Tennessee Titans Keys To Victory in Week 17 Matchup with Houston Texans
The Tennessee Titans are looking to play spoiler late in the year with their own playoff dreams long gone. With two division games left, they have the chance to not only knock some rivals out of the postseason, but get revenge for earlier losses in the year.
The first chance comes this Sunday against the Houston Texans and if the Titans hope to pull off the road upset, they will need to hit these three keys to victory.
Run The Ball
Running the ball with success doesn't guarantee a win as we learned last week when the Titans fell to the Seahawks after rushing for 162 yards, but it is the best chance they have. If the Titans don't get things going on the ground, they can't keep the ball away from C.J. Stroud and they can't keep their own quarterback clean.
Also, the last time these two teams played, the Titans' rushing attack was embarrassed. Derrick Henry had a historically poor game with 20 touches for 10 yards and the Titans ran for only 66 yards as a team. If that happens again, against a much-healthier Texans team, it would spell trouble.
Stop the Run
Look, I know that it seems like these first two keys to victory pop up every week, but the reality the ground game is too critical to a bad team like the Titans to go anywhere else. Also, in Week 15, the Texans bullied the Titans in a big way on the ground.
Devin Singletary went for 126 yards on his own while the Texans totaled 148 as a group. The Titans will be facing Stroud in this game, not Case Keenum. Stroud combined with a successful run game would be too much to overcome.
Turnover Battle
The Titans are the lesser team and they are on the road. Just two weeks ago the Texans, with massive injuries, beat the Titans in Nashville. This is a huge underdog spot for the Titans and any good underdog knows turnovers are the great equalizer.
If the Titans can somehow pressure Stroud and force mistakes while playing keep and protecting the rock on offense, they might be able to tilt the advantage back in their favor enough to win. Again, none of this guarantees a win, but it sure would help.
Related Titans stories
- DERRICK HENRY REDEMPTION: Derrick Henry has historically dominated the Houston Texans, but the Texans were historically dominant against Derrick Henry when they faced the Tennessee Titans in Week 15. Henry has a chance to get some redemption and return to normalcy in what could be his last game against the Texans as a Titan. CLICK HERE
- WEEK 17 INJURY UPDATE: The Tennessee Titans saw starting quarterback Will Levis make a full return to practice on Wednesday as the Titans prepare for their rematch against the Houston Texans in Week 17. CLICK HERE
- TITANS MOCK DRAFT: The Tennessee Titans have been eliminated from playoff contention this year which naturally turns attention to the 2024 NFL draft where the team can add talent to get them back into the tournament. In the latest mock draft from Sports Illustrated, the Titans do just that by selecting offensive tackle Joe Alt. CLICK HERE
