The Tennessee Titans (from here on referred to by their true name the BESFs (short for Baby-Eating Sister-[Kitten]ers), or the Not-The-Oilers), come to NRG this weekend. Riding with them is the scourge of the Houston Texans run defense, running back Derrick Henry.

Houston currently has the 29th best run defense, having surrendered 988 yards on 189 attempts for a 5.2 yard per carry average, 50 first downs and eight touchdowns.

With the combination of Henry’s success vs the Texans defense and Houston’s near utter inability to stop the run, and the BESF quarterback Ryan Tannehill might as well take the week off.

Houston has done a little to address the run D this week, however, with the signing of defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson, return of rookie Christian Harris and release of aging linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill. Either solid moves or shuffling Titanic deck chairs...

On the flip side, Houston has a bulldozer tailback of their own now in rookie Dameon Pierce.

When Pierce can get rolling behind Laremy Tunsil and the left side of the Texans offensive line, good things happen.

And, when Pierce runs behind the right side, with not-nearly-as-effective-at-run-blocking right tackle Tytus Howard, the tailback can make his own fortune.

With these two elite running backs hitting the opposing defenses, the game should end with a combined 300+ ground yards, easily.

The Not-The-Oilers run defense has performed far better this season the Houstons, ranking second with only 581 yards against. However, they’ve only faced two top-tier running backs so far in the New York Giants Saquon Barkley and the Las Vegas Raiders Josh Jacobs.

Barkley gashed the BESF defense for 164 yards and Jacobs was held to 66 as the Raiders ran a passing oriented gameplan that saw Derrick Carr throw for over 300 yards.

Will Dameon Pierce have another 100 yard game? We’ll find out this Sunday.

Quick Hits: Tennessee Titans vs Houston Texans Preview

• Titans lead all-time series, 22-18
• Titans have won 4 of last 5
• LAST GAME: 1/9/22: Titans 28 at Texans 25
• LAST GAME AT SITE: 1/9/22

Tennessee Titans Stats

• QB RYAN TANNEHILL aims for 4th in row overall & 5th in row vs. division with 0 INTs. Has 95+ rating in 3 of past 4. Passed for 287 yards & 4 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 138.9 rating in last meeting. Has 100+ rating in 4 of his past 5 starts vs. Hou.
• RB DERRICK HENRY rushed for season-high 128 yards last week, his 28th-career game with 100+ rush yards, 2nd-most in NFL since 2016. Aims for 5th in row with 130+ scrimmage yards & 4th in row with 100+ rush yards. Has rush TD in 4 of past 5. Has 673 rush yards (224.3 per game) & 7 rush TDs in his past 3 vs. Hou. & aims for his 4th in row vs. Hou. with 200+ rush yards & 2+ rush TDs. Has 100+ rush yards in 9 of his past 10 vs. division. Aims for his 4th in row on road with rush TD. Is only player in NFL with 500+ rush yards & 5+ rush TDs in each of past 6 seasons.
• WR ROBERT WOODS aims for his 4th in row vs. Hou. with TD catch.
• WR NICK WESTBROOK-IKHINE had 78 rec. yards & TD catch in last meeting. Aims for
• his 3rd in row vs. Hou. with 75+ rec. yards.
• TE AUSTIN HOOPER led team with season-high 56 rec. yards last week.
• DT JEFFERY SIMMONS had 6 tackles, 2 TFL & sack in Week 7. Aims for 4th in row
• with 5+ tackles & 3rd in row with sack. Had sack in last meeting & aims for his 3rd
• in row vs. Hou. with TFL. Has TFL in 4 of his past 5 vs. division.
• DL DENICO AUTRY had sack & PD last week. Aims for 4th in row with sack. Aims for
• 3rd in row vs. Hou. with PD.
• LB BUD DUPREE had 2nd sack of season in Week 7.
• LB DAVID LONG aims for 3rd in row with 8+ tackles & INT & 4th in row with PD.
• S ANDREW ADAMS had career-high 10 tackles & 76-yard INT-TD last week.

Houston Texans Stats

• QB DAVIS MILLS completed 28 of 41 atts. (68.3 pct.) for season-high 302 yards & 2 TDs vs. INT with 95.8 rating last week, his 5th-career game with 300+ pass yards. Has 2 TD passes in 2 of past 3. Passed for 301 yards & 3 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 128.5 rating in last meeting. Has 5 TDs vs. 0 INTs with 105 rating in his past 3 starts vs. division. Has 0 INTs & 90+ rating in 4 of his past 5 home starts.
• RB DAMEON PIERCE (rookie) led team with 117 scrimmage yards (92 rush, 25 rec.) last week. Aims for 5th in row with 100+ scrimmage yards. Has rush TD in 3 of past 4. Leads rookies with 504 rush yards this season.
• RB REX BURKHEAD has 65+ scrimmage yards in 4 of his past 5 at home.
• RB DARE OGUNBOWALE had 5 catches for career-high 54 rec. yards last week.
• WR BRANDIN COOKS aims for 3rd in row at home with 7+ catches & 55+ rec. yards.
• WR NICO COLLINS has 65+ rec. yards in 2 of past 3. Had 67 rec. yards in last meeting.
• WR PHILLIP DORSETT had 45 rec. yards & 1st TD catch of season in Week 7.
• WR CHRIS MOORE had 1st TD catch of season last week.
• TE JORDAN AKINS led team with season-high 68 rec. yards in Week 7.
• S JONATHAN OWENS led team with 10 tackles last week, his 4th game this season
• with 10+ tackles, most among all DBs. Aims for his 4th in row at home with PD.
• CB DESMOND KING had 5 tackles & TFL in Week 7. Aims for 3rd in row with 5+ tackles.
• Aims for his 3rd in row vs. division with 6+ tackles & 2+ PD.
• LB CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY had 9 tackles & TFL last week. Had 2 TFL & PD in last meeting.
• DE RASHEEM GREEN had season-high 2 TFL & sack last week. Has 0.5+ sacks in 4 of 5 games this season

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