The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans faced off in a divisional duel that no one expected would end this way. The Texans are on an upswing, sitting atop the AFC South and on track for postseason success. The Titans are in the early stages of a rebuild that has been difficult all season.
The Texans went into the match as favorites for a reason, but the Titans decided they didn't care this week and with a few defensive takeaways, the Titans walked away with a 32-27 win.
Here's a quick look at the studs and duds (and studly duds) from Sunday's win:
STUDY: RB Tony Pollard
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Titans running back Tony Pollard had his best game of the season against the Texans on Sunday, hauling in 24 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown. He averaged five yards per carry, scored a touchdown and added three receptions for ten more yards. Pollard knew he was essentially on his own today with the elimination of Tyjae Spears, and he put that offense on his shoulders, which he deserved Player of the game Honors this week.
DUD: S Julius Wood
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
Julius Wood didn't have the best game today. He recorded a total tackle and committed a penalty on a special teams play in the first quarter. Otherwise he was a non-factor.
STUDY: LB Kenneth Murray Jr.
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
Linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. was all over the field tonight. On his way to leading the defense with seven tackles (six solo), two tackles for a loss, two passes defended and a quarterback hit, Murray managed to disrupt the Texans' offense at almost every turn. His energy was palpable and the rest of the defense fed off of it. Murray played an excellent game against the Texans.
DUD: WR Jha'Quan Jackson
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Jha'Quan Jackson was a solid special teams player in his rookie season, but he struggled against the Texans in Week 12. Not only did he return two punts for two yards, but he also botched a punt that was recovered by the Texans for a turnover. It's not what we normally expect or see from Jackson, but today wasn't his day.
Stallion: CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr.
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Jarvis Brownlee Jr. has struggled in recent weeks. He had penalties he doesn't normally commit and seemed exhausted on the field. However, we didn't see any of that this week. Brownlee recorded four tackles (three solo), one tackle for a loss, three passes defensed and grabbed his first interception of his NFL career. More of that will go a long way toward helping the Titans win.
DUD: CB Justin Hardee Sr.
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Justin Hardee Sr. doesn't see the field often, but he struggled while out there today. He only had one tackle, it was a solo tackle, and he committed a penalty that cost the Titans a few yards. He didn't bring the team down per se, but he didn't really help either.
STUDENT Jerkass: QB Will Levis
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Will Levis actually had a pretty good game. He completed 18 of 24 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns. However, he threw his standard interception and was sacked eight times, so there is still work to be done. Not only do these sacks get on his nerves, his line doesn't do him any favors on the right side, but he needs to learn to avoid some of them. Still, this was one of his best performances to date and there is hope in the Titans' locker room.
More stud earrings:
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- WR Calvin Ridley
- TE Chig Okonkwo
- WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- RB Julius Chestnut
- S Roger McCreary
- S Mike Brown
- LB Harold Landry III
- NT T'Vondre Sweat
- K Nick Folk
More DUDS:
Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
- TE Nick Vannett
- RT Nicholas Petit-Frère
- C Daniel Brunskill
- EN James Williams
- LB Luke Gifford
- LB Ali Gaye
