NFL Week 15: Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans

The AFC South Champion Tennessee Titans try to secure homefield advantage against the rising Houston Texans.

Texans vs. Titans Overview:
The budding rivalry between the Houston Texans and the Tennessee Titans does not have the long history of other classic showdowns but is quickly gaining all the energy and excitement that accompanies legitimate hatred between two teams. Whenever the Tennessee Titans come to their former home of Houston, Texas, the boo birds and fans of Houston Oilers nostalgia come out in equal numbers. Fans with Houston Texans tickets will be more vocal than ever as their team tries to earn a winning record and play spoiler to the 12-1 Tennessee Titans.

Houston Texans Offense:
Fans with Houston Texans tickets saw Houston Texans running back Steve Slaton enjoy his first career start in NFL Week 3 against the Tennessee Titans, and the speedy rookie proved he deserved to start in the NFL with a great game. With over 1,000 rushing yards under his belt, Steve Slaton is basically one half of the offense by himself with FB Vonta Leach blowing open holes for him. WR Andre Johnson is the best player on the team and always thrills fans with Houston Texans tickets with his dominance in the secondary. QB Matt Schaub is healthy and dropped 400 yards on the Green Bay Packers.

Houston Texans Defense:
Though it has been a weak spot for most of the season, the Houston Texans defense has stepped up in recent weeks. The play of DE Mario Williams has been the catalyst to this turnaround, and the monster is second amongst all NFL DEs in sacks. MLB DeMeco Ryans has been playing through an injury but still racks up tackles, though rookie OLB Xavier Adibi is emerging as a great player as well. Fans with Houston Texans tickets have been amazed as CB Jacques Reeves has gone from whipping boy to the best player in the secondary along with CB Dunta Robinson.

Tennessee Titans Offense:
Like a Kentucky Derby thoroughbred or Bruce Springsteen, the Tennessee Titans are born to run. Rookie RB Chris Johnson is proverbial lightning in a bottle and has gone over 1,000 yards for the season. Chris Johnson is one of the fastest players in the NFL, but the play of bruising RB LenDale White pounds defenders and tires them out to allow the big gains. FB Ahmad Hall and the impressive offensive line have become favorites of fans with Tennessee Titans tickets. QB Kerry Collins has a good rhythm with TE Bo Scaife and leading WR Justin Gage.

Tennessee Titans Defense:
No player on the Tennessee Titans roster will draw more ire from the crowd of fans with Houston Texans tickets in Reliant Stadium like DT Albert Haynesworth. As the best DT in the NFL, Albert Haynesworth takes over games and can crush running lanes or sack passers. DE Kyle Vanden Bosh and DT Tony Brown are also excellent players with OLB Keith Bullock being the captain of the front seven. CB Cortland Finnegan capitalizes on all the poorly thrown balls with clutch interceptions, but FS Michael Griffin is the true ballhawk of the Tennessee Titans secondary.

Houston Texans Keys to Victory:
The Houston Texans lost badly against the Tennessee Titans in Week 3 with the specter of Hurricane Ike over their heads. In that game, the Houston Texans established the ground game with Steve Slaton but were unable to get the ball to WR Andre Johnson. Fans with Houston Texans tickets know that the team goes the way Andre Johnson goes, and he cannot be shut out again. The good running of Steve Slaton should buy QB Matt Schaub plenty of chances off the play-action pass, but he must not make stupid throws into double coverage and has to pick his spots.

With a terrible collection of receivers and average quarterback play, the Tennessee Titans will not beat the Houston Texans throwing the ball. This means that the Tennessee Titans will run the ball often, and the defense must stop them. The DTs of the Houston Texans are poor against the run so the LBs must be aggressive, and the safeties need to play in the box. Mario Williams has to have another giant game like he had against the Jacksonville Jaguars in order to stop the run and pass. The pressure will be on OLB Xavier Adibi to cover TE Bo Scaife, the favored weapon of QB Kerry Collins.

Tennessee Titans Game Plan:
A heavy dose of LenDale White can be expected early by fans with Houston Texans tickets as the bowling ball gets behind his great offensive line to wear down the undersized defense. Once the linebackers and safeties of the Houston Texans have taken a few blows from LenDale White, the Tennessee Titans will unleash their dynamic rookie RB Chris Johnson to hit a few homeruns. If the Houston Texans crowd the box, then Kerry Collins will be forced to make some throws. TE Bo Scaife can have a huge impact if he can open things up in the middle with great crossing patterns.

In NFL Week 3, the Tennessee Titans allowed RB Steve Slaton to have a good game but focused all their efforts on WR Andre Johnson. The Houston Texans have mediocre WRs outside Andre Johnson and can afford to double the superstar on every play like they did in Week 3. Albert Haynesworth must play in the backfield for much of the game to pressure Matt Schaub and stop Steve Slaton. If the secondary can take away Andre Johnson, the Tennessee Titans can win.

Texans vs. Titans Outlook:
With the playoffs a distant memory, fans with Houston Texans tickets will settle for the second-best early Christmas present of the season, a win at Reliant Stadium over the Tennessee Titans. Not only is pride on the line but the Houston Texans are two wins away from their first-ever winning record in franchise history. Having Vince Young on the sidelines instead of getting his hometown crowd on his side will give the Houston Texans a strong advantage from their packed stadium. Fans with Houston Texans tickets will also be looking forward to booing Albert Haynesworth all day.

The Houston Texans hope to be able to craft the perfect storm to trap the Tennessee Titans. With the AFC South in their possession, the Tennessee Titans may go to sleep on their rivals and leave an opening. The Houston Texans have the third-best offense in the NFL and the loss in Week 3 was due to the team giving the ball away. With a successful Steve Slaton ready to go, it will be up to Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson to put the team over the top. With a thrilling victory over the Green Bay Packers giving the Houston Texans momentum, fans with Houston Texans tickets can expect an upset.