Official Texans @ Titans Game Thread, 9/16/2018

[Arky]

The 0-1 Texans head to Nashville to play the 0-1 Tennessee Titans in a noon Sunday matchup. Both teams were 27-20 road losers in Week 1 - the Texans to the Patriots and the Titans to the Dolphins. No update as of this writing to the status to Titans QB Marcus Mariota who suffered an elbow injury last week.

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), noon CST, Sunday, 9/16/2018

Announcers (http://506sports.com/nfl.php?yr=2018&wk=2) = Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

The line (http://www.madduxsports.com/nfl-odds.php) = TBD

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (late) = New England @ Jacksonville, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX (late) = Arizona @ LA Rams, Dick Stockton, Mark Schlereth

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Prime time:

TNF = Baltimore @ Cincinnati (NFLN)

SNF = NY Giants @ Dallas (NBC)

MNF = Seattle @ Chicago (ESPN)

[Arky]

First numbers on the point spread are coming in. Currently, Texans are favored by 1 to 2½...

[Arky]

Inactives:

Keke Coutee
Sammie Coates, Jr.
Kayvon Webster
Roderick Johnson
Jadeveon Clowney
Carlos Watkins
Christian Covington

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Texans now favored by 3 to 4. One website has 79% of the money going to the Texans making it the most lopsided pick of the week....

[Keith]

So the Titans are missing 3 OTs today, and I can't figure out what is going on with Clowney. Something just doesn't add up. Safe to say his days as a Texan are numbered.

[Arky]

Titans use a fake punt to get on the scoreboard first. Receiver was wide open.

Titans 7, Texans 0

9:51 left in the 1st qtr.

[chuck]

It is just mind boggling how incompetent this team is at basic things any high school team would know to do. The leave the guy on the outside completely uncovered. No gunner, no nothing. Insane.

I'm beginning to think that Belichick is a guy of average intelligence in normal but he just looks like a genius compared to fking knuckle draggers like BOB.

[Joshua]

Not a good look when one of your former coaches knows he can pants you right out of the gate.

[Keith]

This is pretty disgusting.

Two foul starts not even halfway through the first quarter on Davenport.
No gunner on the fake punt.
Fumbled snap exchange.
Short field goal attempt.


What does the rest of the first quarter even have in store?

[Arky]

Titans march down the field and score on a screen pass in the flat to Taylor that goes for 18 yards.

Titans 14, Texans 0

35 seconds left in the 1st qtr.

[Big Texas]

This might be O'briens last game.

I believe Hop has gotten into Watson's head...its that whole "Im the guy...look for me syndrom"

[chuck]

This might be O'briens last game.

Not unless McNeck has finally kicked it.

But it is starting to feel like any number of previous seasons where I was actively rooting for horrible things to happen to the team so that the owner might finally wake up and see what was happening.

[Arky]

Looks like a Titan running free at Watson on every pass play. Don't think we have a staff capable of scheming against the blitz.... One screen play so far...

[chuck]

Hilarious, Vrabel showing zero respect for the Texans defense.

[Big Texas]

They arent even hiding the blitz...no audible nothing...

Ive been trying stick with BOB but this game is embarrassing. Watson looks like he has regressed mentally...

[Big Texas]

Watson's pre-snap reads seem to all be wrong...I place that blame on BOB

Hes seems to be falling into that old Texans trap...stare down Hopkins...

He just needs to get back to relying on his instincts...

[Arky]

Watson finds Hopkins in the back yard for a 28 yard TD. Really needed that one.

Titans 14, Texans 7

58 seconds left in the half.

[Arky]

Fairbairn connects on a 34-yard FG with 2:39 left in the 3rd qtr.

Titans 14, Texans 10

[Big Texas]

Watson looks so much better when he is not locked on DHop the whole time...just drop back and throw...

On another note, we need to take some shots to Fuller instead of deep shots to a double covered DHop

[Arky]

Boom! Watson's deep pass hits Fuller for 39 yards and the TD!

Texans 17, Titans 14

13:25 left in the game.

[Big Texas]

There it is...

[Arky]

Watson looks so much better when he is not locked on DHop the whole time...just drop back and throw...

On another note, we need to take some shots to Fuller instead of deep shots to a double covered DHop

Good call!

[Arky]

Succop hits a 42-yard FG to tie the game up.

Texans 17, Titans 17

9:43 left in the game.

[Arky]

Succop hits a 31-yard FG with 1 minute left in the game.

Titans 20, Texans 17

[Big Texas]

Wow...they say the teams QB takes on the personality of the head coach. That last play looked like classic Bill O'brien...

[Arky]

Final score:

Titans 20, Texans 17

Texans lose to Blaine Gabbert for the first time. SMH.

[chuck]

My favorite back to back plays were certainly those two quick outs for a total of one yard.

[Arky]

My favorite back to back plays were certainly those two quick outs for a total of one yard.

Eheh. I don't get the thinking there. "Well, that didn't work. Let's try it on the other side". WTF?

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Texans outgained them 437 to 283.

Texans had 21 1st downs. Titans had 15.

Took the Texans a full half to adjust to the blitz.

The fake punt/TD completely changed the complexion of the game....

[barrett]

Watson is so raw still. And with an offseason teams obviously have a much better idea how to defend him. He's going to have to learn to give up on plays. Not every play is a winner at this level.

Overall a God awful loss. When you play a team with zero offense you should go into the game expecting them to try to win with something other than offense (like a gimmick fake punt). Instead we looked like we had never considered the possibility. The coaching has been embarrassing so far.

[Arky]

Texans are a ridiculous 6 to 7 pt (http://www.madduxsports.com/nfl-odds.php) favorites over the NY Giants this Sunday. Texans are 0-2 ATS so far this year and are too dysfunctional for me to pick them - until further notice. Fact is, probably the only way they cover is if I take the Giants - which I probably will.

I've played in a pickem contest every year for the last 4-5 years. The rules are, each week you pick 5 games between NFL and NCAA. One of the picks is a "best bet" and carries double the value. Guess who my best bet has been the last two weeks?.....eheh. I went 0-5 this weekend, first time ever in 4-5 years of playing. Texans, Pats, Giants - all failed. 49'ers had a comfortable lead and got back-doored. For the record, I've had several 5-0 weekends.

None of this is earth-shaking or on topic - just thought I'd share....

[barrett]

Texans are a ridiculous 6 to 7 pt (http://www.madduxsports.com/nfl-odds.php) favorites over the NY Giants this Sunday. Texans are 0-2 ATS so far this year and are too dysfunctional for me to pick them - until further notice. Fact is, probably the only way they cover is if I take the Giants - which I probably will.

I've played in a pickem contest every year for the last 4-5 years. The rules are, each week you pick 5 games between NFL and NCAA. One of the picks is a "best bet" and carries double the value. Guess who my best bet has been the last two weeks?.....eheh. I went 0-5 this weekend, first time ever in 4-5 years of playing. Texans, Pats, Giants - all failed. 49'ers had a comfortable lead and got back-doored. For the record, I've had several 5-0 weekends.

None of this is earth-shaking or on topic - just thought I'd share....

Obviously you know this, but the spreads aren't predictions, but rather attempts to influence how people bet. Nobody in the world likes the Titans. People in Tennessee don't even care about the Titans. They are a distant 2nd to the Volunteers for in state football. Deshaun Watson on the other hand is exciting and inspires bets. So we can look forward to betting lines being skewed our way until we prove completely incompetent.

[Arky]

Obviously you know this, but the spreads aren't predictions, but rather attempts to influence how people bet. Nobody in the world likes the Titans. People in Tennessee don't even care about the Titans. They are a distant 2nd to the Volunteers for in state football. Deshaun Watson on the other hand is exciting and inspires bets. So we can look forward to betting lines being skewed our way until we prove completely incompetent.

Oh yeah, I'm aware of that.

The deal is, the Texans on paper really have a pretty good squad with stars and near stars. They should be more competent than they have shown. It's been a revelation that they are such an underachieving, dysfunctional mass of incompetence. Kind of painful to watch.

The Astros are receiving the effect you speak of. The linesmakers make them the favorite just about every day. When Verlander pitches, count on a -200. When Verlander pitches against a rookie or any celler-dweller, it can go up to -300....