fourth quarter to ice a win with Wright's field goal.

Even without C.J. Stroud, the Texans offense was able to come alive at exactly the right time, and in turn, keeps their season very much afloat.

3. Nico Collins Keeps the Hot Hand

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) celebrates his touchdown during the third quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the midst of Mills' productive day in Tennessee, it was Texans star wideout Nico Collins who took command as his favorite target from start to finish, and made a bundle of big plays as a downfield playmaker.

Nico Collins in 2 games with Davis Mills as QB:

25 targets
16 receptions
228 rec yards
1 TD pic.twitter.com/LIHLBhWzEE
— Underdog NFL (@UnderdogNFL) November 16, 2025

He logged the most receptions of his season thus far with nine to go for 92 yards and a touchdown, proving that while having a slow start to the year, he remains a premier name at his position around the league.

Once Stroud is back in the fold, Collins' status amongst the best wideouts in the world should become even clearer.

4. Will Anderson Jr. Staking Claim in DPOY Race

Nov 9, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) is introduced before playing against the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Will Anderson Jr. was another one of those guys on the Texans' roster who kept their hot hand against Tennessee. Anderson logged his fifth game in a row with one sack to his name, becoming only the fifth player in franchise history to accomplish that feat.

He's now second on the Texans in total sacks on the season, is a key captain of the NFL's number-one scoring defense, and week after week, continues to rack up the stat sheet that's leading to further success in the standings.

If that's not a compelling Defensive Player of the Year case to keep an eye on, I'm not sure what is.

5. Woody Marks, Texans' Run Game Held in Check

Houston Texans quarterback Davis Mills (10) hands off to running back Woody Marks (27) during the first quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the Texans' offense started to catch fire towards the second half against this Titans defense, the run game never quite fell into place.

Woody Marks managed to claim a large share of the Texans' snaps in the backfield, but finished those 18 carries with 42 total yards on the ground, and made for one of the more inefficient and ineffective days running the ball from this season. Nick Chubb had 5.7 yards a carry on his end, but only with three carries.

The Texans will need to get their run game up to speed as they dig deeper into the regular season, and Marks will inevitably be a key piece in finding that spark. This week just didn't happen to be his time, though.

6. Jayden Higgins Finding Consistent Role in Texans' Offense

Tennessee Titans cornerback Darrell Baker Jr. (39) stops Houston Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins (81) short of the end zone during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

One name who emerged as a nice complement to Collins in Mills' pass-catching arsenal was rookie Jayden Higgins, who had another week where he held a respectable role in the Texans' offensive attack.

He was second on the Texans’ receiving yards list with four catches on seven targets for 55 yards, which happens to turn out to be his highest mark for yards in his first year so far–– including a nice chunk play for 23 yards that made up the fourth catch of the season for 20-plus yards.

Little by little, Higgins is gaining more trust in the Texans' offense, which should only continue to grow once Stroud is back in the picture.

7. Texans Up to .500 for First Time This Season

Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans looks on during the first quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

DeMeco Ryans and the Texans can finally breathe a bit after this week, as their third win in four tries now leaves Houston at a 5-5 record, elevating to a .500 mark for the first time this season, and making for a miraculous recovery from a brutal 0-3 start.

The work is far from over for the Texans, though. In their hunt for a Wild Card spot, the wins are going to have to keep coming, and the road ahead gets much harder than what the Titans presented this week. Five of their seven games on the horizon are against teams currently placed in the AFC playoff picture, including two that'll be up against their division rival, the Indianapolis Colts.

It took 10 weeks but the Houston Texans are finally up to .500 at 5-5. They have the NFL's best defense and it feels like Nick Caley's unit is finally starting to develop an identity on offense.

AFC Wild Card is firmly within reach if they keep growing like this #HTownMade
— John Crumpler (@JohnCrumplerMD) November 16, 2025

The climb continues on a short turnaround against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football; another game in which the Texans could be without Stroud, but regardless, will be a crucial game to take advantage of for the future of their season.

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