Houston Texans vs Tennessee Titans Prediction: Home team must take their chances

The Tennessee Titans and the Houston Texans are set to face off in a Week 17 AFC South division matchup at NRG Stadium on Sunday afternoon. In this divisional rivalry, the question looms: which team will emerge victorious? Let's delve into the previews of this fixture and make a prediction.

The Houston Texans head into this game aiming to rebound from a 36-22 loss to Cleveland in their most recent outing. C.J. Stroud, who has posted impressive numbers with 3,631 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions on a 62.4% completion rate, is currently questionable for this game due to injury. Devin Singletary leads the team in rushing with 755 yards, complemented by Dameon Pierce with 400 rushing yards. Nico Collins is the top receiver for Houston, amassing 1,022 yards with 64 receptions and 7 TDs, while Tank Dell, with 47 receptions for 709 yards and 7 scores, is unfortunately sidelined for the remainder of the year due to injury. Noah Brown has contributed 559 receiving yards, and Dalton Schultz has recorded 574 receiving yards with 52 receptions and 5 touchdowns. Defensively, Blake Cashman leads the team with 87 total tackles, and Jonathan Greenard tops the charts with 12.5 sacks. Steven Nelson has also made a significant impact with a team-high 4 interceptions this season.

The Tennessee Titans enter this matchup seeking to bounce back from consecutive losses, bringing their season record to 5-10 following a 20-17 defeat to Seattle in their last game. Will Levis, with 1,792 passing yards, 8 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions on a 59% completion rate, has been a key contributor, while Ryan Tannehill has thrown for 1,280 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions with a 63% completion rate. Derrick Henry leads the team in rushing with 972 yards and 11 touchdowns, supported by Tyjae Spears with 428 rushing yards. In the receiving department, DeAndre Hopkins leads with 61 receptions for 939 yards and 6 TDs, and Chigoziem Okonkwo has made 49 catches for 458 yards. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Chris Moore each have over 350 receiving yards, with four more Titans accumulating 150+ receiving yards this season. On the defensive side, Azeez Al-Shaair boasts 145 total tackles, while Denico Autry leads the team with 11.5 sacks.

I am rooting for the Houston Texans in this matchup. I still believe that the Houston Texans have their sights set on crashing the postseason scene, and I believe that winning out over the next two weeks is their best chance to make that happen. It is obviously crucial to confirm that CJ Stroud will be back for this game, but I maintain that they have their sights set on doing so. For the next two weeks, I just don't know if the Tennessee Titans have what it takes to play spoiler; therefore, I'm going to go with the Houston Texans to close the game with a touchdown.