Tag: Titans

Texans receive negative update on DB Jalen Pitre

Jalen Pitre could be done for the Houston Texans in 2024 after suffering a pectoral injury in Week 12’s loss against the Tennessee Titans.

Jalen Pitre’s season might not be over, but the Houston Texans must find a way to survive without him.

According to KPRC2 Sports Aaron Wilson, the third-year defensive back suffered a partial pectoral tear during Sunday’s loss against the Tennessee Titans and is now expected to miss several games.

For now, Pitre is not expected to undergo surgery, though a timetable for his return is to be determined. The standout nickel defender could end up needing surgery last this offseason, but Houston will weigh all its options before determining the best plan for the remainder of the 2024 season.

Pitre, who led the team in tackles with 75 entering Sunday’s contest, was initially diagnosed as a shoulder injury. After undergoing an MRI Monday morning, it was revealed the extent of the injury was worse than initially projected.

Houston (7-5) continues to deal with injuries on the defensive side that linger for multiple weeks. Will Anderson, Henry To’oTo’o, Foley Fatukasi, Jimmie Ward and Kamari Lassiter have all missed consecutive games because of injuries since the start of the regular season.

The Texans haven’t had their projected starting lineup playing together once this season with Christian Harris on the injured reserve and Dencio Atury missing six games due to a suspension.

The Texans must sign a defensive back to the active roster to take pressure off Ward in the nickel. Eric Murray, who’s started nine games this season, will probably remain at safety opposite rookie Calen Bullock while the former San Francisco 49ers star moves closer to the line of scrimmage.

Pitre’s injury stings, but it comes at what could be called a “relaxing time” of the schedule. The Texans head to Jacksonville to take on a two-win Jaguars squad before entering their bye week next afternoon.

Pite will have three weeks to heal before Houston takes on the Miami Dolphins in what will be a three-game showdown in 15 days.

Texans receive best news possible on Will Anderson Jr.’s status for Week 12

Will Anderson Jr. was a full participant during Friday’s practice as the Houston Texans prepare to take on the Tennessee Titans.

Will Anderson Jr. is back. That’s good news for the Houston Texans and bad news for the Tennessee Titans.

The second-year defensive end returned to practice on Wednesday and hasn’t missed a day. He was a full participant during Friday’s walkthrough and is expected to play on Sunday when Tennessee arrives for an AFC South showdown at NRG Stadium.

“We’ve been missing him the past couple of weeks,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday. “His leadership style, his play style, his demeanor all around. So it’s good to have him back at practice.”

Anderson, the reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Month, left during the first quarter of Week 9’s loss to the New York Jets on “Thursday Night Football” with an ankle injury. While he returned three different times for four plays in the second quarter, Houston elected to rest him for the second half.

He hasn’t played since. The Texans went 1-1 during that span with a comeback loss against the Detroit Lions and a double-digit victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

Fully healthy, he comes back at the right time to help Houston potentially clinch a 5-0 record in the division before the bye week following a showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Dec. 1.

“I’m excited to be back,” Anderson told reporters Friday. “Just to be back out there with the guys. I was trying my best to hurry up and get back. I’m good now.”

It’s a long shot, but a surging December could put Anderson back in the running for Defensive Player of the Year recognition. He had 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss through the first nine weeks, both ranking among the top three.

Although the pass rush will welcome Anderson back with open arms, four-time Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter has picked up the slack in the former Defensive Rookie of the Year’s absence.

Hunter, who leads the NFL in pressures and had two sacks in the win over the Cowboys on Monday, is now tied for the team lead in sacks with Anderson.

Houston (7-4) is also expected to be without Denico Autry, who’s missed practice all week with a knee injury suffered in Arlington. Defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi, who missed Monday’s matchup in the Lone Star Showdown, isn’t expected to play because of a knee injury.

The Titans (2-8) have allowed the fifth-most sacks this season with 33. Second-year quarterback Will Levis often holds the ball for too long, leading to the eventual 27 sacks recorded.

Kickoff between the AFC South foes is scheduled for noon CT.

Game Balls: 5 standouts from Chargers’ win over Titans

It was another dominant team effort from the Chargers in Week 10, which included seven sacks from the defense.

Folks, the Los Angeles Chargers are hot. The team has now won three straight and four of their last five after their victory over the Titans in Week 10.

Jim Harbaugh has been persistent about the fact that it’s been a total team effort, and that couldn’t be more true. Here are five players who were key to the team’s 27-17 victory over the lowly Titans this past Sunday.

WR Derius Davis

Davis provided an impact all over the field on Sunday. After the Titans cut to 13-10 early in the third quarter, Davis had a 56-yard kick return into Titans territory. It set the offense up with prime field position, and they were able to capitalize with a touchdown to take a 10-point lead. Davis added a 16-yard catch and seven-yard run to a busy, effective day for him.

OG Zion Johnson

The Chargers have improved their offensive line play in 2024, and Johnson has been a big reason for that. The offense finished with 145 rushing yards, and quarterback Justin Herbert wasn’t sacked once. In a season that has provided many bright spots, Johnson’s progression has been crucial to the offensive line’s success.

RB Gus Edwards

For awhile, it seemed that Edwards had lost his backup job to Kimani Vidal. He missed over a month due to injury and was largely ineffective when he was active this season. Vidal wasn’t effective in the team’s last few games, which led to him being a healthy inactive against the Titans. On Sunday, Edwards was the team’s most efficient ball carrier. He finished with 55 rushing yards on ten carries, over two yards per carry better than starter J.K. Dobbins.

LB Daiyan Henley

Henley was all over the field on Sunday. He had his ups and downs in 2024 but was solid against the Titans. Henley finished the day with 10 total tackles and his first sack of the season. The Chargers’ defense continues to be much improved this season, and the linebacker play has been a big reason for that.

EDGE Bud Dupree

The Chargers’ backup edge rushers have stepped up in a huge way recently. This week, Dupree broke out with two sacks and a forced fumble. The defense finished the day with seven sacks, which included two more from Tuli Tuipolotu. The defensive front continues to wreak havoc, and Dupree was the most significant contributor.

Chargers PFF grades: Best, worst performers in Week 10 win over Titans

Spotlighting Pro Football Focus’ highest and lowest-graded Chargers players from the win over the Titans.

In Week 10, the Chargers defeated the Titans, 27-17.

En route to victory, there were some standout performers and others who did not contribute as much.

That said, here are the best and worst performers from Sunday’s contest, according to Pro Football Focus’ player grades.

Top 5 Offense

QB Justin Herbert — 91.6

FB Tucker Fisk — 73.8

OL Zion Johnson — 72.8

TE Will Dissly — 72.6

OT Joe Alt — 72.0

Top 5 Defense

EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu — 71.2

EDGE Bud Dupree — 69.1

CB Cam Hart — 67.4

DT Poona Ford — 67.3

DT Morgan Fox — 67.1

Bottom 5 Offense

WR Quentin Johnston — 55.7

RB J.K. Dobbins — 52.8

WR Jalen Reagor — 50.9

OL Foster Sarell — 50.0

FB Scott Matlock — 49.6

Bottom 5 Defense

S Alohi Gilman — 57.3

LB Denzel Perryman — 52.7

EDGE Joey Bosa — 51.1

DT Otito Ogbonnia — 45.0

DT Teair Tart — 34.2

Everything to know from Chargers’ win over Titans

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ 27-17 win over the Titans.

The Chargers beat the Titans on Sunday afternoon, improving to 6-3.

Here’s our recap of the Week 10 win.

It was over when…

The Chargers scored their third touchdown in the fourth quarter to go up by 17 points.

Notable number

Of the Chargers’ six wins, five have come by double digits.

3 stars of the game

  1. QB Justin Herbert: Herbert only passed for 164 yards but still looked sharp in that department, finishing 14 of 18, with two going for over 30 yards and no turnovers. He also did an excellent job of using his legs when needed to pick up yards.
  2. RB Gus Edwards: Edwards returned to the field and was efficient on the ground after missing the last five games with an injury. He had 55 yards on ten carries.
  3. Defense: 7 sacks

Quick hits

  • Herbert failed to surpass 200 passing yards for the first time since Week 4. But he was still effective by navigating the pocket well, avoiding sacks, making crisp throws to his receivers, and continuing to take care of the football.
  • Herbert was also impressive as a runner, juking multiple Titans defenders, including former Chargers Kenneth Murray and Sebastian Joseph-Day.
  • The ground game came alive after taking a backseat the past few weeks, and Edwards provided the jolt as he averaged 5.5 yards per carry on ten attempts. J.K. Dobbins had 15 yards on 50 rushes.
  • Jesse Minter’s unit lived in the backfield and compiled seven sacks. Credit goes to Joey Bosa, Tuli Tuipulotu, and Bud Dupree for stepping up with Khalil Mack on the sideline for nearly the entire game.
  • Daiyan Henley led the way with 14 tackles.
  • Speaking of tackles, the Chargers struggled with missed tackles, which has been a slight issue on the defensive side of the ball this season. The Titans averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
  • Derius Davis provided the special teams spark with a 56-yard kickoff return.

What’s next?

The Chargers host the Bengals next Sunday night, Nov. 11, at 5:20 pm PT.

Chargers highlight: Quentin Johnston outruns Kenneth Murray for touchdown

Kenneth Murray’s return to SoFi Stadium has not gone the way he hoped.

Kenneth Murray’s return to SoFi Stadium has not gone the way he hoped.

After signing with the Titans this offseason, Murray was juked by Justin Herbert on a first half scramble up the middle and has struggled to contend with tight end Will Dissly in coverage. With the Chargers up 13-10 in the third quarter, Los Angeles lined up with 3rd and 8 from the Titans 16 yard line.

Herbert dropped back to pass with a solid pocket, waiting for a receiver to come open. Quentin Johnston ran a crossing route that was not picked up until Murray drifted back outside the right hash, chasing after Johnston as they entered the end zone.

Murray was a couple steps too slow, however, and Herbert hit Johnston in stride for a 16 yard touchdown to extend the lead to 20-10.

The drive was set up by a 56 yard kickoff return by Derius Davis that put the Chargers on the Titans 43. A 15 yard pass to Ladd McConkey and 9 yard run by Gus Edwards to open the drive brought the Chargers within striking distance of the end zone.

https://x.com/chargers/status/1855746898885488747

Chargers highlight: Justin Herbert makes magic happen, scores vs. Titans

Justin Herbert has a way of making the Chargers offense right.

Justin Herbert has a way of making the Chargers offense right.

Los Angeles stalled out in the red zone on their first two scoring drives, settling for two field goals from Cameron Dicker. The Chargers threatened on their fourth drive of the game quickly, moving to the Titans 25 on a flea flicker to Joshua Palmer that gained 36 yards.

But LA again hit a bit of a snag, grinding down to a fourth and 1 from the Titans 4 yard line. The Chargers lined up to go for it out of shotgun, motioning JK Dobbins out to the slot and leaving Herbert in empty.

Normally, that would signal a pass, and Herbert’s roll to the right after the snap certainly seemed to indicate he’d try to deliver a throw. Instead, Herbert tucked the ball on a designed run, juking past Titans defensive lineman and former Charger Sebastian Joseph-Day and weaving his way into the end zone to score LA’s first touchdown of the game.

It’s Herbert’s first rushing touchdown of the year and 12th of his five-year career. The score gave the Chargers a 13-7 lead in the second quarter.

https://x.com/chargers/status/1855734923380109411

Will the Chargers-Titans matchup be on in your area?

Find out if you will get the matchup between the Los Angeles Chargers and Tennessee Titans on national television.

The Los Angeles Chargers (5-3) are set to get Week 10 underway against the Tennessee Titans (2-6).

Those in the green area on the TV map will get the game on FOX, courtesy of 506 Sports.

If you’re in the red area, you will get the matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If you’re in the blue area, you will get the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.

If you’re in the yellow area, you will see the Minnesota Vikings play the Jacksonville Jaguars.

If you’re in the orange area, you will get the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears.

Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma will have the call.

Los Angeles is currently a 7.5-point favorite. Sunday’s matchup will begin at 1:05 p.m. PT.

Staff predictions for Chargers vs. Titans in Week 10

Find out who the Chargers Wire staff is picking between Los Angeles and Tennessee in Week 10.

The Los Angeles Chargers kick off Week 10 against the Tennessee Titans.

Who is going to come out victorious?

Here is a look at the predictions from each of our writers at Chargers Wire:

Gavino:

The Chargers look to extend their win streak to three games as they face another below-average opponent. Los Angeles’ passing offense should benefit from the absence of defensive backs L’Jarius Sneed and Quandre Diggs. On the flip side, the defense, which ranks atop the league, should have its way against a turnover-prone Will Levis, who has missed the past three weeks with a shoulder injury. Chargers 21, Titans 10.

Alex K:

Tennessee getting Will Levis and Tyjae Spears back from injury may help their offense a bit, but Levis also grew infamous for hilariously backbreaking turnovers earlier this season before missing time with a shoulder injury. On defense, the absence of cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (quad) and safety Quandre Diggs (foot) should open up room in the passing game for Justin Herbert, who’s been on fire over the past three weeks of the season. Chargers 27, Titans 13

Chargers final injury report: Kristian Fulton doubtful for Week 10 vs. Titans

The Chargers will be without one of their starting cornerbacks. Six players are questionable.

The Chargers had their final practice on Friday in preparation for the Week 10 game against the Titans.

Los Angeles will likely be without cornerback Kristian Fulton for the second consecutive week. Fulton is doubtful with a hamstring injury, which he sustained in the Week 8 win over the Saints.

Edge defender Khalil Mack (groin), guard Trey Pipkins (ankle), linebacker Denzel Perryman (toe), edge defender Joey Bosa (hip), tight end Stone Smartt (ankle) and running back Gus Edwards (ankle) are questionable.

The Chargers designated Edwards for return from injured reserve this past Wednesday. He hasn’t played since before the Chargers’ Week 5 bye.