WHEN: 1:00 p.m. CT (weather delay)
WHERE: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tenn.
FORECAST: Mostly sunny, 19 degrees, 8 mph winds
FOLLOW: @therealmarklane, @bigsargesportz, @johnhcrumpler @thetexanswire
LISTEN: Sports Radio 610 [KILT-AM] and 100.3 The Bull [KLOL]
WATCH: CBS (Andrew Catalon & James Lofton)
RED — Cincinnati at New England
GREEN — Buffalo at Chicago
YELLOW — Houston at Tennessee
BROWN — New Orleans at Cleveland
BLUE — Washington at San Francisco (LATE)
10. Passes Malik Willis threw against the Texans
The rookie threw only 10 passes, and that was all he needed to do as Derrick Henry was responsible for the heavy lifting. The Texans need to put the game in the rookie’s hands if they want to have a reasonable shot at putting Tennessee back on the loser’s side of .500. More proof can be found in the fact among Willis’ 10 passes was an interception.
9. DT Jeffery Simmons' tackles for loss
It is what Simmons does: lives in opposing backfields. The Texans have been going with Tytus Howard at left guard in place of an injured Kenyon Green. It worked well against Chris Jones of the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 15. Houston has to similarly neutralize Simmons’ impact.
8. Tennessee's rank for opposing passer rating
The Titans are tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the eighth-highest opposing passer rating in the NFL at 94.3. The Titans got a jump on Houston early and stuffed the run game, which forced Houston to be more one-dimensional. Nevertheless if Mills makes better decisions with the football while also not being afraid to let it fly downfield, it could warrant some big pass plays against Tennessee.
7. Derrick Henry's rank for yards before contact
There is no question Henry is a great running back in his own right, but he gets by with a little help from his friends. The two-time NFL rushing champion generated 632 yards before contact through 14 games, good for seventh-most in the NFL. Houston’s defensive line will need to control the line of scrimmage to take this advantage away from Henry and have him play more a dirty yards game.
6. Tennessee's rank for missed tackles
The Titans have had 71 missed tackles this season, the sixth-most in the league. While those circumstances would be optimal for Dameon Pierce, who is on injured reserve, it should still be a situation tight end Jordan Akins and running back Royce Freeman should be able to take advantage of.
5. Malik Willis' rush attempts against the Texans
Willis carried five times for 12 yards in the 17-10 victory over Houston. The Liberty product had virtually no impact on the game, positive or negative. Houston has to force Willis to be a part of the game and not a spectator with a jersey.
4. Houston's rank for turnovers per drive
The Texans commit a turnover on 13.6% of their drives, tied with the New Orleans Saints for the fourth-highest in the NFL. Essentially if a team has that high of a rate, they are giving up the ball a possession and a half per game. The Texans can’t give the Titans, led by a rookie quarterback, any freebies to make his job easier.
3. Davis Mills' rank for interception percentage
Mills’ 3.2 interception percentage is the third-highest in the NFL. The second-year quarterback has done well in his past two starts with just one thrown, and that was a desperation heave at the end of Week 14. If Mills is able to avoid any turnovers, it should keep the game close with Tennessee.
2. Tennessee's rank for yards per carry surrendered
The Titans give up 3.6 yards per carry, the second-fewest in the NFL. It isn’t merely teams abandoning the run either as the Titans also give up the second-fewest rushing yards per game at 80.8. The Titans will force the Texans into going one-dimensional early, which makes establishing the run a must.
1. Houston's rank for rushing yards per game surrendered
Houston gives up 167.5 rushing yards per game, the most in the NFL. They have an obvious vulnerability and are facing a team with the greatest weapon to exploit that vulnerability. If the Texans let Henry have another 200-yard game, they have no chance.
