Back-to-Back 10-7 seasons for Ryans and Stroud.
The Day After the Day After…when the raw, immediate emotions from the aftermath of a game diminish into the realm of clarity and the proverbial (or literal) hangover no longer haunts the mind. With that, a review of Week 18:
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A glorified scrimmage/needed salve: With Houston locked into the fourth spot for the AFC playoffs, the final result of this game meant little. Win by 20 or lose by 20, Houston hosts the AFC Wild Card with the best record. Yet, few would argue that Houston needed something to feel good about after their losses at Kansas City and the Christmas Day Massacre at NRG to Baltimore. They got some good vibes. On the opening series, C.J. Stroud came out throwing, going six of six for 50 yards and a TD. While Nico Collins was the primary target, Stroud looked like the good Stroud. Even managed to move out of pressure and the get the ball down the field on a couple of plays. Mixon and Collins got their 1000 yard seasons.
Then, as the game moved on, more of the second string got some playing time, saving the starters for next week. To top it off, the team got a win. Perhaps meaningless, but the squad celebrated the big plays with gusto, even netting an unsportsmanlike conduct flag or two. Somehow, Ryans won’t go too hard on the squad for that.
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About those flags: In one respect, it can be hard to take much out of a game treated like a preseason contest. Still, a few things do stand out. Consider the needless flags on the road. Tunsil logged his fifth Pro Bowl and remains a well-regarded pass-blocker. He also remains a league-leader in snagging false-start penalties. Got two of them in the 1st half against the Titans. The team overall logged six flags for 48 yards, but half of those flags were of the pre-snap variety. Houston tied for sixth in the league in most penalties. That doesn’t auger well for the post-season.
The 2024-25 AFC South…yuck: If you wanted to call the AFC South the worst division in football, you’d have no shortage of evidence. Only the Houston Texans finished over .500 and half of the division seemed more in line for the first overall pick than the playoffs. They went 3-17 in non-conference play (mainly matched up against the NFC North), 10-14 in non-divisional conference games and generally looked really-not-good in big-time matchups. You could argue that the NFC South was just as bad, with a worse non-conference record, but on balance, those teams played better, especially later in the season. Houston may yet change the narrative if they can at least get back to the Divisional Round, but until Saturday, the narrative is that the AFC South sucks, and Houston mainly benefited from winning a suck division.
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The Intrigue of the Titans: For a team that had dark-horse playoff contending hopes, finishing with the #1 pick in the draft might seem a major setback. However, they find themselves in an interesting off-season situation. Given that the team alternated between Will Levis and Mason Rudolph, this team may need a new QB, and they will have their pick of Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. Or, they could go best player available, and getting a dual-threat talent like Travis Hunter never hurts. Or, they could just trade out of the #1, getting a major haul of draft capital. As mentioned earlier, the AFC South is not all that good, so only a few moves could get the ex-Oilers back in contention. Granted, they need to figure out their front office and strategic direction, but they will be a team to watch in the offseason.
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FUN WITH NUMBERS:
11: Consecutive division games won on the road. The most unlikely of streaks continues. Houston hasn’t lost a road division game since 2021. Ryans is 6-0 in road division games. It does help that the division isn’t quality, but many of those wins came when Houston rated the worst team in the division.
1-9: Regular season record after winning a division title. By virtue of their 23-14 win, Houston finally won a regular season game after clinching the division. That did nothing in the grand scheme of things, but you take whatever positives you can get.
49: Total sacks logged by the Texans. A franchise record, and a reason why Houston might have a puncher’s chance in these playoffs. With two sacks against the Titans, the Texans finished tied for fifth in the league in that stat. Their aggressive, attacking style, led by their defensive line, did much to help Houston win games. That must continue in the post-season if the squad hopes to avoid a one-and-done.
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GAME BALLS:
RB/KR Dameon Pierce: Hard to go against the game ball calls in the immediate recap. Pierce had his best day as a pro running back, with 176 yards on 19 carries and a TD. Throw in a 34-yard kickoff return and he did some work. His 92-yard romp got the most headlines, but even taking that out of the equation, his 18 carries for 84 yards still equates to a solid day at the office, with many of those runs in the fourth quarter as Houston looked to salt this one away.
DL Derek Barnett: Also called out in the immediate recap, but can you argue against it? His fumble recovery got the headlines, putting him in a tie for fifth in team TDs. He is also the defense’s leading scorer with 12 points. Yet, his sack and TFL in the first half were things of beauty. disrupting what little chances the Titans had when the game was competitive.
QB Davis Mills: This is not for his numbers (12 of 22 for 128 yards). This was more for the fact that the team has won its last three games when he takes at least one game snap in Tennessee. Given that he was sidelined last season when the Texans needed a QB to replace an injured C.J. Stroud, it has to feel somewhat reassuring that the team kept him, extended him for another season, and let him oversee the win in Nashville. Does the win count for anything? No, but for Mills, you take what you can get. Plus, he gave us this glorious moment in time:
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SHOULD BE FORCED TO WEAR ACTUAL TITANS GEAR FOR LONGER THAN 3 SECONDS, FOLLOWED BY BEING FORCED TO HANG BUD ADAMS’ PICTURE IN EVERY ROOM OF THE RESIDENCE.
Offensive Coordinator Bobby Slowik: Did you think he would get out of here without some criticisms. Sure, the opening drive went as well as hoped with Stroud, Mixon, and Collins. Yet, some of the play-calling left a lot to be desired, even in a near-preseason game. The squad went 1-of-4 in red zone chances, and some of the play-calling along the goal-line, especially with two plays inside the Titans’ 2-yard line, well, two incompletions, but still, Slowik, who leaned on the running game, outsmarted himself. You hope he got his mistakes out of the way here, but then again…
The Titans: Where to begin? First, trying to troll the current Houston team by wearing the Houston Oilers’ uniforms, only to lose in embarrassing fashion for the second straight time. Then, corrupting the good name of Johnny Cash by playing “Ring of Fire” for the limited scoring successes of a team worthy of the #1 draft pick. On top of that, well, the legacy of the Adams family is about a horrid a curse as I imagine for the squad. Don’t know what ol’ K.S. “Bud” Adams thinks when he looks up at his squad, but this can’t be what he imagined when he settled in TN.
With that, the Houston regular season is done. They finish 10-7, AFC South Champions, and are now on to their designated Wild Card Weekend slot of hosting the opening playoff game on opening Saturday. This time, they kickoff against the Los Angeles Chargers at 3:30 CST on CBS/Paramount+. See y’all there.