The Tennessee Titans pulled off a surprising win over a division rival, the Houston Texans, on Sunday, a game they weren't expected to win. Entering the match, the Texans were 7-4 and the Titans were 2-8. The Texans are building on last season's success behind CJ Stroud and the Titans are in the early stages of a rebuild.
But no one told the Titans not to win on Sunday, and they came out swinging. It was a hard-fought battle with a lot of back and forth, mistakes from both teams and a few big plays, but what ultimately decided the game was a missed field goal and a quarterback error that led to a safety.
For the Titans, it was more than just a win, it was a much-needed morale boost that showed the players that what they were doing was working. What Brian Callahan and his staff have planned is working. It took longer than expected for us to see these results, but they are on the way and there is hope in the organization.
As Week 13 begins, here's a look at how the Titans rank in a variety of power rankings.
Nate Davis, USA TODAY: 29 (30)
Barry Werner, List Wire: 27 (28)
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It was hard to imagine the Titans winning a game in Houston. It wasn't hard to figure out if Levis threw a pick-six in the win. The Titans played a good game and got a strong away win.
NFL Nation, ESPN: 29 (30)
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The Titans' pass defense is the league's top-ranked, allowing 169.6 yards per game, although offseason additions Chidobe Awuzie and L'Jarius Sneed were only available for a total of eight games. The problem is the Titans' 25th-ranked red zone defense, which allows touchdowns 64.7% of the time. So your FPI ranking is about right. The offense is one of the worst in the league because of its inability to consistently score points, especially in the fourth quarter where the Titans average an NFL-worst 3.5 points. The special teams were equally disastrous as they repeatedly gave up big plays in the return game.
Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network: 25 (NC)
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Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network:
The Tennessee Titans aren't just going to disappear in the offseason. They can have a big impact on the playoff race in the AFC, even without a ticket to the dance. Will Levis continues to show progress, but unfortunately it seems to be coming at a time when defenses are slipping.
The Titans' schedule has been tough so far, but it's going to get a lot easier in the next few weeks. Their results against the Bengals, Colts and Texans could shape the AFC playoff picture, especially if they can beat Houston in Week 18.
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: 26 (29)
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Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News:
The Titans are seeing a lot of good things from Will Levis with his best weapons – enough to judge whether they've found their franchise QB.
Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports: 28 (30)
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Will Levis threw a miserable pick 6 and we can't ignore that, but overall it was another pretty good game for him (278 yards, 123.3 passer rating). He's playing his way into a starting job for Tennessee in 2025.
Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk: 27 (31)
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Diante Lee, The Ringer: 27 (28)
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quarterback Will Levis will likely never be a robot in the pocket, but his arm talent opens the door for this offense to be explosive from anywhere on the field. I've been waiting for the Titans coaching staff to take advantage of Levis' strengths in the play-action passing game. Levis connected with his receivers on targeted shooting plays against Houston's aggressive coverage schemes, and head coach Brian Callahan had his best day as the Titans tied a season-high with five runs of more than 10 yards. The Titans don't care about much more than their own glory, but now we know they can be a spoilsport in the AFC South race.
Eric Edholm, nfl.com: 30 (29)
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After being held to 20 or fewer points in their last six games since the bye, the Titans exploded with a gaudy 32 in the Texans' upset in Houston. Even with two more Will Levis turnovers (including a pick-six) and eight sacks, the Titans had three passing plays of more than 30 yards and an average of a sufficient 4.0 yards per carry. Levis could have avoided at least three of those sacks, and he nearly snuffed out the game with his interception by staring at Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on the play. His toughness is unquestionable; He has recovered from almost every major blow this season. Levis hit Chig Okonkwo for a fourth-quarter touchdown and finished the game with big numbers, but his sacks and turnovers continue to diminish this team's expectations, even after a gutsy effort on Sunday.