Game Notes: Titans vs. Texans

Dec 15, 2019 at 03:28 PM

TEAM NOTES

· The Titans totaled 432 yards of offense, giving the team its fifth game reaching 400 total yards within an eight-game span, beginning with its victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 20. Since that time, the Titans are averaging 399.8 yards per contest.

· The Titans rushed for 163 total yards, marking their fifth consecutive game with at least 150 rushing yards. That is the second-longest streak of its kind in franchise history and the longest since 2009, when the Titans had a franchise-record six consecutive games with at least 150 rushing yards.

· The Titans were penalized four times for 30 yards. Their 30 penalty yards were their second-fewest of the season behind their 21 penalty yards at Oakland in the previous game (Dec. 8). The Titans have played three consecutive games with no more than four penalties after having five or more penalties in each of their first 11 contests.

· To begin the second half, the Titans offense went 76 yards on 15 plays, using 9 minutes and 26 seconds en route to Ryan Tannehill's one-yard touchdown run. It was the most plays by the Titans on a scoring drive in 2019, and the series used the most clock of any of their scoring drives in 2019. It was the most time used by the Titans during a scoring drive since a 10-minute, 8-second drive for a field goal at Indianapolis on Dec. 9, 2012, and it was the most time used by the Titans during a touchdown drive since a 9-minute, 29-second march against the New York Giants on Dec. 1, 2002.

· The Titans scored touchdowns on three of their four possessions in the red zone. It brought their season rate to an NFL-best 73.2 percent—30 touchdowns in 41 trips inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

· The Titans won the turnover battle with two interceptions by their defense and one interception on offense. Both of the defense's interceptions came with the Texans driving deep in Titans territory—first on Kenny Vaccaro's interception at the one-yard line and then Jayon Brown's interception in the end zone.

WR A.J. BROWN

· Totaled a career-high eight receptions for 114 yards and one touchdown. His previous career high for receptions was six catches against the Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 20.

· Posted a five-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter to notch the seventh touchdown catch of his rookie season.

· Became the first Titans player with consecutive 100-yard receiving games since wide receiver Nate Washington accomplished the feat in 2013 against the San Diego Chargers (Sept. 22) and New York Jets (Sept. 29).

· Recorded a 60-yard reception in the first quarter, the third-longest catch of his rookie season. The play advanced the ball from Tennessee's three-yard line to Houston's 37-yard line.

· Moved past Chris Sanders (823 receiving yards in 1995) for the third-highest receiving yardage total by a rookie in franchise history. The only previous Titans/Oilers rookies with more receiving yards than Brown in a season were Bill Groman (1,473 yards in 1960) and Ernest Givins (1,062 in 1986).

· His 47 receptions in 2019 rank fifth all-time by a rookie for the franchise. The only rookies with more catches in a season prior to Brown were Bill Groman (72 in 1960), Kendall Wright (64 in 2012), Ernest Givins (61 in 1986) and Sid Blanks (56 in 1964).

· Reached the 100-yard mark on an 11-yard catch in the third quarter. He became the franchise's first rookie to have four 100-yard receiving games since Ernest Givins (four 100-yard games) in 1986.

· Became the first Titans player (rookie or veteran) with four 100-yard receiving games in a single season since Drew Bennett had five such performances in 2004.

· His seven touchdown receptions rank fourth in franchise history for a rookie behind only Bill Groman's 12 touchdowns in 1960, Chris Sanders' nine touchdowns in 1995 and Mac Haik's eight touchdowns in 1968.

· His eight receptions in the game were the most by a Titans rookie since Oct. 7, 2012, when Kendall Wright had nine receptions at the Minnesota Vikings. Since 1970, only three other franchise players besides Brown and Wright recorded eight (or more) receptions in a game: wide receiver Mike Holston (eight vs. Atlanta on Nov. 29, 1981), wide receiver Ernest Givins (eight at Pittsburgh on Nov. 16, 1986) and running back Rodney Thomas (eight vs. Jacksonville on Oct. 1, 1995).

LB JAYON BROWN

· Recorded an interception in the third quarter, giving him his first interception of 2019 and the second interception of his career. With the Texans on Tennessee's four-yard line, Deshaun Watson's pass was batted by Jeffery Simmons, and Brown then came down with the ball in the end zone.

OLB KAMALEI CORREA

· Registered a sack in the first quarter, dropping Deshaun Watson for a nine-yard loss. The play gave Correa a career-high four sacks in 2019 and 7.5 sacks in his career.

WR COREY DAVIS

· Totaled 57 yards on three receptions, including a 22-yard reception in the first quarter, a 16-yard catch on a screen play in the third quarter, and a 19-yard grab in the fourth quarter.

RB DERRICK HENRY

· Totaled 86 yards on 21 rushing attempts (4.1 avg.). His streak of five consecutive games with at least 85 rushing yards matches the fourth-longest streak of its kind in franchise history.

· Produced a 23-yard run in the second quarter. It gave him five consecutive games with a rushing attempt of at least 20 yards.

· Became the team's first player to reach 1,300 rushing yards in a season since Chris Johnson had 1,364 rushing yards in 2010. With 1,329 yards on the season and two games remaining, Henry's rushing yardage total ranks 10th on the franchise single-season leaderboard.

RB DION LEWIS

· Recorded an 11-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter and added three rushing attempts for 10 yards. His touchdown reception was his first of 2019 and gave him seven career touchdown catches.

DL JEFFERY SIMMONS

· Caused an interception in the third quarter. With the Texans on Tennessee's four-yard line, he batted Deshaun Watson's pass in the air, and linebacker Jayon Brown caught the ball in the end zone for an interception.

TE JONNU SMITH

· Caught five passes for 60 yards and added a 57-yard rushing attempt.

· His 117 scrimmage yards were the most of his career, topping his previous career high of 78 scrimmage yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 27, 2019.

· His 57-yard rushing attempt came on the first play of the fourth quarter and helped lead to a touchdown. It was the longest rushing attempt by an NFL tight end since New York Jets tight end Rich Caster was credited with a 60-yarder against the Washington Redskins on Dec. 5, 1976.

· Caught passes on three consecutive plays in the fourth quarter, including a 23-yard reception. He had a 17-yarder earlier in the fourth quarter.

QB RYAN TANNEHILL

· Completed 22 of 36 passes for 279 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. His 92.2 passer rating was his seventh passer rating above 90.0 in eight starts in 2019.

· His two touchdown passes were both in the fourth quarter and included a five-yard pass to A.J. Brown and an 11-yard pass to running back Dion Lewis. He has 17 touchdown passes in 2019 and 140 career touchdown passes.

· Scored on a one-yard rushing attempt in the third quarter on a fourth-and-goal play. It marked his career-high fourth rushing touchdown of 2019 and the 10th rushing touchdown of his career.

· Completed a 60-yard pass to wide receiver A.J. Brown in the first quarter. It was his third completion of at least 60 yards in 2019.

· Recorded fifth game of his career and his third game of 2019 in which he completed at least one touchdown pass and rushed for at least one touchdown.

· Has recorded at least two touchdown passes in five consecutive games, which ties for the best streak of his career. He had a similar five-game streak in 2015 as a member of the Miami Dolphins.

S KENNY VACCARO

· Recorded his first interception of the season and the 10th interception of his career in the first quarter. On a play from Tennessee's 20-yard line on Houston's first possession, he stepped in front of a pass from Deshaun Watson to running back Duke Johnson at the one-yard line.