Texans know the importance of game vs. Titans
It is the first time since 2016 that the Houston Texans are pushing for the AFC South crown and the journey continues in their Monday Night matchup with the Tennessee Titans. The Texans dropped their first meeting against the Titans in Week 2 27-20 but things have changed since that point. The Texans are in the middle of a seven-game win streak that has them sitting alone atop the AFC South.
Enter the Titans who are currently 5-5 and are trying to close the gap but the Texans can improve their chances for the playoffs if they can get the win on Monday Night. Head Coach Bill O’Brien knows this is why the Texans play to win especially with what games mean late in the season.
“I think what happens is when you’re winning, they all become more and more important,” O’Brien explained. “I think that’s what you want. You want it that way, and we have to focus hard on the details. Winning football in November-December means that you’ve earned the right to win during the week. You’ve earned the right to go out there and compete and win because you’ve prepared during the week and paid attention to the details and done everything that you’re asking each other as teammates or as coaches and players to go out and do to be able to win a game. As you keep continuing to win, that becomes more and more critical.”
The Texans drafted Deshaun Watson for this exact reason, to have a quarterback that was built for big games. Watson has been an instrumental player in the Texans success this season and he understands that any playoff hopes first starts with focusing on the Titans.
“The next game is always the most important,” Watson explained. “We just try to keep on stacking wins and put us in position for later on down the season. It’s a very important game. It’s a home game. We want to win those. It’s a division game. We have to make sure we prepare well and get ready for it.”
Watson enjoys the spotlight on him and his teammates and that is exactly what it will be on Monday Night Football. Those prime-time games produce a little more excitement for the Texans and Watson is just fine with that.
“You’re the only one on national TV, so you get the chance to kind of show what you’ve got and what you’ve been preparing for,” Watson explained. “Every game is very important, but of course Monday nights, Sunday nights and Thursday nights have a little bit more juice.”
The Texans have a chance to set a franchise record with their eighth win if they can close out the Titans. Not only would it be an impressive run for the Texans but it would extend their lead in the AFC South. O’Brien knows this league is about improving and that is exactly what the Texans are going.
“I think you’re always looking to improve,” O’Brien said of his team. “No doubt about it. I think that’s what the league’s all about. Who can get better the fastest, who can be the team that improves the fastest as the year goes on? I think every game there’s going to be chances for improvement, and we definitely have to improve. No doubt about it.”
SERIES HISTORY: 34th regular-season meeting. Titans lead series, 18-15. The Titans defeated the Texans in Week 2 20-17 with a fake punt pass from Kevin Byard to Dane Cruikshank early in the first quarter. The Texans could not recover from that and costly turnovers down the stretch by Deshaun Watson led to the Texans falling short.