Week 12: Tennessee Titans 32, Houston Texans 27
Sunday, November 24th, 2024 | 12:00pm CT | NRG Stadium
Nashville, TN – In Week 12 of the 2024 season, the Tennessee Titans traveled to the division rival Houston Texans and won by a score of 32-27 to climb to 3-8 on the season and 1-1 in the division.
The Texans got off to a fast start after RB Dameon Pierce took the opening kickoff 80 yards to the Titans 19-yard line. QB C.J. Stroud found TE Cade Stover on the next play for the touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead.
Tennessee answered with a 51-yard field goal by K Nick Folk.
After forcing a Texans punt on the next possession, the Titans took over at their own 11-yard line. QB Will Levis led a 10-play, 89-yard drive that culminated in a 38-yard touchdown pass to WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine to give the Titans their first lead of the day.
Tennessee’s defense forced another Houston punt on the next possession and the Titans took over at their own five-yard line. Facing third-and-11, Levis found WR Calvin Ridley deep for a 63-yard completion. RB Tony Pollard found the end zone two plays later on a 10-yard run to make it 17-7. He totaled 33 yards on three carries during the six-play, 95-yard drive.
The Texans answered with a five-yard touchdown pass form Stroud to WR Nico Collins that capped a 10-play, 78-yard drive to make it 17-14 with 6:17 left in the first half.
On the next possession, Levis and Pollard fumbled a handoff exchange and the ball was recovered by DT Mario Edwards Jr. to give Houston the ball at their own 35-yard line. After a 56-yard completion from Stroud to Collins brought the Texans to the Titans nine-yard line, Tennessee’s defense stiffened up and forced a 28-yard field goal from K Ka’imi Fairbairn.
Levis was sacked twice on the next offensive possession, forcing the Titans to punt. However, two plays into the Houston drive, Stroud was intercepted by CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. to give Tennessee the ball at the Houston 20-yard line. The Titans closed out the half with a 56- yard field goal from Folk to give the Titans the 20-17 lead going into the break.
The Titans opened the second half with a 51-yard field goal from Folk, his third field goal of 50-plus yards on the day, to extend the Titans lead to 23-17.
Both teams then traded punts before Houston took over at their own 25-yard line. LB Kenneth Murray then jumped a Stroud pass for the interception and returned it six yards to the Houston 39-yard line. However, three plays later, Levis was intercepted by S Jimmie Ward who returned it 65 yards for a touchdown to give Houston a 24-23 lead to end the third quarter.
The Tennessee Titans punted on their next possession, and Houston took over at their own 34-yard line. Two false start penalties and NT T’Vondre Sweat’s first career sack forced the Texans to punt but WR Jha’Quan Jackson muffed the punt and it was recovered by CB Kris Boyd to give the Houston Texans back possession at the Titans 43-yard line. Titans defense once again stiffened and forced a 54-yard field goal by Fairbairn.
On the next play from scrimmage, Levis found TE Chig Okonkwo for a 70-yard touchdown to retake a 30-27 lead.
Later, Fairbairn missed a 28-yard field goal that would have tied the game with 1:53 left in the fourth quarter. On the Titans next possession, P Ryan Stonehouse boomed a 61-yard punt to pin the Texans at their own eight-yard line. A seven-yard sack by DT Jeffery Simmons pushed Houston back to their one-yard line before OLB Harold Landry III recorded a safety in the closing moments to seal the win.
