DEFENSIVE FUTILITY TO THE BITTER END.
Unit to blame again for another exasperating defeat to end season
The Texans’ 41-38 loss to Tennessee on the last play of the game was a microcosm of an exasperating season that ended with another devastating defeat, a five- game losing streak and a well-deserved 4-12 record.
While owner Cal McNair and the search committee continue the interview process to hire a new general manager and head coach, the Texans will look back at Sunday’s game at NRG Stadium and see problems that plagued them almost the entire season.
Deshaun Watson and the offense generated 457 yards, including 365 passing, and produced enough points to win, but the Texans gave away another game that resulted in an eighth one-score loss.
The Texans couldn’t stop the run or prevent a late collapse that gave away a possible closing victory that would have cost the Titans their first AFC South title since 2008.
Despite running back Derrick Henry rushing for a career-high 250 yards, becoming the only player in league history to accumulate at least 200 yards in three consecutive games against the same team and finishing with an NFL-high 2,027 yards, the Texans almost won this game.
The Texans trailed 24-9 in the third quarter, led 35-31 on Watson’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Pharaoh Brown with 10:14 left in the game, then tied it 38-38 with 18 seconds remaining on Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 51-yard field goal.
The Texans and Titans appeared to be headed for overtime for the second time this season. Sunday, perhaps Watson would put the Texans ahead, and the defense wouldn’t blow it like it did in the 42-36 overtime loss at Tennessee.
But there wouldn’t be another overtime because of one of the worst defensive plays in franchise history. The Titans had the ball at their 25 with 18 seconds left. All the Texans had to do was to play their safeties deep enough to prevent a long pass.
But guess what happened? They didn’t. They had cornerback Keion Crossen in man coverage on A. J. Brown, the Titans’ best and fastest receiver. Brown took off deep, got behind Crossen with no help over the top from a safety like Lonnie Johnson Jr. or A. J. Moore and caught a perfectly thrown 52-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill at the 23.
Two plays later, kicker Sam Sloman’s 37-yard field goal with no time remaining hit the right upright before dropping over the crossbar to enable the Titans to dethrone the Texans as division champions.
“I’ll tell you, they took a chance on that play,” interim coach Romeo Crennel said afterward. “They took an aggressive shot down the field, and they were able to make it. They had their speed receiver against our corner, and he kind of got a step on us and made a good catch. And that put them in position to win the game.”
No way Crossen should have been forced to cover Brown, who finished with 10 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown, by himself.
Asked about getting safety help on Brown, Crennel said, “No, he’s the fastest guy we’ve got in the backfield, so that’s why he was matched up on their speed guy, and we just got beat.”
In more ways than one. The defense, which was horrendous this season, needs to be overhauled by the next coach and general manager. It let down the team time and again. Sunday was just another example.
Letting the Titans go from their 25 with 18 seconds left to the Texans’ 23 with 10 seconds remaining because of a 52-yard completion was inexcusable but typical of the Texans’ performance this season.
“We’ve, unfortunately, had quite a few of those,” J. J. Watt said. “You’re in a position where you have a chance to win, offense drives down the field, 18 seconds left on the clock and you imagine that you’re going at worst into overtime, and that happens.”
The Texans were destroyed by Henry, Tannehill and Brown. But they did force their ninth turnover this season when Zach Cunningham stripped the ball from Henry, and Carlos Watkins recovered, setting up a touchdown drive that pulled the Texans within 31-28.
That fumble was the only mistake Henry made. He ignited the Titans to 288 yards rushing and four touchdowns, two each by Henry and Tannehill.
Henry became one of eight players to rush for at least 2,000 yards in a season, and he produced the fifth-best performance in league history. He’s also the first player to lead the NFL in rushing in back-to-back seasons since LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006-07.
“They did a great job,” Watt said about the Titans’ running game. “He’s a great running back. He’s big (6-3, 247). He’s fast. He’s powerful.
“They do a good job with the scheme, and we did not do enough to stop him. One of those (long runs) was on me, and I take full responsibility for that. But he had a great game.”
So did the Texans’ offense. After another slow start, Watson led them on eight consecutive scoring drives — three field goals, four touchdowns and a field goal — before the defense blew it.
One of the toughest jobs the Texans’ new defensive coordinator will have next season is to find a way to contain Henry. He ran for 211 yards in the last game of the 2019 season at NRG Stadium and 212 in the first game this season in Nashville.
In his last three games against the Texans, he’s averaged 224.3 yards.
Henry didn’t have to use that mean stiff-arm that’s embarrassed so many defenders. He bounced outside for runs of 52, 16, 28 and 45 yards. That’s 141 yards on four carries — more yards rushing than any Texan amassed this season.
“When he runs inside, guys collapse on him inside, and everybody feels like they have to collapse down to try to stop him,” Crennel said. “When he sees that, he has good enough feet, good enough speed and balance to get outside, and then once he gets outside in space, he’s hard to slow down.”
The Texans couldn’t slow down Henry, but they sure could have scared him and his teammates if they had been able to stop the game-winning drive and force overtime.
If the Texans had pulled off a come-from-behind victory, the Titans would have earned a wild- card berth and headed to Buffalo for the first round. As it is, they host the Ravens, a team they eliminated last season in Baltimore.
As for the Texans, they missed the playoffs for the fourth time in 10 years, and they better hope help is on the way with the new regime.