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Five Questions Ahead of Titans vs. Texans
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward scrambles from Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The Tennessee Titans are getting another crack at the Houston Texans in their first game after the bye.

The Titans lost 26-0 to the Texans back in Week 4, but they hope to have a different result this time around. To learn more about Houston's current state of affairs, we spoke with Houston Texans On SI editor Jared Koch.

What have the Texans been up to since the last time they played the Titans in Week 4?

Remaining stout as the best defense in the NFL. Through 11 weeks of the regular season, Houston has stuck as the league’s number one scoring defense, number one in yards allowed per game, and rank number one in EPA allowed per play. In 10 games, Houston’s allowed just one team to score more than 20 points in a game.

Davis Mills looked sharp in lieu of C.J. Stroud against the Jacksonville Jaguars. What is the secret behind his success?

The Texans freeing up their rookie talent to make plays certainly helped their backup quarterback look good in Jacksonville. Look for first-year wideouts Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, along with running back Woody Marks to sustain a nice snap count again this weekend in order for Houston to find that extra dose of explosiveness.

What's something people should know about the Texans that cannot be found in a box score?

The offensive line play is improving. Rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery is finding his groove as a quality NFL starter, Tytus Howard has been playing at a Pro Bowl level on the right side, and right guard Ed Ingram has remained similarly productive as one of the better names at his position when he’s been on the field.

If the Texans were to lose, what would be the reason why?

Their elite defense collapses under the pressure of a critical division matchup and inconsistent offensive line play rears its ugly head again. If there’s any world where Davis Mills can’t stay upright and the Texans’ offense comes back down to earth from last week, that could spell trouble.

What's your prediction for the game?

Houston took care of business in a 26-0 shutout last time facing the Titans. Even with Mills up to the plate rather than C.J. Stroud, I don’t see that end result shifting much this time around, largely thanks to what should remain a suffocating defense to match up against the rookie Cam Ward and a sputtering Tennessee offense. I’ll take the Texans finishing their season series sweep, albeit a bit closer, 21-9.

This article first appeared on Tennessee Titans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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