Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) takes the field before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025. Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Three Key Matchups For Titans vs. Texans

Originally posted on Tennessee Titans on SI
By Luke Hubbard | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans meet in an AFC South showdown this weekend. Both teams are winless, so no matter what happens, one of these two teams will come out of this game 0-4, essentially eliminating themselves from playoff contention already. Only one team - the 1992 San Diego Chargers - has ever made the playoffs after starting 0-4.

If the Titans want to avoid falling to 0-4, here are three matchups they must win this weekend.

Titans' Defensive Line vs Texans' Offensive Line

The Texans have one of the worst offensive lines in football, and it's completely hindered what they can do offensively. They cannot throw the football effectively when C.J. Stroud is pressured, so getting after the quarterback is going to be paramount this weekend.

When Stroud has a clean pocket, he's 41-for-60 for 430 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. When he's pressured (37.4% of his drop backs), he's 16-for-29 for 169 yards and two interceptions. If they can get pressure on the QB, which they haven't been able to do all year, the Titans defense will have a chance to shutdown this Texans passing attack.

Titans' Offensive Line vs Texans' Pass Rush

Much like the Texans, the Titans have struggled to protect their young QB this year. Cam Ward has been pressured on 43.3% of his drop backs, and unfortunately for Tennessee, the Texans have a very good pass rush.

Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter have been a handful for opposing defenses. They've combined for five sacks in three games, but as a team, the Texans have nine sacks (3.0 per game, which ranks sixth in the NFL).

With J.C. Latham possibly missing this game, Oli Udoh will need to step up at right tackle and help contain the Texans' pass rush. When Cam Ward's not pressured, he's proven to be pretty lethal, so protecting him needs to be their No. 1 goal in this game.

Titans' Run Game vs Texans' Run Defense

The Titans have struggled running the ball this season, so getting the ground game going against the Texans will be very important. Tony Pollard has 197 yards on 54 carries and is averaging just 3.6 yards per touch. He needs to be more efficient against the Texans' defense, which is giving up 109 yards per game and 4.1 yards per carry on the ground.

When the Titans' run game is working, their offense is much more efficient. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case much this year, and they've had to rely on Cam Ward and their receivers getting separation. They need to run it early and often, and make the Texans' defense guess what they're going to do each play.

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

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