Texans vs. Titans Notebook: Fright Fest In Houston After Tennessee Loss

After Derrick Henry rushed for 219 yards, the Houston Texans sustained their first AFC South loss Sunday against the Titans.

HOUSTON — The last time the Houston Texans played the Tennessee Titans with a healthy Derrick Henry, the All-Pro running back rushed for a season-best 250 yards amid a win at NRG Stadium in January of 2020.

Nineteen months after his annihilation, Henry nearly replicated his performance against the Texans. He rushed for 219 yards, while the Texans sustained a 17-10 Week 8 loss to the Titans.

"When you get dominated on both sides of the football upfront, it's going to be a tough day," coach Lovie Smith said. "You make look at the score and say, 'they had a chance,' but we were never really in it."

Henry missed the Titans' annual contests against the Texans due to a Jones fracture that cut his 2021 campaign short.

Henry's performance against the Texans marked his third consecutive game of rushing for over 100 yards since his return. But Henry's play was another testament to the Texans' lack of run defense.

Henry became the fourth running back in seven games to reach over 100 yards in rushing against the Texans. Houston's worst game at stopping the run prior to their play against the Titans came during a Week 3 loss to the Chicago Bears, where rookie running back Khalil Herbert recorded 157 yards.

Following their performance against the Titans, the Texans' run defense is once again ranked last in the league, giving up an average of 186.6 yards on the ground. 

"We haven't been able to stop the run all year, and it showed today," Smith said. "We knew who we were playing today, one of the best backs in the game today. That physical brand of football, we were not ready to play that today."

Time for a new QB?

After trading Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns in March, the Texans were adamant about giving second-year prospect Davis Mills a chance to prove his worth as the quarterback of the future.

Mills has had a subpar start to his second season as the starting quarterback for the Texans. But following his play against the Titans, Mills' second-year observation could end with him losing his starting job in 2023.

"We know what we have to do," Mills said. "Our focus isn't going to change. We will keep moving forward and do what we need to do to execute offensively."

Mills finished the game with 152 yards, which marked the third time he failed to throw for over 200 yards in passing. But prior to the final possession where he threw for 91 yards, Mills would have finished the day with 61 passing yards.

His performance was a complete 180 from the production he displayed during a Week 7 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders. The Texans had a rough time trying to sustain drives. And Mills played a significant role in Houston's offensive mishaps against the Titans.

"I felt like last week, we were more efficient," Mills said. "We were more dynamic in running and passing. But this week, it felt like we shot ourselves in the foot. We got into bad situations that were tough to get out of — we felt like that was the story of the game." 

Quick Hits:

- Rookie running back Dameon Pierce finished the game with 35 yards on 15 attempts. It marked his least yards in rushing since the Texans' Week 1 tie against the Indianapolis Colts.

- The Texans' defense made it a rough day for rookie quarterback Malik Willis, who made his first NFL start amid Ryan Tannehill's absence. Willis completed six out of his 10 passing attempts for 55 yards. 

- The Texans recorded two takeaways on the day. The first was the result of a forced fumble by defensive back Tremon Smith. The second takeaway of the game took place following an interception made by Steven Nelson.

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You can follow Coty M. Davis on Twitter at @CotyDavis_24

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