One week after getting embarrassed 30-6 by the Jets, the Texans escaped Nissan Stadium with another improbable victory, defeating the Titans 19-16 on Ka'imi Fairbairn's 54-yard field goal as the clock expired in overtime.
The Texans played without quarterback C.J. Stroud, receiver Nico Collins, right tackle George Fant, defensive end Will Anderson Jr., linebacker Blake Cashman and lost safety Jimmie Ward in the first quarter.
Behind quarterback Case Keenum, a surprise replacement for Davis Mills as the starter, the Texans did just enough to win. Keenum was clutch. The defense and special teams were fantastic, and the running game was terrific. Just an outstanding performance.
Grade: A-plus
Case Keenum made his third start in four seasons and engineered the come-from-behind victory after trailing by 13 points. He threw for 229 yards, including a touchdown and a pick-6.
He made two big-time plays when forced to scramble to complete passes to Dalton Schultz and Devin Singletary on a touchdown and a winning field goal drive. He was sacked three times and knocked down six times but was always calm under pressure. It was a splendid performance under difficult circumstances.
Grade: A-minus
Devin Singletary carried 26 times for 121 yards, his third triple-digit performance and his second-most yards rushing. He also caught four passes for 49 yards, including one for 41 yards in overtime that helped set up the decisive field goal. It was his best game of the season running and receiving.
Grade: A
With Nico Collins nursing a calf injury and Tank Dell gone for the season, Noah
Brown stepped up big time. After returning from an injury, he didn't have a catch in the last two games but caught eight for 82 yards against the Titans. His 3-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter helped set up overtime. Robert Woods added three receptions for 30 yards.
Grade: B
Not only did Dalton Schultz catch four passes for 58 yards, but one was spectacular and set up the Texans' only touchdown. With the ball at the Tennessee 18, the Texans faced second-and-10.
Case Keenum was under pressure when he threw a pass that could have been intercepted, but Schultz made an incredible 15-yard catch against cornerback Roger McCreary for a first down at the 3. The Texans scored three plays later.
Grade: B
Perhaps the best job of run blocking this season considering the Titans were giving up 110.2 a game. The Texans finished with 148, their second-biggest output of the season.
Laremy Tunsil left the game but returned. Charlie Heck replaced George Fant at right tackle for his first action since last season. Juice Scruggs struggled to pass protect against Denico Autry.
Two sacks were the fault of Keenum holding the ball too long and Davis Mills trying to throw a Hail Mary at the end of the first half.
Grade: A
Playing without the injured Will Anderson Jr., the linemen had their best performance of the season. They were great against the run, helping limit the Titans to 66 yards on 30 carries, a 2.2-yard average.
Derrick Henry, who averaged 203.6 yards and 7.1 a carry in his last five games against the Texans, finished with 9 yards on 16 carries.
The linemen also made life miserable for rookie quarterback Will Levis. He was sacked seven times, including 2.5 by Jonathan Greenard and 1.5 by Maliek Collins. Khalil Davis and Derek Barnett also had sacks.
The Texans knocked down Levis 11 times – nine by the linemen, three by Greenard. Of the defense's 12 tackles for loss, the linemen had seven.
Grade: A-plus
LINEBACKERS
In the loss to the Jets, the linebackers got burned in coverage. They rebounded with a remarkable performance Sunday, despite playing without the injured Blake Cashman. It was their most physical game of the season. Christian Harris had a marvelous game. He was in on eight tackles, including two for losses. He covered well and didn't miss tackles. Denzel Perryman was outstanding against the run, contributing 10 tackles. The linebackers made plays from sideline to sideline and didn't let the Titans get beyond the second level. They were all over Derrick Henry as a runner and receiver. He touched the ball 20 times and was limited to 10 yards.
Grade: A
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Derek Stingley Jr., Steven Nelson and Jalen Pitre knocked down two passes each. Pitre stripped a ball on a long pass and batted away another long pass. Nelson made a great play on his interception when he took away the ball from DeAndre Hopkins, who had two catches for 21 yards, despite being targeted nine times. Desmond King II led the team with 11 tackles. He had one sack and two tackles for loss.
When Jimmie Ward left in the first quarter with a concussion, DeAndre Houston-Carson and Adrian Amos replaced him. The secondary played the run well, too. They closed quickly and didn't miss a lot of tackles.
Grade: A
After missing five games with a thigh injury, Ka'imi Fairbairn kicked field goals of 23, 27, 53 and 54 yards. The 54-yarder was pure clutch with no time remaining in overtime. Fairbairn was amazing and received the game ball from DeMeco Ryans.
Cam Johnston had a 46.7 gross average and a 43.8 net. He put three punts inside the 20. Steven Sims did a splendid job on returns, averaging 23.7 yards on kickoff returns and 16.5 on punt returns. Coverage was solid.
Grade: A-plus
It was a challenge for DeMeco Ryans and his assistants trying to rebound from the 30-6 loss to the Jets. With so much adversity caused by a continued rash of injuries – not to mention the beatdown at MetLife Stadium -- Ryans and his staff, including coordinators Bobby Slowik, Matt Burke and Frank Ross, did a tremendous job of getting their players ready and helping them overcome a 13-0 deficit.
Janice, Hannah and Cal McNair know they have a terrific coaching staff that can handle just about any situation.
Grade: A-plus
John McClain can be heard Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday on SportsRadio 610 and Monday, Thursday and Sunday on Texans Radio, also on SportsRadio 610. He writes five columns a week and does three Houtopia Football Podcasts for SportsRadio610.com.
