NFL Game Summary - Houston at Tennessee
(Sunday, December 2nd)
Final Score: Houston 24, Tennessee 10
Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Matt Schaub completed 21-of-35 passes for 207
yards and two touchdowns to lead the Houston Texans to a 24-10 win over the
Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
The Texans' defense forced three interceptions and recovered three fumbles,
while Arian Foster carried the ball 14 times for 38 yards and a touchdown
and Lestar Jean had a 54-yard touchdown reception for Houston (11-1), which
clinched its second consecutive playoff berth with the win.
"It's amazing. Last year we clinched and the players were euphoric, this year
they expect to get there," Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said.
Tennessee's Jake Locker was 21-for-45 passing for 309 yards and a touchdown,
but threw three interceptions. Nate Washington had three catches for 96 yards
and Chris Johnson rushed for 51 yards on 13 carries for the Titans (4-8), who
have dropped four of their last five games overall.
"It is very frustrating to work so hard to turn everything around and go out
and have a performance like that," Johnson said.
Dowell Loggains made his debut as Tennessee's offensive coordinator, but was
anything but encouraged with the result.
"Nobody can be satisfied with this game from myself on down," Loggains said.
Earlier in the week the Titans fired offensive coordinator Chris Palmer, who
entered the game ranked 24th in the NFL in total offense.
Houston scored on the game's opening possession when Schaub found Jean
near the left sideline for a 54-yard catch-and-run for a touchdown. Jean
started toward the middle, but cut back to the sideline and Schaub delivered a
strike to the receiver. Jean then turned it up field and reached across the
goal line as he was hit for the touchdown.
Rob Bironas' 37-yard field goal on the ensuing drive made it a 7-3 game.
Earlier, Locker found tight end Jared Cook for a 25-yard reception and Johnson
followed with a 26-yard rush to put the ball at the Houston 24. Locker's pass
on 3rd-and-5 fell incomplete and the Titans were forced to settle for the
Bironas field goal.
After the teams traded a pair of punts, Schaub hooked up with James Casey for
a 5-yard touchdown pass. Schaub faked a hand off to the left side, rolled out
to his right then found Casey all alone for the score. Keshawn Martin set the
Texans up with excellent field position after returning Brett Kern's punt 42
yards down to the Titans' 20.
Locker's pass near the midway point of the second quarter was intercepted at
the Titans 10 by Tim Dobbins and returned seven yards to the Tennessee 3. Two
plays later, Foster waltzed into the end zone untouched to put Houston up
21-3.
After trading punts to open the second half, Locker was stripped by Antonio
Smith and Whitney Mercilus recovered the ball at the Tennessee 36. The Texans
were stopped on 3rd-and-2, however, and settled for a 50-yard field goal from
Shayne Graham.
Locker found Kenny Britt for a 34-yard touchdown later in the third quarter to
pull Tennessee within 24-10.
The Titans had chances to make it a one possession game on their next three
possessions, but turned it over each time. Tennessee drove down to the Houston
7, but on 4th-and-3 Locker fumbled.
Houston was forced to punt six plays later, and Locker once again led the
Titans into Houston territory, but on 4th-and-5 at the Texans's 33, Locker's
pass to Kendall Wright was batted down and Houston took over.
After forcing another Texans' punt, Locker threw an interception to Darryl
Sharpton and Houston was able kneel it three times to run out the clock.
"The team played very well offensively in the first half and played very
poorly offensively in second," Kubiak said. We're missing some key defensive
players, so you have to play well offensively. Then we turn around and play as
good a defensive game as we played all year. That just tells you that you're a
team, the defense was execution."
Game Notes
J.J. Watt had two passes defensed, and now has an NFL-record 15 on the year.
Reggie White has 13 for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1991 ... Houston will take
on the New England Patriots next Monday ... Titans right tackle David Stewart
left in the first quarter with a fracture right leg ... Washington extended
his streak of consecutive games with at least one reception to 74 -- 60 of
which have come with Tennessee.
12/03 02:22:20 ET

|