Will Anderson Jr. turned a quiet first three quarters into a statement with three sacks in the fourth as the Houston Texans overwhelmed the Tennessee Titans 26-3 in Nashville on Sunday. The defensive end’s late burst helped seal the game, pushing his season total to 7½ sacks and putting him on pace to surpass his previous career high of 12.
The Texans’ defense dominated from the start, limiting the Titans to 3.2 yards per play and forcing two turnovers that led directly to scoring drives. Tennessee managed only a first-quarter field goal and failed to put points on the board after that. Houston’s defense held the Titans to 130 yards passing and 57 yards rushing, while intercepting Cam Ward once—a pick returned 19 yards by linebacker Jake Hansen.
Hansen, starting in place of injured Henry To’oTo’o for the fourth straight game, continued his upward trajectory. After a career-high 12 tackles last week, Hansen added his first interception and two passes defended Sunday. Azeez Al-Shaair returned from a groin injury and led the team with 11 tackles. DeMeco Ryans, back calling defensive plays after an absence, praised Al-Shaair as “our field general,” emphasizing his role as the communicator and anchor in the middle.
Houston’s defense has consistently troubled Tennessee under Ryans, improving to 6-1 against the Titans since he became head coach. The Texans have held Tennessee’s offense under 204 yards in four of those wins, the most stingy defensive performances since 2018. Sunday's game was the third time since 2023 that Houston limited the Titans to fewer than three points.
The Texans’ secondary also contained the Titans’ rookie wide receiver Carnell Tate, who had a breakout game against Baltimore last week with nine catches for 145 yards. Tate was limited to a single catch for six yards on five targets. Defensive tackle Kayden McDonald made his NFL debut, starting and recording two tackles.
Anderson’s three sacks came in a nine-minute span in the fourth quarter as the Titans tried to open up their passing game. Two of those sacks occurred on fourth down, effectively quashing any chance of a Tennessee comeback. Ryans called Anderson “a tenacious player, relentless every single snap,” and said, “There’s no better competitor, no better person than Will Anderson.”
On offense, Houston’s Kyle Stroud completed 26 of 34 passes for 261 yards and ran for a touchdown in an 18-play, 74-yard drive in the third quarter. The Texans’ kicker, Fairbairn, added five field goals, including a 53-yarder before halftime. The Texans finished with 329 total yards and controlled possession for nearly 35 minutes.
Tennessee’s Cam Ward was sacked four times and threw an interception. The Titans managed only 187 total yards on 58 plays, converting just four of 11 third downs and failing twice on fourth down attempts.
The Texans’ defense has delivered their most complete performance this season, answering questions about their consistency. Ryans’ return to play-calling coincided with the team’s dominant showing, particularly the defensive front led by Anderson. The Texans’ defense showed no signs of letting up as they extended their winning streak against Tennessee.
According to Yahoo Sports.
