NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans (5-5) play their second consecutive divisional road game this week, traveling to face the AFC South's first-place Houston Texans (7-3) on Monday Night Football. Kickoff at NRG Stadium (capacity 71,795) is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CST on Nov. 26.
The Titans have won six of their last seven games on Monday Night Football, including a win in the only previous Monday night matchup with the Texans, a 20-17 final at Houston on Nov. 23, 2009. Three weeks ago (Nov. 5), the Titans beat the Cowboys on Monday night in Dallas by a final score of 28-14.
THE BROADCAST
The game will be nationally televised on ESPN. Additionally, the telecast can be seen in Nashville on WKRN News 2. The broadcast team includes play-by-play announcer Joe Tessitore, analysts Jason Witten and Booger McFarland, and sideline reporter Lisa Salters.
All live in-market games are now available for fans to stream on their phones and tablets, regardless of mobile provider. Fans can download the free NFL app to watch their local team live when they are on-the-go.
The Titans Radio Network, including Nashville flagship 104.5 The Zone, will carry the game across the Mid-South with the "Voice of the Titans" Mike Keith, analyst Dave McGinnis, sideline reporter Amie Wells and gameday hosts Rhett Bryan and
Jonathan Hutton.
Additionally, Westwood One will broadcast the game to a national radio audience. Play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan, analyst Kurt Warner and sideline reporter John Clayton will have the call.
TITANS LOOK TO TRIM HOUSTON'S DIVISION LEAD
The Titans traveled to Indianapolis last week and fell by a final score of 38-10. Starting quarterback Marcus Mariota left the game in the second quarter due to an elbow injury, and Blaine Gabbert passed for 118 yards and one touchdown in relief. Andrew Luck totaled 297 yards and three touchdown passes for the Colts.
The loss by the Titans put them and the Colts, who are also 5-5, two games behind the Texans in the AFC South race. The Jacksonville Jaguars are in fourth place in the division at 3-7.
The loss at Indianapolis broke the Titans' six-game winning streak in AFC South contests. They are 7-2 in the division since the start of the 2017 season. Three of their final six games of 2018 are within the division, continuing on Thursday, Dec. 6 at home against Jacksonville and the season finale at home versus Indianapolis on Dec. 30.
THE TEXANS
Since dropping their first three games of the season, including a loss to the Titans in Week 2, the Texans have won seven consecutive contests, including last week's dramatic 23-21 win at Washington. Ka'imi Fairbairn's 54-yard field goal in the fourth quarter gave the Texans a 23-21 lead, which they would keep after a 63-yard field goal attempt by the Redskins fell short as time expired.
Houston's 2017 first-round pick, quarterback Deshaun Watson, spent the final nine games of his rookie season on injured reserve. Healthy again, Watson has thrown for 2,597 yards and 18 touchdowns in his second year.
Three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt likewise has returned to form in 2018 after missing the last 11 games of 2017. He is tied for fourth place in the NFL with 10 sacks through 10 games.
Texans head coach Bill O'Brien is in his fifth season with the Texans. After he was appointed to his post in 2014, he hired Mike Vrabel from Ohio State to be the club's linebackers coach. Vrabel held the job until O'Brien promoted him to defensive coordinator in 2017, and a year later, Vrabel was hired as head coach of the Titans.
