Tennessee Titans embarrassed by the Houston Texans
The Tennessee Titans have been crushed. It was no contest. The Titans started the season in relatively better form but they have lost the last four games since week 8. Before the Titans set off on their losing streak, the Titans records was a respectable
5-2. By week 12 they stand at 5-6.
Who is to say what happened to the Titans but their downward spiral has led them to rock bottom. This Sunday, Tennessee lost to the Houston Texans in a game they couldn’t have possibly played any worse. They didn’t score even once in the game while the Texans
scored two touchdowns and two field goals. That is particularly unbelievable considering the fact that Houston’s defence ranks 31st in the league and on average they have conceded 26 points per game.
Titans rookie quarterback Rusty Smith has had a nightmare of a first start. He was sacked in the very first play of the game. In 17 successful attempts, of a total 31, Smith threw 138 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. “I wish I could have some
of those throws back,” Smith said. He threw his first interception in the second quarterback of the game. The ball was caught by Glover Quin. The Texans scored a touchdown off the interception, the first of the game.
The Texans scored again in the second quarter. In the final drive of the quarter the Texans’ running backs carried the drive into the end zone. Quarterback Matt Schuab didn’t have to through a pass until the Texans were on the 16 yard line. He threw a 2
yards pass to Andre Johnson for touchdown.
Andre Johnson would later be ejected from the game along with Tennessee’s Cortland Finnegan. Tennessee frustration was obvious by the fourth quarter and erupted on the field in the form of a fist Finnegan Johnson. “He kept doing little things and I told
him: ‘Just because you're frustrated, you need to stop what you're doing,’” Johnson said. “I guess he thought it was funny.” Johnson said that his anger built up over the course of the game and exploded in the final quarter due to Finnegan’s antics. Titan’s
coach Jeff Fisher was clearly disappointed by the incident. “You don't want to see that stuff.” This was the seconds such incidence between the two. Last season Johnson had been fined after a confrontation between Finnegan and Johnson. Finnegan did not comment
on the incident.
Smith got close to scoring twice in the final quarter but on both occasion interceptions foiled the drives. His second interception came in the 4th minute of the final quarter. A 15 yards penalty on a 53 yard punt which was returned for 14 yards
put the Titans on Houston’s 36 yard line. Two more penalties gave the Titans 25 more yards. On the 9 yard line, Smith threw a pass at Justin Gage but was intercepted once again by Glover Quin. The Texans converted that interception into a field goal.
Tennessee squandered another opportunity to score in the final minutes of the drive. With less than 3 minutes remaining, the Titans offense put up its last stand. Smith played his best football of the game throwing 10, 23 and 19 yards in the drive. With
more than a minute remaining the Titans broke through into the red zone but Smith threw the final interception of the game from the 7 yard line. For the third time in the game Quin intercepted Titans’ quarterback. The ball bounced off Houston’s linebacker
Brian Cushing. Before the ball hit the ground, Quin’s quick reflexes kicked in and he caught the ball.
A minute remained in the game with the Texans leading 20 against nothing. To ensure a shutout, Houston’s quarterback Matt Schuab kneeled twice to run down the clock and win the game for the Texans.
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