For the first time since January of 2006, your Houston Texans will play a game that doesn't see Mario Williams starting at defensive end, thanks to Super Mario being placed on injured reserve earlier this week. Given all the problems that this defense has, that's a terrifying thought. Can Antonio Smith and Mark Anderson pick up the slack? The answer to that question can be found in the first prediction after the jump.
1. Yes. The answer is yes. Mark Anderson continues to show he's the latest example of Rick Smith making street free agent lemonade out of gritty street free agent lemons; mark him down for 1.5 sacks. Who gets the other half of Anderson's half-sack? Why, Amobi Okoye, of course! How could you have ever doubted him? Editor's Note: I still doubt him.
2. When the Texans tangled with Rusty Smith's Posse a few weeks ago, Arian Foster accounted for 218 yards of the team's 246 yards of offense. Foster fails to duplicate that performance on Sunday, as the Titans limit him to only 119 rushing yards and 52 receiving yards. This time, however, Foster does find the end zone. Twice.
3. Andre Johnson-Cortland Innegan II (Electric Bugaloo) is much ado about nothing. 'Dre finishes with 7 catches for 78 yards and a TD. Innegan, meanwhile, makes sure to stay out of trouble, lest the NFL and/or the wrath of 'Dre come down upon him.
PUT YOUR NAME ON IT: Although he truly could not have appeared to care less the last time these teams met, I remain scared of Randy Moss. With Houston's secondary, I also have a great fear of Kenny Britt. Fortunately, Tennessee apparently doesn't like to play Moss and Britt at the same time. If those two were on the field at the same time, Kerry Collins could drop back from center, close his eyes, and simply throw it as far as he could; one of those two would catch the ball 75% of the time. Make an offering to Durga that this isn't the week Jeff Fisher realizes that; if Fisher did tumble to that fact, I wouldn't be able to say Texans 27, Titans 21. But he hasn't, so I can.
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