Titans vs. Texans: Full Game Preview for Tennessee
Two teams going down the same dark road will square off as the Tennessee Titans will look to pull out of a slump against the struggling Houston Texans.
The loser of this game will almost certainly put its season into oblivion.
The good news for both of these teams is that the AFC South is completely up for grabs with every team having a hard time finding the win column, and that makes this game still important.
Both teams are facing their own set of quarterback issues, with the Titans hoping to get Marcus Mariota back after missing last week's game because of an MCL sprain.
In the end, this contest is between two teams just looking to climb out of a hole of futility.
Week 7 Results and Recap
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This Titans team is becoming harder and harder to predict every week. It will be no easier this week as it's still unclear if Marcus Mariota will be able to return from his MCL sprain. He did return to practice, per Jim Wyatt of TitansOnline.com.
The loss against the Falcons was nothing but a major teaser in the grand scheme of things if you're a Titans supporter. They had every chance to pull off the improbable upset but failed to close the deal after halftime.
Zach Mettenberger was forced in as the starter for Mariota and managed the game the best he could. He ultimately proved he's still just a backup quarterback.
You can't help but wonder if the Titans could've managed more than seven points with Mariota under center. They instead went to 1-5 and are going down the same path they went down last season that ended in a 2-14 record.
As bad as that loss hurt, the Titans defense lived up to its high ranking by holding the Falcons to just 10 points. That is no easy feat, and the secondary was depleted without Perrish Cox.
That same kind of intensity should lead to a win over a Texans team that might have the worst quarterback situation in the NFL. The Titans will have to win in a road environment that's never easy at Reliant Stadium.
They find themselves alone at the bottom of arguably the worst division in the NFL. Here's an updated look at the AFC South standings:
News and Notes
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Will Marcus Mariota Start Against the Texans?
There's a lot of speculation swirling around Mariota's possible return to the field. He missed his first start of his young career against the Falcons and might have been just enough to carry his team to a win that it desperately needed.
This team is definitely better when Mariota is under center, but it can't rush its prized investment back too early in a season that probably won't end in a postseason berth. It has to think long term.
Mariota feels like he's getting close to being ready, via Pro Football Talk: "I feel like I'm getting there."
A healthy Mariota makes the Titans a slight favorite, but who knows how healthy he'll actually be. His mobility and ability to plant his feet will be key.
It looks like he'll play, and the Titans offensive line will have to show strong protection for Mariota against Watt and company.
Titans Ownership Under Scrutiny
We don't normally talk much about ownership during the regular season, but it has reached that point for the Titans. The ownership has no clear direction, with many moving parts. There just seems to be a major disconnect between fans and ownership.
Many of the successful NFL franchises have owners who are very involved with their respective teams. That hasn't been the case in recent times for the Titans.
It's not as simple as just changing the ownership and hoping everything gets better. There's nothing guaranteed with going that route, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com: "New ownership wouldn't guarantee a #Titans' turnaround."
Wins usually cure all, and a win over the Texans would silence at least some of this chatter surrounding Titans ownership.
This franchise still hasn't been to the postseason since 2008 and hasn't had a playoff victory since 2003. That's a long time of futility, and the ownership situation will remain under scrutiny until some long-term success develops.
David Cobb May Add More Confusion to Running Game
The Titans have so many options at running back that they don't know how to sort them all out. The problem is that none of them are being used effectively.
Antonio Andrews has shown the most promise, and Dexter McCluster is surprisingly just four carries behind Bishop Sankey for the team's lead.
It makes for a complicated backfield, and now rookie David Cobb is close to returning. He could be back as soon as this week, per Kuharsky.
The biggest looser of Cobb's return could end up being Sankey, who saw virtually no action on offense against the Falcons.
Cobb should get his opportunities as a recent draft pick, but the Titans have to see what they have in Andrews as a possible feature back. The only way the Titans start clicking on offense is if they establish a consistent running game that Mariota can feed off.
Latest Injury News
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The obvious area of concern is the status of Mariota. The Titans are a better team with him under center, and he should give them a moderate chance at beating the Texans if he plays.
Without Mariota, the Texans defense could be too much for an offense that only managed seven points against a shaky Falcons defense.
He may not be 100 percent, but the odds look favorable that Mariota will play. How effective he'll be is up for debate.
Another big injury of concern is Perrish Cox. The Titans secondary put forth a valiant effort against the Falcons, but they still need to be back at full strength to snap this losing streak. The NFL is a passing league, and even the Texans offense will be able to put up points if the Titans can't get back to full strength. They just don't have the depth to fight through the loss of Cox.
Cox was one of the players who wasn't able to practice, per Teresa Walker of the Associate Press.
The Titans will most likely have to go with Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Coty Sensabaugh to fill in for Cox. They've both shown flashes of solid play but still are shaky as starters.
Expect Sammie Hill to finally make his season debut and provide some depth on the defensive line.
Official injury report courtesy TitansOnline.com
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Key Matchups for Titans
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Titans Defensive Line vs. Texans Offensive Line
It's easy to overlook thanks to the current five-game losing streak, but the Titans still have a pass rush that's getting more lethal as the season progresses.
Derrick Morgan has played a key role in this defense that is playing gritty football. He seems to be evolving into his role as a pass-rushing outside linebacker.
The quarterback situation for the Texans is a huge mess, and a successful pass rush will likely create some turnovers. Morgan should be primed for a big day in creating pressure and getting hits on Brian Hoyer.
These are the types of games where this Titans defense has to flex its muscle and win a game, regardless of how the offense plays.
The Texans will also be without Arian Foster at running back, and Alfred Blue will be the primary beneficiary of his absence. That means the Titans will get the opportunity to face another inexperienced offensive roster, which they've faced against many of their opponents this season.
Titans Rushing Attack vs. Texans Defensive Line
Everyone thinks of J.J. Watt when he or she thinks of the Texans defense—and rightfully so. With that said, Watt can't do it all. The Texans have fallen on hard times after giving up 44 points to the Dolphins the previous week.
They gave up 48 points to the same Falcons team that the Titans held to just 10.
The Titans have to narrow down their running back committee. Antonio Andrews showed last week that he deserves his chance to take control of a game. He can't be taken out after running guys over for a big gain.
This doesn't mean that the Titans should abandon their other running backs, such as Dexter McCluster or Bishop Sankey.
McCluster has been decent over his last two games, and Sankey still has the ability to be a serviceable No. 2 back. Both of these guys offer value in certain packages, but Whisenhunt has to avoid being predictable when putting certain players in at certain times.
If the Titans can control this game on the ground, they should have no problem winning in relatively comfortable fashion. Feeding Andrews the ball on a regular basis maximizes their chances of doing this.
Jason McCourty vs. DeAndre Hopkins
The Texans really have one guy whose capable of transforming them offensively, and it's DeAndre Hopkins.
Hopkins has nearly 800 yards receiving in this young season. He's the type of player who can overtake the outlook of a game quickly.
The Titans were able to keep Julio Jones from erupting the previous week, and they'll need to do the same thing this week.
Now that Jason McCourty seems fully recovered from his injury that forced him to miss the first four games of the season, he's seeing every team's best weapon at wide receiver.
If the Texans are going to break out offensively, it will be because of Hopkins' having a big game. McCourty has to extinguish one of the few weapons that the Texans have on offense.
Matchup X-Factor
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Matchup X-Factor: Antonio Andrews
The Titans haven't had a dominant running back since Chris Johnson, and that was really for only one full season. They desperately need to find that bruising back who can take over games.
Andrews has earned the opportunity to show that through getting 15-20 touches per game. The flow of the game may dictate otherwise, but Andrews deserves his touches in a low-scoring game like the previous week against the Falcons.
The Titans have to remain loyal to the run, even if they fall behind early. The Titans don't have the receivers to take over games through the air. The Week 1 win over the Buccaneers was an anomaly. It shouldn't be expected from this team on a regular basis.
We were seeing glimpses of Andrews' imposing his will against the Falcons, but he mysteriously only received 10 carries. He is only one rushing attempt behind Sankey for the team lead despite missing the first two games of the season.
Texans head coach Bill O'Brien had high praise for Andrews, via Jason Wolf of the Tennessean: "Big back, very tough runner, guy you're going to have to square up & tackle. He's given them a spark."
It's always possible that Ken Whisenhunt throws us another curveball and another Titans running back leads the team in carries. He likes to use guys based on packages, so it may come down to how the game unfolds.
If Andrews comes out dominant again, he should be able to carry the Titans to victory.
Prediction: Titans 20, Texans 14
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This looks to have all the makings of another defensive battle for the Titans. They've seen plenty of these so far in 2015, and shaky quarterback situations should lead to the same thing.
It may be more about how inept the Texans are and not so much about how well the Titans play.
It is time to start paying some serious attention to the Titans defense, most notably its ability to pressure the quarterback. It doesn't always get the sacks, but it's great at hurrying the opposing quarterback into tough throws.
The defense did a great job at this against Matt Ryan, limiting him to just 10 points.
Hoyer should be a much easier quarterback to handle than Ryan. This team is hungry for a win, and it'll feed off its defense in an ugly affair.
The Titans will also impose their will in the running game and stick with the hot hand. That will most likely will be Andrews, who will push to be the first 100-yard performer for the Titans this season.
Neither team is probably going anywhere far, but the Titans finally scratch their way to another win thanks to a valiant defensive effort. The defense forces a couple of key turnovers that turn to points, and Tennessee climbs out of the division cellar.
Prediction: Titans 20, Texans 14
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