A huge AFC South matchup takes place on Monday Night Football as the Tennessee Titans (5-5) host the Houston Texans (7-3) in a match that will have big division title implications as these two teams are separated by just two games in the standings.
After starting the season 0-3, which included a loss to the Titans in Week 2, the red-hot Texans have risen to the top of their division thanks to their seven-game winning streak.
On the other hand, in that same span, the Titans have fallen to third in the division due to their inconsistency, as they have stumbled to a 4-4 record, and the resurgence of the Indianapolis Colts, who have won their last five games to improve to 6-5.
In fact, the Titans are coming off an embarrassing 38-10 road loss to the Colts last week and are looking to sweep the Texans to redeem themselves in front of their fans and to tighten the race for the division title.
Their main problem is the uncertain status of their quarterback Marcus Mariota, who in the loss against the Colts suffered a neck stinger. Although he’s expected to play, Mariota most likely won’t be at 100 percent as he was suffering from numbness in his throwing arm last week.
One key battle that will decide this game will be the duel between Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson.
Last week Jackson struggled mightily as he was burned several times by Colts’ quarterback Andrew Luck and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. His poor performance last week makes him a target until he proves he’s not the weakest link in that pass defense, so you can expect Watson to go after him early in the game.
If the Titans are going to win this game, they need their defense to step up and Jackson to return to his Week 2 form, when he managed six tackles, two passes defended and an interception against the Texans.
If their defense comes out flat Watson will be all over them as he’s an explosive player that likes to attack opposing defenses in several ways right from the start. Expect him to utilize his running and passing skills to extend plays as he’s equally capable of moving the chains with his feet and his arm.
On passing plays, Watson has a knack for accurately and quickly hitting his targets once he finds open weapons downfield, and on running plays he’s capable of scrambling to a first down when the pocket collapses around him. He’s, in essence, a patient quarterback that rarely makes bad decisions and he’s one of the main reasons why the Texans have won seven straight games.
Expect the Texans to reel-in their eighth straight win against as they’ve found their identity and are playing with a lot of confidence regardless of where they play.
The fact that they’re facing a struggling team that has a quarterback that most likely won’t be 100 percent makes the Texans the team to pick in this one.
Prediction: Texans 31 – 14 Titans
