Will he play, or won’t he?
That was the question all week surrounding Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, whose availability going into Sunday’s meeting with the host Houston Texans was up in the air.
He won’t.
Tannehill was ruled out Saturday after missing a walkthrough with an illness. He also has a sprained right ankle that occurred in the fourth quarter of last week’s 19-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Tannehill had started 49 consecutive games for Tennessee, going 34-15 in that span.
Rookie Malik Willis will make his first NFL start when the Titans (4-2) visit the Texans (1-4-1). Logan Woodside will be the backup QB.
Tannehill was in a walking boot after last week’s game and missed practice on Wednesday. While he didn’t provide many specifics about the injury, he had been optimistic that he’d be able to go on Sunday.
“I am better than I was after the (Colts) game,” Tannehill said. “I am headed in the right direction. I have a little ways to go, but I’ve been better, been worse, and I’m headed in the right direction.”
Tennessee at least is still headed in the right direction. The Titans have won four straight wins after an 0-2 start and they are 1 1/2 games ahead of Indianapolis, with a season sweep of the Colts giving the Titans any tiebreaker advantage.
Defense and the running game have fueled the Titans’ surge. They’ve allowed just 16.5 points per game during the winning streak, while Derrick Henry has cranked it up in that span. He’s averaging 107.3 yards per game, including a season-high 128 on 30 carries against Indianapolis.
While the Titans are once again atop the AFC South, Houston is ensconced in the basement. Last week’s 38-20 loss in Las Vegas was its fourth in five games and one that could have gone either way going into the fourth quarter.
Leading 20-17 after three periods, the Texans couldn’t finish off the Raiders. Instead, they coughed up three touchdowns as Josh Jacobs, who rushed for 143 yards, scored on runs of 7 and 15 yards. A pick-6 capped the disastrous quarter.
Jacobs having such a big day is certainly a concern for Houston, particularly since it’s facing Henry, who has saved some of his biggest games in recent years for his division rivals. In 10 career games against the Texans, Henry is averaging 103.5 rushing yards while scoring nine touchdowns.
“To try to stop a guy like Derrick Henry or just any good back, just making sure we’re in our own gaps, doing our own job,” Houston defensive lineman Rasheem Green said. “Making sure we do a good job of tackling this week.”
Houston also needs help from an offense that’s tied for 28th in scoring at 17.7 points per game. The Texans have talented weapons in rookie running back Dameon Pierce (504 rushing yards), second-year quarterback Davis Mills (1,350 passing yards) and veteran receiver Brandin Cooks (28 catches, 281 yards), but still rank just 25th in total offense.
Tennessee leads the all-time series 22-18. The teams have split 20 games in Houston, with the Titans pulling out a 28-25 win in January.
–Field Level Media
