The Houston Texans beat the Tennessee Titans 26-3 on Sunday at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, picking up their first win of the season after opening 0-4. C.J. Stroud threw for 261 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, while the Texans defense held Cam Ward and the Titans to three points.
Houston’s defense set the tone from the start, limiting Tennessee’s offense to one scoring drive all afternoon. Ward finished under 200 yards passing with no touchdowns, and the Titans’ running game struggled to find room all game. The Texans improved to 1-4 while Tennessee dropped to 0-5, both teams sitting at the bottom of the AFC South standings entering the week.
How The Texans Pulled Away
The game opened with a special teams trade of field goals. Tennessee’s Joey Slye hit from 30 yards with 10:39 left in the first quarter, and Houston’s Ka’imi Fairbairn answered from 45 yards late in the period to tie it at 3-3.
From there, Fairbairn took over. He added field goals of 35, 26 and 53 yards across the second quarter, pushing Houston’s lead to 12-3 at halftime. Stroud capped the scoring surge himself in the third quarter, punching in a 2-yard touchdown run at the 6:37 mark to make it 19-3. Houston put the game away in the fourth quarter when Stroud found Jaylin Noel for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 14:09 remaining, extending the margin to 26-3 and closing out the scoring.
Fairbairn made all four of his field goal attempts on the day, including the 53-yarder, and finished with 14 points on his kicks and extra points combined.
Top Performers
Stroud completed 26 of 34 passes for 261 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions, adding the rushing score in the third quarter. Woody Marks led Houston’s ground game with 62 yards on 15 carries. Xavier Hutchinson caught four passes for 65 yards to lead Houston’s receivers, while Nico Collins added five catches for 56 yards.
On defense, Will Anderson Jr. recorded three sacks to anchor Houston’s pass rush. Danielle Hunter added a sack of his own, while defensive tackles Logan Hall and Sheldon Rankins consistently pressured Ward in the pocket. Jake Hansen picked off Ward for his first career interception, one of two Houston takeaways on the day, and Dominique Robinson forced a fumble.
Azeez Al-Shaair, back from a one-game absence due to a groin injury, led all Texans tacklers with 11 total stops. Reed Blankenship recorded eight tackles and also contributed in coverage, while Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley limited explosive plays in the secondary.
For Tennessee, Ward finished 23 of 36 for 170 yards with an interception. Tony Pollard led the Titans’ rushing attack with 52 yards on 14 carries, and Wan’Dale Robinson caught six passes for 53 yards to pace the receiving group.
What It Means
The win snapped Houston’s four-game losing streak to open the season and moved the Texans to 1-4, still last in the AFC South behind Jacksonville (4-1), Indianapolis (2-3) and ahead of only Tennessee (0-5). The Titans remain winless through five games, with their lone touchdown drought continuing as their offense failed to find the end zone.
Houston did lose safety Jalen Pitre to a shoulder injury during the game, which ended his afternoon.
Areas Still To Fix
Despite the lopsided final score, Houston’s performance was not without issues. The Texans were flagged 11 times for 95 yards, and several running plays were called back due to holding penalties, including one would-be 24-yard touchdown run. Houston’s ground game finished inefficient as a result of those blocking breakdowns, even as Marks provided steady production. The offense avoided its worst habit from earlier losses, however, committing to only one three-and-out, which came with six minutes left in the game.
What’s Next
The Texans look to build on their first win while the Titans search for their first victory of the season. Houston’s defense, now operating under DeMeco Ryans’ direct play-calling, will be tested again as the team tries to climb out of the division cellar.s defensive turnaround, now operating under DeMeco Ryans’ direct play-calling, will be tested again as the team tries to climb out of the division cellar.
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