Case Keenum, Texans defense step up to stun Titans in OT: ‘Our guys didn’t blink’

National Football League

Published Dec. 17, 2023 7:15 p.m. ET

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — It would’ve been easy to count out the Texans.

No C.J. Stroud. No Nico Collins. No Tank Dell. No George Fant. No Blake Cashman. No Will Anderson Jr. No Tavierre Thomas.

That’s Houston’s quarterback, top two wide receivers, its right tackle, top off-ball linebacker, its No. 2 edge rusher and one of its better defensive backs.

But the Texans found a way on Sunday.

“Our guys didn’t blink,” coach DeMeco Ryans said.

Houston overcame a 13-0 first-half deficit to stun Tennessee with a 19-16 overtime victory at Nissan Stadium, thanks to a 54-yard field goal from kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn. It kept the Texans (8-6) in eighth place in the AFC, one spot outside of the playoffs, and eliminated the Titans (5-9) from postseason contention on a day they sported their Oilers throwback uniforms, worn when the franchise was in Houston.

The Texans defense stood up in a big way, taking pressure off a shorthanded offense. After giving up an 83-yard touchdown drive to start the game, Houston held Tennessee to a field goal on its final 10 possessions. The Texans sacked Will Levis seven times, including 2.5 from defensive end Jonathan Greenard, who brought his career-high sack total to 12.5. Cornerback Steven Nelson also picked off the rookie quarterback in the third quarter. He was one of three Texans defenders — Derek Stingley Jr. and Jalen Pitre being the others — to have two pass breakups.

The biggest thing the Texans did was neutralize the Titans’ top offensive weapons. Derrick Henry had 16 carries for nine rushing yards, his fewest in a game since October 2017. Ex-Texan DeAndre Hopkins was held to two catches for 21 yards, his lowest receiving total in more than two months.

“The D-line was hunting,” running back Devin Singletary said. “The DBs was locking up. When we needed them the most, they kept showing up.”

With Stroud sidelined, veteran quarterback Case Keenum got the start over Davis Mills, who’d been Stroud’s top backup all season. Ryans said Keenum started because he gave the team the best chance to win, and he proved his coach right.

After a slow start for the offense, including a 44-yard pick-six, the 10-year veteran led five scoring drives, including one that ended in a three-yard touchdown pass to receiver Noah Brown and the walk-off field goal in overtime.

It marked the 35-year-old Keenum’s first start since Week 7 of the 2021 season, when he guided the Browns to a victory over the Broncos.

“With Case, he just has the experience,” Ryans said. “He’s been there. He’s done that. He told the guys, ‘It’s not [my] first rodeo.'”

More than anything, Sunday’s victory was a testament to the Texans’ depth.

Brown, who had no catches in the previous two games, filled the Collins and Dell void with a season-high eight catches on 11 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. Singletary, Houston’s leading rusher, added 26 carries for 121 yards, the second-best mark of his career.

It was a reminder that Texans have the talent, and resilience, of a playoff-caliber team.

“I think everybody on this team looks at adversity as opportunity,” Keenum said. “Ready to overcome. On to the next play. You need that in this type of league. If you’re going to be a playoff contender, get to the dance, succeed in the dance, you’ve got to be gritty. You’ve got to be willing to stand up when you get punched in the face. Get knocked down and get back up and go do it. There was no blinking on [our] sideline. Nobody blinked.

“Hard to win in this league,” Keenum added. “Hard to win in December when games matter in this league. And that one mattered a lot.”

Ben Arthur is the AFC South reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.