Succop’s FG wins it

Ryan Succop kicked a 31-yard field goal with 1:00 left, and the battered Titans held off the Texans 20-17 to give Mike Vrabel his first victory as an NFL head coach.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Ryan Succop kicked a 31-yard field goal with 1:00 left, and the battered Titans held off the Texans to give Mike Vrabel his first victory as an NFL head coach.

Succop also kicked a tying 42-yarder in the fourth quarter as Tennessee (1-1) pulled out the victory with quarterback Marcus Mariota watching from the sideline. The Titans also were missing their top three offensive tackles.

Deshaun Watson and Houston (0-2) had the ball last. With 17 seconds left, Watson ran around the field looking for a receiver. He found DeAndre Hopkins for a 31yard completion to the Tennessee 21, but time expired before the Texans could run another play.

Blaine Gabbert, starting for his fourth NFL team, threw for 117 yards and a touchdown.

With Mariota watching because of an elbow injury that created numbness in his throwing hand, Vrabel and the Titans (1-1) got creative. They dipped into the playbook for some Wildcat with Derrick Henry on offense, and All-Pro safety Kevin Byard set an NFL record when he tossed a 66-yard touchdown pass on a fake punt.

On Tennessee’s opening drive, Byard hit a wide-open Dane Cruikshank down the right sideline. Byard’s touchdown pass was the longest by a defensive player in the Super Bowl era.