2020 Houston Texans season

The 2020 season was the Houston Texans' 19th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their seventh and final season under head coach Bill O'Brien. Following their week 10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, they failed to match/improve their 10–6 record from last year and failed to win 10 or more games for the first time since the 2017 season. They were eliminated from playoff contention after a Week 14 loss to the Chicago Bears and suffered their first losing season since 2017. This was also the first season since 2012 that DeAndre Hopkins was not on the roster, as he was traded to the Arizona Cardinals in the offseason.^[1] This was the Texans' final season with Deshaun Watson as the starting quarterback, as he would sit out the next season amidst sexual misconduct allegations as well as demanding to be traded. Watson's final game as a Texan was on January 2, 2021, a 41–38 loss to the Tennessee Titans, and would be traded to the Cleveland Browns a year later, on March 18, 2022.^[2]

2020 Houston Texans season
Owner	Janice and D. Cal McNair
General manager	Bill O'Brien (fired Oct. 5) Jack Easterby (interim)
Head coach	Bill O'Brien (fired Oct. 5, 0–4 record) Romeo Crennel (interim, 4–8 record)
Offensive coordinator	Tim Kelly
Defensive coordinator	Anthony Weaver
Home stadium	NRG Stadium
Results
Record	4–12
Division place	3rd AFC South
Playoffs	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	QB Deshaun Watson OT Laremy Tunsil
Uniform
← 2019 Texans seasons 2021 →

Following their first 0–4 start since 2008 and the trade of DeAndre Hopkins to the Arizona Cardinals, the Texans fired O'Brien on October 5, 2020.^[3] Romeo Crennel was later named as interim head coach and broke the record for oldest NFL head coach in history at 73 years and 112 days old.^{[4][nb 1]} The season was stained with drama primarily consisting of trade rumors about Deshaun Watson and J. J. Watt and locker room issues. The Texans would lose many close games this year, with 8 of their 12 losses being decided by one score, mimicking their run in 2013 season where they finished with an abysmal 2-14 record after a playoff berth, in which 9 of their 14 losses fell within one score.

Draft

Main article: 2020 NFL draft

2020 Houston Texans draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
2	40	Ross Blacklock	DT	TCU	from Arizona
3	90	Jonathan Greenard	OLB	Florida
4	126	Charlie Heck	OT	North Carolina	from LA Rams
4	141	John Reid	CB	Penn State	from Miami
5	171	Isaiah Coulter	WR	Rhode Island
Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Draft trades

• The Texans traded their 2020 first-round selection, as well as their first-round and second-round selections in the 2021 NFL draft, offensive tackle Julién Davenport, and cornerback Johnson Bademosi to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil, wide receiver Kenny Stills, a 2020 fourth-round selection, and a 2021 sixth-round selection.^[5]
• The Texans traded defensive end Jadeveon Clowney to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for linebacker Jacob Martin, linebacker Barkevious Mingo, and a third-round selection.^[6]
• The Texans traded the third-round selection gained from Seattle in the Jadeveon Clowney trade to the Las Vegas Raiders (then Oakland Raiders) in exchange for cornerback Gareon Conley.^[7]
• The Texans traded a conditional fourth-round selection (that became a third round selection after meeting aforementioned condition) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for running back Duke Johnson.^[8]
• The Texans traded a sixth-round selection to the New England Patriots in exchange for cornerback Keion Crossen.^[9]
• The Texans traded wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins as well as a fourth-round selection to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a second-round selection, running back David Johnson, and a fourth-round selection in the 2021 NFL draft.^[10]
• The Texans traded a second-round selection (No. 57) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for wide receiver Brandin Cooks and a 2022 fourth-round selection.^[11]
• The Texans traded a fourth-round selection (136th) and two seventh-round selections (248th and 250th) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a fourth-round selection (126th).^[12]
• The Texans traded a seventh-round selection (240th) to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2021 sixth-round selection.^[13]

Staff

2020 Houston Texans staff

Front office Owner – Janice McNair CEO – Cal McNair President – Jamey Rootes General manager – Bill O'Brien / Jack Easterby (interim) Executive vice president of football operations – Jack Easterby Director of football operations – Clay Hampton Director of college scouting – James Lipfert Director of pro personnel – Rob Kisiel Assistant director of pro personnel – C.J. Leak Head coaches Head coach – Bill O'Brien Interim head coach/associate head coach - Romeo Crennel Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Tim Kelly Assistant quarterbacks – T. J. Yates Running backs – Danny Barrett Wide receivers – John Perry Tight ends – Will Lawing Offensive line – Mike Devlin Offensive assistant – John Aylward Offensive assistant – Denarius McGhee Offensive consultant – Carl Smith

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator/defensive line – Anthony Weaver Outside linebackers – Chris Rumph Inside linebackers – Bobby King Secondary – D'Anton Lynn Defensive assistant – Deon Broomfield Defensive assistant – Akeem Dent Coordinator of football research/defensive assistant – Matt O'Donnell Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Tracy Smith Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Mike Eubanks Assistant strength and conditioning coach – Brian Cushing Assistant strength and conditioning coach – Joe Distor Assistant strength and conditioning coach – Pat Moorer

Final roster

2020 Houston Texans roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  2 A. J. McCarron  3 Josh McCown  4 Deshaun Watson Running backs (RB) 22 Dontrell Hilliard 38 Buddy Howell 31 David Johnson 25 Duke Johnson 40 Scottie Phillips Wide receivers (WR) 13 Brandin Cooks 82 Isaiah Coulter 16 Keke Coutee 17 Chad Hansen 11 Steven Mitchell 19 Damion Ratley Tight ends (TE) 88 Jordan Akins 85 Pharaoh Brown 87 Darren Fells 81 Kahale Warring

Offensive linemen (OL) 73 Zach Fulton G 67 Charlie Heck T 63 Roderick Johnson T 64 Senio Kelemete G 66 Nick Martin C 74 Max Scharping G 78 Laremy Tunsil T Defensive linemen (DL) 98 Auzoyah Alufohai NT 90 Ross Blacklock NT 97 Andrew Brown DE 94 Charles Omenihu DE 91 Carlos Watkins DE 99 J. J. Watt DE

Linebackers (LB) 50 Tyrell Adams ILB 41 Zach Cunningham ILB 56 Kyle Emanuel OLB 52 Jonathan Greenard OLB 48 Nate Hall ILB 58 Peter Kalambayi OLB 54 Jacob Martin OLB 57 Brennan Scarlett OLB Defensive backs (DB) 30 Cornell Armstrong CB 35 Keion Crossen CB 39 Mark Fields CB 29 Phillip Gaines CB 26 Vernon Hargreaves CB 32 Lonnie Johnson Jr. CB 33 A. J. Moore FS 36 Jonathan Owens S 34 John Reid CB 24 Geno Stone FS Special teams (ST)  9 Bryan Anger P  7 Kaʻimi Fairbairn K 46 Jon Weeks LS

Practice squad 49 Davin Bellamy OLB (PS/I) 62 Beau Benzschawel G 47 Curtis Bolton ILB 72 Cohl Cabral C 43 Anthony Chesley CB 42 Emmanuel Ellerbee ILB 69 Willie Henry DT 45 Anthony Kukwa LS 65 Greg Mancz C 83 J'Mon Moore WR 75 Elijah Nkansah T 27 Manny Patterson CB 14 Artavis Scott WR 37 Brandon Williams CB Reserve 18 Randall Cobb WR (IR) 51 Dylan Cole ILB (IR) 22 Gareon Conley CB (IR) 92 Brandon Dunn NT (IR) 53 Duke Ejiofor OLB (IR) 77 Hjalte Froholdt G (COVID-19) 15 Will Fuller WR (Susp.) 44 Cullen Gillaspia FB (IR) 96 P. J. Hall DE (IR) 71 Tytus Howard T (IR) 55 Benardrick McKinney ILB (IR) 59 Whitney Mercilus OLB (COVID-19) 23 Eric Murray SS (COVID-19) 76 Brent Qvale T (IR) 20 Justin Reid FS (IR) 21 Bradley Roby CB (Susp.) 28 Michael Thomas SS (IR) 95 Eddie Vanderdoes NT (Opt-out) Rookies in italics 52 active (1 exempt), 18 reserve, 13 practice squad (1 exempt)

Preseason

The Texans' preseason schedule was announced on May 7, but was later cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[14]

Week	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result
1	August 14	at Minnesota Vikings	U.S. Bank Stadium	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2	August 22	Seattle Seahawks	NRG Stadium
3	August 29	at New Orleans Saints	Mercedes-Benz Superdome
4	September 3	Dallas Cowboys	NRG Stadium

Regular season

Schedule

The Texans' 2020 schedule was announced on May 7.^[14]

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 10	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 20–34	0–1	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
2	September 20	Baltimore Ravens	L 16–33	0–2	NRG Stadium	Recap
3	September 27	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 21–28	0–3	Heinz Field	Recap
4	October 4	Minnesota Vikings	L 23–31	0–4	NRG Stadium	Recap
5	October 11	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 30–14	1–4	NRG Stadium	Recap
6	October 18	at Tennessee Titans	L 36–42 (OT)	1–5	Nissan Stadium	Recap
7	October 25	Green Bay Packers	L 20–35	1–6	NRG Stadium	Recap
8	Bye
9	November 8	at Jacksonville Jaguars	W 27–25	2–6	TIAA Bank Field	Recap
10	November 15	at Cleveland Browns	L 7–10	2–7	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
11	November 22	New England Patriots	W 27–20	3–7	NRG Stadium	Recap
12	November 26	at Detroit Lions	W 41–25	4–7	Ford Field	Recap
13	December 6	Indianapolis Colts	L 20–26	4–8	NRG Stadium	Recap
14	December 13	at Chicago Bears	L 7–36	4–9	Soldier Field	Recap
15	December 20	at Indianapolis Colts	L 20–27	4–10	Lucas Oil Stadium	Recap
16	December 27	Cincinnati Bengals	L 31–37	4–11	NRG Stadium	Recap
17	January 3	Tennessee Titans	L 38–41	4–12	NRG Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at Kansas City Chiefs

NFL Kickoff Game

Week One: Houston Texans at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	7	0	0	13	20
Chiefs	0	17	7	10	34

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: September 10
• Game time: 7:20 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 56 °F (13 °C)
• Game attendance: 15,895
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (NBC): Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, Michele Tafoya and Terry McAulay
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter HOU – David Johnson 19-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:54. Texans 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:12. Second quarter KC – Travis Kelce 6-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 14:13. Tied 7–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 5:41. KC – Sammy Watkins 2-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 2:26. Chiefs 14–7. Drive: 16 plays, 91 yards, 9:04. KC – Harrison Butker 29-yard field goal, 0:00. Chiefs 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 4:07. Third quarter KC – Clyde Edwards-Helaire 27-yard run (Harrison Butker kick), 10:53. Chiefs 24–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:07. Fourth quarter KC – Tyreek Hill 3-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes (Harrison Butker kick), 11:25. Chiefs 31–7. 6 plays, 17 yards, 2:50. HOU – Jordan Akins 19-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (pass failed), 7:15. Chiefs 31–13. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:10. HOU – Deshaun Watson 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:38. Chiefs 31–20. Drive: 7 plays, 65 yards, 2:51. KC – Harrison Butker 19-yard field goal, 0:30. Chiefs 34–20. Drive: 6 plays, 19 yards, 2:08. Top passers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 20/32, 253 yards, TD, INT KC – Patrick Mahomes – 24/32, 211 yards, 3 TD Top rushers HOU – David Johnson – 11 rushes, 77 yards, TD KC – Clyde Edwards-Helaire – 25 rushes, 138 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Will Fuller – 8 receptions, 112 yards KC – Sammy Watkins – 7 receptions, 82 yards, TD

With the loss, the Texans began the season at 0–1 for the fourth consecutive season.

Week 2: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week Two: Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Ravens	3	17	3	10	33
Texans	0	10	0	6	16

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 3:25 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter BAL – Justin Tucker 32-yard field goal, 1:14. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 73 yards, 6:57. Second quarter BAL – Patrick Ricard 1-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 12:55. Ravens 10–0. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 2:05. HOU – Darren Fells 10-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 9:45. Ravens 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:10. BAL – Justin Tucker 39-yard field goal, 5:31. Ravens 13–7. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 4:14. BAL – L. J. Fort 22-yard fumble return (Justin Tucker kick), 5:16. Ravens 20–7. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 44-yard field goal, 0:00. Ravens 20–10. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 1:06. Third quarter BAL – Justin Tucker 47-yard field goal, 6:24. Ravens 23–10. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 8:36. Fourth quarter HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 35-yard field goal, 14:47. Ravens 23–13. Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 6:37. BAL – Mark Ingram II 30-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 11:58, Ravens 30–13. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:49. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 45-yard field goal, 8:13. Ravens 30–16. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 3:45. BAL – Justin Tucker 20-yard field goal, 3:44. Ravens 33–16. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 4:29. Top passers BAL – Lamar Jackson – 18/24, 204 yards, TD HOU – Deshaun Watson – 25/36, 275 yards, TD, INT Top rushers BAL – Gus Edwards – 10 rushes, 73 yards HOU – David Johnson – 11 rushes, 34 yards Top receivers BAL – Marquise Brown – 5 receptions, 42 yards HOU – Brandin Cooks – 5 receptions, 95 yards

With the loss, the Texans dropped to 0–2 for the first time since the 2018 season.

Week 3: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Week Three: Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	7	14	0	0	21
Steelers	3	14	3	8	28

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Mostly cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Shawn Smith
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter PIT – Chris Boswell 33-yard field goal, 8:55. Steelers 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 63 yards, 5:11. HOU – Randall Cobb 28-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 6:01. Texans 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 2:54. Second quarter HOU – David Johnson 28-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 11:32. Texans 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 3:58. PIT – Eric Ebron 10-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 5:05. Texans 14–10. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:27. PIT – JuJu Smith-Schuster 26-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger (Chris Boswell kick), 1:14. Steelers 17–14. Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 1:24. HOU – Will Fuller 14-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:24. Texans 21–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 0:50. Third quarter PIT – Chris Boswell 26-yard field goal, 9:54. Texans 21–20. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:06. Fourth quarter PIT – James Conner 12-yard run (Ben Roethlisberger-JuJu Smith-Schuster pass), 6:24. Steelers 28–21. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 7:03. Top passers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 19/27, 264 yards, 2 TD, INT PIT – Ben Roethlisberger – 23/36, 237 yards, 2 TD Top passers HOU – David Johnson – 13 rushes, 23 yards, TD PIT – James Conner – 18 rushes, 109 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Randall Cobb – 4 receptions, 95 yards, TD PIT – Eric Ebron – 5 receptions, 52 yards, TD

The Texans held a 21–17 lead at halftime, but were shutout in the second half to lose 21–28. With the loss, Houston fell to 0–3 for the first time since 2018.

Week 4: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week Four: Minnesota Vikings at Houston Texans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	7	10	7	7	31
Texans	0	6	10	7	23

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 12,102
• Referee: Brad Rogers
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Greg Jennings, Brock Huard and Jen Hale
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter MIN – Dalvin Cook 5-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 5:05. Vikings 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 4:13. Second quarter MIN – Dan Bailey 31-yard field goal, 5:05. Vikings 10–0. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 3:26. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 50-yard field goal, 8:46. Vikings 10–3. Drive: 10 plays, 43 yards, 3:55. MIN – Dalvin Cook 7-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 1:53. Vikings 17–3. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:53. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 28-yard field goal, 0:27. Vikings 17–6. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:26. Third quarter HOU – Will Fuller 24-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 9:47. Vikings 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:02. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 25-yard field goal, 5:30. Vikings 17–16. Drive: 6 plays, 48 yards, 1:54. MIN – Adam Thielen 9-yard pass from Kirk Cousins (Dan Bailey kick), 0:41. Vikings 24–16. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:49. Fourth quarter MIN – Alexander Mattison 4-yard run (Dan Bailey kick), 10:50. Vikings 31–16. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:20. HOU – Kenny Stills 24-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 5:52. Vikings 31–23. Drive: 9 plays, 77 yards, 4:58. Top passers MIN – Kirk Cousins – 16/22, 260 yards, TD HOU – Deshaun Watson – 20/33, 300 yards, 2 TD Top rushers MIN – Dalvin Cook – 27 rushes, 130 yards, 2 TD HOU – David Johnson – 16 rushes, 63 yards Top receivers MIN – Adam Thielen – 8 receptions, 114 yards, TD HOU – Will Fuller – 6 receptions, 108 yards, TD

With this loss, the Texans dropped to 0–4 for the first time since the 2008 season. The following day, head coach and general manager Bill O'Brien was fired.

Week 5: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Five: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	0	7	0	7	14
Texans	0	10	3	17	30

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 12,413
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and Sherree Burruss
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 14:07. Texans 3–0. Drive: 17 plays, 73 yards, 7:35. JAX – Keelan Cole 13-yard pass from Gardner Minshew (Stephen Hauschka kick), 6:33. Jaguars 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 7:34. HOU – Darren Fells 44-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:32. Texans 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:01. Third quarter HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 33-yard field goal, 11:35. Texans 13–7. Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 3:25. Fourth quarter HOU – Will Fuller 19-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 14:16. Texans 20–7. Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:00. JAX – Collin Johnson 4-yard pass from Gardner Minshew (Stephen Hauschka kick), 10:18. Texans 20–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:58. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 46-yard field goal, 7:29. Texans 23–14. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 2:49. HOU – Brandin Cooks 28-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:39. Texans 30–14. Drive: 4 plays, 34 yards, 1:35. Top passers JAX – Gardner Minshew – 31/49, 301 yards, 2 TD HOU – Deshaun Watson – 25/35, 359 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers JAX – James Robinson – 13 rushes, 48 yards HOU – David Johnson – 17 rushes, 96 yards Top receivers JAX – Laviska Shenault – 7 receptions, 79 yards HOU – Brandin Cooks – 8 receptions, 161 yards, TD

With the win, the Texans improved to 1–4 and 1–0 under interim head coach Romeo Crennel.

Week 6: at Tennessee Titans

Week Six: Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Texans	0	10	13	13	0	36
Titans	14	7	0	15	6	42

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 61 °F (16 °C)
• Game attendance: 10,166
• Referee: Alex Kemp
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and Jay Feely
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First Quarter TEN – Anthony Firkser 7-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 6:57. Titans 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 3:30. TEN – A. J. Brown 6-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:12. Titans 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 5:14. Second Quarter HOU – Darren Fells 1-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 8:56. Titans 14–7. Drive: 13 plays, 82 yards, 6:16. TEN – Adam Humphries 22-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:34. Titans 21–7. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 5:22. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 38-yard field goal, 0:00. Titans 21–10. Drive: 11 plays, 55 yards, 3:14. Third Quarter HOU – David Johnson 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 6:15. Titans 21–17. Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 2:32. HOU – Randall Cobb 4-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick no good, wl), 4:35. Texans 23–21. Drive: 3 plays, 4 yards, 1:22. Fourth Quarter TEN – Derrick Henry 94-yard run (R. Tannehill-N. Westbrook-Ikhine pass), 9:23. Titans 29–23. Drive: 1 play, 94 yards, 0:14. HOU – Will Fuller 53-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 8:37. Texans 30–29. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:46. HOU – Brandin Cooks 1-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (pass failed), 1:50. Texans 36–29. Drive: 15 plays, 69 yards, 6:40. TEN – A. J. Brown 7-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:04. Tied 36–36. Drive: 9 plays, 76 yards, 1:46. Overtime TEN – Derrick Henry 5-yard run, 6:30. Titans 42–36. Drive: 6 plays, 82 yards, 3:30. Top passers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 28/37, 335 yards, 4 TD TEN – Ryan Tannehill – 30/41, 364 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rushers HOU – David Johnson – 19 rushes, 57 yards, TD TEN – Derrick Henry – 22 rushes, 212 yards, 2 TD Top receivers HOU – Will Fuller – 6 receptions, 123 yards, TD TEN – Anthony Firkser – 8 receptions, 113 yards, TD

With the loss, the Texans dropped to 1–5 and 1–1 under Crennel.

Week 7: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week Seven: Green Bay Packers at Houston Texans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	7	14	7	7	35
Texans	0	0	7	13	20

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 12,618
• Referee: Clay Martin
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter GB – Davante Adams 3-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 9:21. Packers 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:39. Second quarter GB – Jace Sternberger 3-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 13:33. Packers 14–0. Drive: 9 plays, 88 yards, 4:37. GB – Malik Taylor 1-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 0:14. Packers 21–0. Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 2:24. Third quarter HOU – David Johnson 3-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 8:55. Packers 21–7. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:05. GB – Davante Adams 45-yard pass from Aaron Rodgers (Mason Crosby kick), 4:44. Packers 28–7. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:11. Fourth quarter HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 38-yard field goal, 14:12. Packers 28–10. Drive: 7 plays, 47 yards, 3:36. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 29-yard field goal, 9:56. Packers 28–13. Drive: 7 plays, 11 yards, 2:12. GB – Jamaal Williams 1-yard run (Mason Crosby kick), 3:40. Packers 35–13. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 3:18. HOU – Will Fuller 6-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:33. Packers 35–20. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:07. Top passers GB – Aaron Rodgers – 23/34, 283 yards, 4 TD HOU – Deshaun Watson – 29/39, 309 yards, 2 TD Top rushers GB – Jamaal Williams – 19 rushes, 66 yards, TD HOU – David Johnson – 14 rushes, 42 yards Top receivers GB – Davante Adams – 13 receptions, 196 yards, 2 TD HOU – Randall Cobb – 8 receptions, 95 yards

With the loss, the Texans fell to 1–6 and 1–2 under Crennel.

Week 9: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Nine: Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	10	10	7	0	27
Jaguars	7	9	3	6	25

at TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

• Date: November 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Partly Cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C)
• Game attendance: 15,668
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter JAX – D. J. Chark 73-yard pass from Jake Luton (Josh Lambo kick), 14:19. Jaguars 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:52. HOU – Brandin Cooks 57-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 13:33. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:35. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 54-yard field goal, 9:52. Texans 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 45 yards, 2:45. Second quarter HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 30-yard field goal, 12:29. Texans 13–7. Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 6:01. JAX – James Robinson 1-yard run (kick failed), 5:44. Tied 13–13. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 6:45. HOU – Duke Johnson 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:30. Texans 20–13. Drive: 6 plays, 98 yards, 1:44. JAX – Josh Lambo 59-yard field goal, 0:02. Texans 20–16. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 0:27. Third quarter HOU – Will Fuller 77-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 6:15. Texans 27–16. Drive: 3 plays, 81 yards, 1:21. JAX – Josh Lambo 30-yard field goal, 1:13. Texans 27–19. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:54. Fourth quarter JAX – Jake Luton 13-yard run (pass failed), 1:30. Texans 27–25. Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 1:27. Top passers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 19/32, 281 yards, 2 TD JAX – Jake Luton – 26/38, 304 yards, TD, INT Top rushers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 10 rushes, 50 yards JAX – James Robinson – 25 rushes, 99 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Will Fuller – 5 receptions, 100 yards, TD JAX – D. J. Chark – 7 receptions, 146 yards, TD

With the close victory, the Texans improved to 2–6 and 2–2 under Crennel. This was also their sixth consecutive win against the Jaguars.

Week 10: at Cleveland Browns

Week Ten: Houston Texans at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	0	0	7	7
Browns	3	0	0	7	10

at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: November 15
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Rain, 59 °F (15 °C)
• Game attendance: 10,613
• Referee: Ronald Torbert
• TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, Matt Millen and Sara Walsh
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter CLE - Cody Parkey 41-yard field goal, 8:27. Browns 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 52 yards, 6:33. Second quarter No scoring plays. Third quarter No scoring plays. Fourth quarter CLE - Nick Chubb 9-yard run, 13:32. Browns 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 64 yards, 5:01. HOU - Pharaoh Brown 16-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:59. Browns 10–7. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 2:52. Top passers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 20/30, 163 yards, TD CLE – Baker Mayfield – 12/20, 132 yards Top rushers HOU – Duke Johnson – 14 rushes, 54 yards CLE – Nick Chubb – 19 rushes, 126 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Randall Cobb – 3 receptions, 41 yards CLE – Rashard Higgins – 3 receptions, 48 yards

The game was delayed moments before kickoff due to severe weather, with the weather delay lasting for 37 minutes.^[15] The heavy rains affected filed conditions while the gusty winds in the area made passing and kicking the ball difficult. Early in the 2nd quarter, facing a 4th and 2 from the Cleveland 2-yard line, Houston went for it, but Deshaun Watson was sacked by Myles Garrett for a 2-yard loss. Later in the quarter, the Browns would also turn the ball over on downs when a Baker Mayfield pass intended for Jarvis Landry fell incomplete in Houston territory. Texans kicker Kaʻimi Fairbairn attempted a 46-yard field goal late in the 3rd, but the gusty winds pushed the ball wide left; Cleveland would score the game's first touchdown on the following drive with a 9-yard run from Nick Chubb. The two teams would trade punts on their next respective drives before Houston would score its first points of the game on a 90-yard drive that ended with a 16-yard pass from Watson to tight end Pharaoh Brown with 4:59 left in the game. On the ensuing kickoff, Donovan Peoples-Jones muffed the punt on his own 2-yard line and recovered it for a 1-yard gain before being taken down by Buddy Howell. The Texans had a chance to get the ball back late in the game with the Browns facing a 3rd and 3 at their own 40-yard line with 1:07 left to play, but Chubb broke free for a 59-yard run before intentionally running out of bounds at the Houston 1-yard line. Cleveland would take a knee twice to end the game.

With the close loss, the Texans fell to 2–7 and 2–3 under Crennel.

Week 11: vs. New England Patriots

Week Eleven: New England Patriots at Houston Texans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	7	3	7	3	20
Texans	7	14	3	3	27

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: November 22
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 79 °F (26 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 12,503
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, James Lofton and AJ Ross
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter NE – Damien Harris 9-yard run (Nick Folk kick), 6:52. Patriots 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 84 yards, 5:32. HOU – Randall Cobb 3-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:36. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 3:16. Second quarter NE – Nick Folk 45-yard field goal, 8:32. Patriots 10–7. Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:05. HOU – Deshaun Watson 4-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:54. Texans 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:38. HOU – Keke Coutee 6-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:10. Texans 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:10. Third quarter NE – Damiere Byrd 42-yard pass from Cam Newton (Nick Folk kick), 8:14. Texans 21–17. Drive: 7 plays, 82 yards, 2:43. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 36-yard field goal, 2:04. Texans 24–17. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 6:10. Fourth quarter NE – Nick Folk 36-yard field goal, 7:39. Texans 24–20. Drive: 16 plays, 65 yards, 9:25. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 46-yard field goal, 4:11. Texans 27–20. Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 3:28. Top passers NE – Cam Newton – 26/40, 365 yards, TD HOU – Deshaun Watson – 28/37, 344 yards, 2 TD Top rushers NE – Damien Harris – 11 rushes, 43 yards, TD HOU – Deshaun Watson – 6 rushes, 36 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Damiere Byrd – 6 receptions, 132 yards, TD HOU – Brandin Cooks – 4 receptions, 85 yards

Days prior to the game, New England head coach Bill Belichick stated that Romeo Crennel is the best coach he ever worked with. The two previously worked together with the New York Giants in the 80s, while Crennel served as Belichick's defensive coordinator on the Patriots from 2001 to 2004. This is the second time Crennel will face off against his former team as a head coach.^[16] At the time of kickoff, Belichick and Crennel will set a record for the oldest head coaching matchup in NFL history at 68 and 73 years old, respectively, for a combined age of 141 years.^{[17][nb 2]}

With the win, the Texans improved to 3–7 and 3–3 under Crennel.

Week 12: at Detroit Lions

Thanksgiving Day games

Week Twelve: Houston Texans at Detroit Lions – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	13	10	3	15	41
Lions	7	7	3	8	25

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November 26
• Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST/11:30 a.m. CST
• Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Shawn Smith
• TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Gene Steratore
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter DET – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 6:54. Lions 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 85 yards, 4:16. HOU – J. J. Watt 19-yard interception return (kick failed), 4:38. Lions 7–6. Drive: 1 play, 0 yards, 0:07. HOU – C. J. Prosise 2-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 2:58. Texans 13–7. Drive: 3 plays, 30 yards, 1:26. Second quarter DET – Adrian Peterson 1-yard run (Matt Prater kick), 12:56. Lions 14–13. Drive: 4 plays, 26 yards, 1:54. HOU – Duke Johnson 33-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 10:18. Texans 20–14. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:38. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 42-yard field goal, 1:44. Texans 23–14. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:31. Third quarter DET – Matt Prater 29-yard field goal, 7:24. Texans 23–17. Drive: 14 plays, 68 yards, 7:36. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 26-yard field goal, 3:10. Texans 26–17. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 4:14. Fourth quarter HOU – Will Fuller 40-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Deshaun Watson–Keke Coutee pass), 12:09. Texans 34–17. Drive: 6 plays, 85 yards, 2:51. HOU – Will Fuller 34-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 10:07. Texans 41–17. Drive: 1 play, 34 yards, 0:10. DET – Mohamed Sanu 14-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Matthew Stafford–Mohamed Sanu pass), 6:32. Texans 41–25. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 3:35. Top passers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 17/25, 318 yards, 4 TD DET – Matthew Stafford – 28/42, 295 yards, TD, INT Top rushers HOU – Duke Johnson – 9 rushes, 37 yards DET – Adrian Peterson – 15 rushes, 55 yards, 2 TD Top receivers HOU – Will Fuller – 6 receptions, 171 yards, 2 TD DET – T. J. Hockenson – 5 receptions, 89 yards

With the win, the Texans improved to 4–7 and 4–3 under Crennel. The day following the game, it was announced that receiver Kenny Stills would be cut from the team. The move was a mutual decision between Stills and the team.^[18]

Week 13: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week Thirteen: Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	14	10	0	2	26
Texans	10	10	0	0	20

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: December 6
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 57 °F (14 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 12,316
• Referee: Scott Novak
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and Sherree Burruss
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – T. Y. Hilton 21-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 9:52. Colts 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 67 yards, 3:28. HOU – Deshaun Watson 11-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:51. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:01. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 52-yard field goal, 4:37. Texans 10–7. Drive: 6 plays, 26 yards, 1:48. IND – Nyheim Hines 5-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 0:41. Colts 14–10. Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 3:52. Second quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 39-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 9:17. Colts 21–10. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 3:15. HOU – David Johnson 6-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:39. Colts 21–17. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:38. IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 42-yard field goal, 1:15. Colts 24–17. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 3:27. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 34-yard field goal, 0:08. Colts 24–20. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:07. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter IND – Deshaun Watson sacked in end zone by Justin Houston, 6:08. Colts 26–20. Top passers IND – Philip Rivers – 27/35, 285 yards, 2 TD HOU – Deshaun Watson – 26/38, 341 yards, INT Top rushers IND – Jonathan Taylor – 13 rushes, 91 yards HOU – David Johnson – 10 rushes, 44 yards, TD Top receivers IND – T. Y. Hilton – 9 receptions, 110 yards, TD HOU – Keke Coutee – 8 receptions, 141 yards

With the loss, the Texans fell to 4–8 and 4–4 under Crennel.

Week 14: at Chicago Bears

Week Fourteen: Houston Texans at Chicago Bears – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	7	0	0	7
Bears	7	23	3	3	36

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: December 13
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Partly cloudy, 34 °F (1 °C)
• Game attendance: 0
• Referee: Land Clark
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and Melanie Collins
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter CHI – David Montgomery 80-yard run (Cairo Santos kick), 10:04. Bears 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 80 yards, 0:12. Second quarter CHI – Jimmy Graham 14-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky (Cairo Santos kick), 12:57. Bears 14–0. Drive: 12 plays, 79 yards, 6:46. HOU – Keke Coutee 5-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 8:37. Bears 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 86 yards, 4:20. CHI – Deshaun Watson sacked in end zone by Khalil Mack, 6:04. Bears 16–7. CHI – Darnell Mooney 12-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky (Cairo Santos kick), 3:22. Bears 23–7. Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:42. CHI – Allen Robinson 3-yard pass from Mitchell Trubisky (Cairo Santos kick), 0:08. Bears 30–7. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 1:37. Third quarter CHI – Cairo Santos 39-yard field goal, 10:37. Bears 33–7. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 4:23. Fourth quarter CHI – Cairo Santos 32-yard field goal, 10:47. Bears 36–7. Drive: 8 plays, 28 yards, 4:13. Top passers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 21/30, 219 yards, TD CHI – Mitchell Trubisky – 24/33, 267 yards, 3 TD Top rushers HOU – Buddy Howell – 11 rushes, 42 yards CHI – David Montgomery – 11 rushes, 113 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – Chad Hansen – 7 receptions, 56 yards CHI – Allen Robinson – 9 receptions, 123 yards, TD

With this loss, the Texans were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2017. The Texans fell to 4–9 and 4–5 under Crennel.

Week 15: at Indianapolis Colts

Week 15: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	0	10	3	7	20
Colts	14	0	3	10	27

at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana

• Date: December 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 9,992
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and Jay Feely
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter IND – Jonathan Taylor 5-yard run (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 5:49. Colts 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 5:39. IND – Zach Pascal 11-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 0:52. Colts 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 42 yards, 2:22. Second quarter HOU – Chad Hansen 38-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 3:46. Colts 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 79 yards, 4:09. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Colts 14–10. Drive: 12 plays, 76 yards, 1:43. Third quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 35-yard field goal, 8:27. Colts 17–10. Drive: 13 plays, 58 yards, 6:33. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 31-yard field goal, 1:19. Colts 17–13. Drive: 12 plays, 55 yards, 7:08. Fourth quarter IND – Rodrigo Blankenship 53-yard field goal, 13:31. Colts 20–13. Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:48. HOU – Keke Coutee 9-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 7:25. Tied 20–20. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:06. IND – Zach Pascal 5-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 1:47. Colts 27–20. Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:38. Top passers HOU – Deshaun Watson – 33/41, 373 yards, 2 TD IND – Philip Rivers – 22/28, 228 yards, 2 TD Top rushers HOU – David Johnson – 8 rushes, 27 yards IND – Jonathan Taylor – 16 rushes, 83 yards, TD Top receivers HOU – David Johnson – 11 receptions, 106 yards IND – Zach Pascal – 5 receptions, 79 yards, 2 TD

Week 16: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Sixteen: Cincinnati Bengals at Houston Texans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	7	3	14	13	37
Texans	3	7	14	7	31

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: December 27
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 12,344
• Referee: Brad Rogers
• TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Greg Jennings and Jen Hale
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter CIN – Drew Sample 8-yard pass from Brandon Allen (Austin Seibert kick), 8:32. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:56. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 21-yard field goal, 1:12. Bengals 7–3. Drive: 5 plays, 54 yards, 2:11. Second quarter CIN – Austin Seibert 35-yard field goal, 3:30. Bengals 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 74 yards, 4:09. HOU – Brandin Cooks 25-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:54. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:36. Third quarter CIN – Samaje Perine 46-yard run (Austin Seibert kick), 12:59. Bengals 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:01. HOU – David Johnson 4-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 9:05. Tied 17–17. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:54. CIN – Tee Higgins 20-yard pass from Brandon Allen (Austin Seibert kick), 5:46. Bengals 24–17. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 3:19. HOU – David Johnson 2-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:55. Tied 24–24. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:51. Fourth quarter CIN – Austin Seibert 48-yard field goal, 10:35. Bengals 27–24. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:20. HOU – Darren Fells 22-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 6:15. Texans 31–27. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 4:20. CIN – Samaje Perine 3-yard run (Austin Seibert kick), 1:57. Bengals 34–31. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:18. CIN – Austin Seibert 36-yard field goal, 0:18. Bengals 37–31. Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards, 1:10. Top passers CIN – Brandon Allen – 29/37, 371 yards, 2 TD HOU – Deshaun Watson – 24/33, 324 yards, 3 TD Top rushers CIN – Samaje Perine – 13 rushes, 95 yards, 2 TD HOU – David Johnson – 12 rushes, 128 yards, TD Top receivers CIN – Tee Higgins – 6 receptions, 99 yards, TD HOU – Brandin Cooks – 7 receptions, 141 yards, TD

After the loss, J. J. Watt was seen at the postgame poastal during his interview very angry about how the season had gone up to that point. With the loss, the Texans fell to 4–11.

Week 17: vs. Tennessee Titans

Week Seventeen: Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Titans	3	14	14	10	41
Texans	3	6	19	10	38

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: January 3, 2021
• Game time: 3:25 p.m. CST
• Game weather: Sunny, 66 °F (19 °C) (retractable roof open)
• Game attendance: 12,504
• Referee: Shawn Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Rich Gannon and Amanda Renner
• Recap, Game Book

Game information

First quarter TEN – Sam Sloman 47-yard field goal, 6:41. Titans 3–0. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 0:55. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 24-yard field goal, 1:42. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 72 yards, 4:59. Second quarter TEN – Derrick Henry 52-yard run (Sam Sloman kick), 14:51. Titans 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:51. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 43-yard field goal, 8:15. Titans 10–6. Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 6:36. TEN – A. J. Brown 4-yard pass from Ryan Tannehill (Sam Sloman kick), 4:29. Titans 17–6. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:46. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 28-yard field goal, 0:10. Titans 17–9. Drive: 12 plays, 50 yards, 4:19. Third quarter TEN – Derrick Henry 6-yard run (Sam Sloman kick), 9:53. Titans 24–9. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:07. HOU – Brandin Cooks 38-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (kick failed), 8:08. Titans 24–15. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:45. TEN – Ryan Tannehill 5-yard run (Sam Sloman kick), 4:29. Titans 31–15. Drive: 8 plays, 77 yards, 3:39. HOU – Brandin Cooks 20-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (pass failed), 2:59. Titans 31–21. Drive: 3 plays, 65 yards, 1:30. HOU – David Johnson 1-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:20. Titans 31–28. Drive: 3 plays, 28 yards, 1:32. Fourth quarter HOU – Pharaoh Brown 7-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 10:14. Texans 35–31. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:59. TEN – Ryan Tannehill 5-yard run (Sam Sloman kick), 1:42. Titans 38–35. Drive: 19 plays, 75 yards, 8:32. HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 51-yard field goal, 0:18. Tied 38–38. Drive: 8 plays, 58 yards, 1:24. TEN – Sam Sloman 37-yard field goal, 0:00. Titans 41–38. Drive: 3 plays, 56 yards, 0:18. Top passers TEN – Ryan Tannehill – 18/27, 216 yards, TD HOU – Deshaun Watson – 28/39, 365 yards, 3 TD Top rushers TEN – Derrick Henry – 34 rushes, 250 yards, 2 TD HOU – David Johnson – 14 rushes, 84 yards, TD Top receivers TEN – A. J. Brown – 10 receptions, 151 yards, TD HOU – Brandin Cooks – 11 receptions, 166 yards, 2 TD

With the loss, the Texans finished their season at 4–12 and were swept by the Titans for the first time since 2007. This was also Deshaun Watson's final game as the Texans starting quarterback, as he sat out the entire 2021 season due to a trade demand and multiple allegations of sexual assault, which then led to him being traded to the Cleveland Browns just before the 2022 season.

Standings

Division

AFC South
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(4) Tennessee Titans	11	5	0	.688	5–1	8–4	491	439	W1
(7) Indianapolis Colts	11	5	0	.688	4–2	7–5	451	362	W1
Houston Texans	4	12	0	.250	2–4	3–9	384	464	L5
Jacksonville Jaguars	1	15	0	.063	1–5	1–11	306	492	L15

Conference

AFC v t e
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	Kansas City Chiefs	West	14	2	0	.875	4–2	10–2	.465	.464	L1
2	Buffalo Bills	East	13	3	0	.813	6–0	10–2	.512	.471	W6
3	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	.475	.448	L1
4[a]	Tennessee Titans	South	11	5	0	.688	5–1	8–4	.475	.398	W1
Wild cards
5[b][c]	Baltimore Ravens	North	11	5	0	.688	4–2	7–5	.494	.401	W5
6[c][d]	Cleveland Browns	North	11	5	0	.688	3–3	7–5	.451	.406	W1
7[a][b][d]	Indianapolis Colts	South	11	5	0	.688	4–2	7–5	.443	.384	W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8	Miami Dolphins	East	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.467	.347	L1
9	Las Vegas Raiders	West	8	8	0	.500	4–2	6–6	.539	.477	W1
10[e]	New England Patriots	East	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.527	.429	W1
11[e]	Los Angeles Chargers	West	7	9	0	.438	3–3	6–6	.482	.344	W4
12	Denver Broncos	West	5	11	0	.313	1–5	4–8	.566	.388	L3
13	Cincinnati Bengals	North	4	11	1	.281	1–5	4–8	.529	.438	L1
14	Houston Texans	South	4	12	0	.250	2–4	3–9	.541	.219	L5
15	New York Jets	East	2	14	0	.125	0–6	1–11	.594	.656	L1
16	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	1	15	0	.063	1–5	1–11	.549	.688	L15
Tiebreakers[f]
Tennessee finished ahead of Indianapolis in the AFC South based on division record. Baltimore claimed the No. 5 seed over Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. Division tiebreaker used to eliminate Cleveland (see below). Baltimore claimed the No. 5 seed over Cleveland based on head-to-head sweep. Cleveland claimed the No. 6 seed over Indianapolis based on head-to-head victory. New England finished ahead of the LA Chargers based on head-to-head victory. When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Statistics

Team

Category	Total yards	Yards per game	NFL rank (out of 32)
Passing offense	4,538	283.6	4th
Rushing offense	1,466	91.6	31st
Total offense[19]	6,004	375.3	13th
Passing defense	4,104	256.5	24th
Rushing defense	2,564	160.3	32nd
Total defense[20]	6,668	416.8	30th

Individual

Category	Player	Total
Offense
Passing yards	Deshaun Watson	4,823
Passing touchdowns	Deshaun Watson	33
Rushing yards	David Johnson	691
Rushing touchdowns	David Johnson	6
Receiving yards	Brandin Cooks	1,150
Receiving touchdowns	Will Fuller	8
Defense
Tackles (Solo)	Zach Cunningham	106
Sacks	J. J. Watt	5
Interceptions	J. J. Watt Bradley Roby Vernon Hargreaves	1

Source:^[21]

Notes

1. The previous record was held by Chicago Bears head coach and NFL co-founder George Halas at 72 years and 318 days old. The last game Halas coached was on December 17, 1967.
2. The previous record was set during week 2 of the 2020 season between Belichick (68) and Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (69) at 137 combined years.

See also

• List of NFL teams affected by internal conflict