USA TODAY International Edition
Titans clinch AFC No. 1
Tennessee will have bye, home- field advantage
HOUSTON – Get revenge? Check. Now, the AFC runs through Nashville.
After falling to the Texans in one of their worst performances of the 2021 season, the Titans returned the favor, doing just enough to stave off a furious second- half rally from Houston in their regular- season finale to win 2825 at NRG Stadium on Sunday.
The victory clinched the AFC’s top seed and first- round bye for the Titans, who will now have home- field advantage throughout the playoffs. Tennessee will hold the conference’s No. 1 seed for the first time since 2008.
The Titans carried a 21- 0 lead at halftime and had the opportunity to put the game away with a touchdown to start the third quarter. But they sputtered offensively to start the second half. It was a three- and- out, marked by an overthrow by quarterback Ryan Tannehill to Julio Jones, who may have had a touchdown. Then another three- and- out, this time notable for a Tannehill fumble that was recovered by running back D’Onta Foreman. And another three- and- out. Three straight punts.
Defensively, Tennessee couldn’t stop the chunk plays in the passing game. The Texans scored on a 28- yard flea- flicker. Then a 24- yarder to Nico Collins and an 11- yard scramble by quarterback Davis Mills set up a field goal. Two 30- yard pass plays set up another TD. Houston converted a twopoint try to make it 21- 18. That marked 18 unanswered points for the Texans.
But on the Titans’ fourth drive of the second half, facing a critical thirdand- 5 from their own 30- yard line, Tannehill escaped a sack and completed a 36- yard heave to receiver Nick Westbrook- Ikhine to reach plus territory. The Titans’ quarterback later hit tight end Anthony Firkser for 24 yards to set up first- and- goal, and two plays later Jones was on the receiving end for his first touchdown with Tennessee to put the visitors up 28- 18.
The Texans didn’t go away, though. A seven- play, 80- yard scoring march by Houston – capped by a 26- yard touchdown by Danny Amendola, who blew past Titans defensive back Chris Jackson on the outside – cut the Titans’ lead to 28- 25.