Texans Daily

Houston Texans Head Into Playoffs After Much-Needed Win Against Titans

The Houston Texans finished with their second consecutive 10-win season after defeating the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, 23-14.

Dylan Feltovich

Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) celebrates his touchdown during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.
Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) celebrates his touchdown during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. / Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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After a rough Christmas Day loss to the Baltimore Ravens, the Houston Texans are back on track after a 23-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Despite head coach DeMeco Ryans' decision to bench quarterback CJ Stroud for resting purposes after one drive, the Texans' offense was on full display in Week 18. Stroud completed all six of his passing attempts for a total of 50 yards, as he capped off the opening drive with a 4-yard touchdown to star wideout Nico Collins.

Another key starter for the Texans' that Ryans put on load management in Week 18 was running back Joe Mixon. The 28-year-old veteran eclipsed his fifth season of 1,000 rushing yards or more. This is the first time a Texans running back has rush for 1,000 yards in a regular season since Carlos Hyde back in 2019.

Running back Dameon Pierce became the offense's main catalyst on Sunday after the starters were pulled, as the 24-year-old finished the contest with 18 carries for 175 yards, including a 92-yard rushing touchdown at the start of the second quarter.

Along with the solid offensive play on Sunday, the defense stepped up on the road against Tennessee. As a unit, Ryan's defense gave up a total of 314 offensive yards while recording two sacks and six tackles for losses. During the fourth quarter, Texans' defensive end Derek Barnett managed to recover a fumble and take it to the end zone, which gave Houston a 23-6 lead.

Houston already clinched the No. 4 seed in this year's playoffs, and will host the No. 5 seed in the first round.

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Dylan Feltovich
DYLAN FELTOVICH

Dylan Feltovich attended John Carroll University and started working for numerous sites in the On SI network in 2023 as a staff writer. He has covered high school and college events around the Northeast Ohio area for several years.

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