Welcome back to the division. This is the first AFC South game of the season. And it's a trendy division to do damage this year.
Opening day wasn't exactly a coming out party as everyone but the Jags lost. But the Titans and Texans fell on the road and one game is hardly a referendum on a franchise. Oh wait, this is the NFL where according to many, it is.
Let's take some inventory here. Yes, it was very disappointing the Texans didn't play better at New England. Even with all the errors they still had a shot to win it. And the miscues are all correctable.
Deshaun Watson shook off a slow start in the first half and looked better after intermission. We've seen him heat up before and he will again. He also has a ground game helping him.
During his six starts last year, the Texans had the league's third best rushing attack. Sunday, they had the fourth most rushing yards on the weekend. The offensive line and backs Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue are off to a good start in that department.
Tennessee's defense is coached by Dean Pees, who Bill O'Brien has coached against and also worked with in New England. Between Pees, head coach Mike Vrabel and the fact that that the Texans coaches have seen the Titans personnel multiple times, there's great familiarity in this game.
The offense is a bit different. The Titans have lost Delanie Walker, who averaged five catches per game for them since he arrived in Nashville in 2013. Marcus Mariota is going to have to work hard to find targets against a Texans pass rush that warmed up in the second half last week as the defense held the Patriots to just two field goals after the break.
Special teams could be interesting. The Titans had a kickoff return for a TD in week one and also gave one up. The Texans had a promising return day out of Tyler Ervin who stepped up and is looking to take that phase of the game to another level.
Being in the division is like playing against your relatives. Sure there's churn on the rosters, but there are so many recognizable faces on the other sideline. Both teams are aching to win. And it's not lost on the Titans that the Texans hung 57 points on them last season at NRG Stadium.
As the Texans close out their second ever back to back road game stint to start a season, they'll do everything they can to even the record and get going with the home slate against the Giants the following week.
The Houston Texans roster in photos. (Updated 5/7/2021)
TE, Jordan Akins, #88
TE, Antony Auclair
DL, Auzoyah Alufohai, #98
DB, Cornell Armstrong, #30
DL, Ross Blacklock, #90
OL, Justin Britt
DB, Terrence Brooks
TE, Pharaoh Brown, #85
OL, Cohl Cabral, #72
OL, Marcus Cannon
WR, Randall Cobb, #18
DL, Maliek Collins
WR, Nico Collins
WR, Chris Conley
WR, Brandin Cooks, #13
WR, Isaiah Coulter, #82
WR, Keke Coutee, #16
DB, Keion Crossen, #35
LB, Zach Cunningham, #41
LB, Tae Davis
DL, Brandon Dunn, #92
LB, Duke Ejiofor, #53
WR, Alex Erickson
K, Ka'imi Fairbairn, #7
QB, Ryan Finley
OL, Hjalte Froholdt, #77
LB, Jonathan Greenard, #52
LB, Kamu Grugier-Hill
LB, Nate Hall, #48
DB, Vernon Hargreaves III, #26
OL, Charlie Heck, #67
LB, Neville Hewitt
RB, Dontrell Hilliard, #27
OL, Tytus Howard, #71
RB, Buddy Howell, #38
RB, Mark Ingram
TE, Ryan Izzo
LB, Jordan Jenkins
RB, David Johnson, #31
DL, Jaleel Johnson
DB, Lonnie Johnson Jr., #32
P, Cameron Johnston
TE, Brevin Jordan
DB, Desmond King
LB, Christian Kirksey
DL, Shaq Lawson
RB, Phillip Lindsay
DL, Roy Lopez
LB, Jacob Martin, #54
OL, Justin McCray
LB, Whitney Mercilus, #59
QB, Davis Mills
DB, Terrance Mitchell
WR, Donte Moncrief
DB, A.J. Moore Jr., #33
WR, Chris Moore
DB, Eric Murray, #23
LB, Hardy Nickerson
DL, Charles Omenihu, #94
DB, Jonathan Owens, #36
LB, Kevin Pierre-Louis
RB, Scottie Phillips, #40
TE, Paul Quessenberry
DB, John Reid, #34
DB, Justin Reid, #20
DL, Derek Rivers
WR, Andre Roberts
DB, Bradley Roby, #21
OL, Max Scharping, #74
DB, Tremon Smith
OL, Jordan Steckler
OL, Lane Taylor
QB, Tyrod Taylor
DL, Vincent Taylor
LB, Joe Thomas
DB, Tavierre Thomas
OL, Cole Toner
OL, Laremy Tunsil, #78
LB, Garret Wallow
DL, MeMarcus Walker
TE, Kahale Warring, #81
QB, Deshaun Watson, #4
LS, Jon Weeks #46
