Though not on prime time or facing a daunting opponent such as the New England Patriots, the Houston Texans’ Week 15 matchup with the Tennessee Titans is the most important game of the season, for both teams.
With both sitting at 8-5, they are tied for the top of the AFC South, with Houston having a tiebreaker via divisional wins. The winner of the tilt in Nashville will hold momentary control of the division and the playoff spot that comes with it.
The Texans will need to accomplish many tasks to beat the Titans. However, here are four straight from the mouths of who matter most: the coaches and quarterback.
Deshaun Watson: Match the Titans’ Mike Vrabel-made juice
The Texans know Mike Vrabel. The Tennessee Titans coach got his footing as an NFL coach in Houston as a linebackers coach then defensive coordinator.
Houston knows the mindset Vrabel will get his Titans in pregame: the juicy kind. When describing Tennessee’s defense, quarterback Deshaun Watson noted that they are going to come out with some energy. The Texans must match it.
“A group of guys that are very confident, playing with a lot of energy. They run to the ball, they create a lot of turnovers, score on defense, which is huge for them, and they’re going to be juiced up,” said Watson on Wednesday. “Vrabel is going to have those guys fired up and we’ve got to make sure we’re on the same level if not better. They’re going to come out with a lot of juice and we’ve got to come out the same way.”
The Texans have struggled out of the gate all season long. They cannot do so against a Titans defense that Watson expects to be coming out guns blazing. If not, they may find themselves in a hole.