Texans–Titans rivalry

The Texans–Titans rivalry is a professional American football rivalry in the National Football League (NFL) between the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans.

Texans–Titans football rivalry

The Titans' defense lines up vs. the Texans' offense to begin a play during the game on January 1, 2012.
Houston Texans Tennessee Titans
Location	Houston, Nashville
First meeting	November 10, 2002 Titans 17, Texans 10
Latest meeting	December 31, 2023 Texans 26, Titans 3
Next meeting	2024
Stadiums	Texans: NRG Stadium Titans: Nissan Stadium
Statistics
Meetings total	44
All-time series	Titans, 23–21
Largest victory	Texans: 57–14 (2017) Titans: 35-14 (2019), 38-17 (2003)
Longest win streak	Texans: 5 (2014-2016) Titans: 7 (2005–2008)
Current win streak	Texans, 3
Championship Success
Super Bowl Championships (0) Texans – None Titans – None Super Bowl Appearances (1) Texans – None Titans – 1999 Conference Championships Appearances (5) Texans – None Titans – 1978, 1979, 1999, 2002, 2019 Division Championships (14) Texans (7) – 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2023 Titans (7) AFC Central (2): 1991, 1993 AFC South (5): 2000, 2002, 2008, 2020, 2021

300km
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Titans

Texans

  

Locations of the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans

The Texans–Titans rivalry is an intense rivalry, pitting the Tennessee Titans (formerly based in Houston as the Houston Oilers) with Houston's present-day team, the Texans. The 2002 expansion and conference realignment by the NFL put a new team into Houston. With the expansion Texans in place, the NFL's realignment created the AFC South and put the two teams together as division rivals. During the 2000s, the Titans dominated the rivalry before the Texans would gain the upperhand in the 2010s. The Titans currently lead the series 23–21. The two teams have not met in the postseason.

History

Origins

The roots can be planted back to 1996, when the former Houston Oilers relocated to Tennessee and rebranded the franchise as the Titans in 1999. Houston was awarded a new franchise in 2002 dubbed the Texans, and fans have quarreled over who was the better team in Houston.

Another earlier roots for the rivalry is knowing that Tennessee was a common ancestral place for White Texan settlers back in the 1830s. Additionally, both states have large country music scenes.

2010s

The bitterness of the rivalry has led to fistfights between the teams during games. One notable fight was on November 28, 2010, when Texans receiver Andre Johnson and Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan exchanged blows after a play and were ejected. The Texans won that game 20–0.

The rivalry became more competitive in 2011 as both teams were in the hunt for the division title most of the year. In Week 7, the Titans hosted the Texans in a match-up for the division lead and was the home field favorite while Houston was coming off of a 2-game losing streak. The Texans won 41–7 and went on to win the division that year. In Week 17, Houston hosted Tennessee; the Titans had to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Titans won on a botched two-point conversion try by the Texans, who were trying for the win. However, they were eliminated from postseason contention due to the Denver Broncos losing against the Kansas City Chiefs 7–3. If Tennessee had qualified to play in the NFL playoffs, they would have played the Texans in the AFC Wild-Card round.

In 2018, the Texans won the AFC South at 11–5, and split with Tennessee. The Texans would play either the Titans or Colts in the upcoming Wild Card game, depending on the Sunday Night Football winner between the two. The Colts won 33–17, eliminating the Titans from the playoffs at 9–7 and setting up a wild-card match between the Texans and Colts. Had the Titans won, it would've been the first meeting in the playoffs between the two teams, similar to 2011.

The Texans vs. the Titans at Nissan Stadium in Week 15, 2019.

In 2019, the Texans Week 15 road game against Titans marked the first time that both teams were 8–5 at the same time. The Texans beat the Titans 24–21, and in Week 16 the Texans won the AFC South after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23–20. In the final week of regular season, the Titans faced the Texans on the road. The Titans needed to win the game or a Pittsburgh Steelers loss against the Baltimore Ravens in order to make the playoffs. Behind a 211-yard, three-touchdown day from running back Derrick Henry and the Texans resting starters, the Titans won 35–14 to clinch the sixth seed in the playoffs.

2020s

The most competitive games in the history of the rivalry came in 2020. On October 18 the Texans traveled to Nissan Stadium under interim coach Romeo Crennel, taking over for the fired Bill O'Brien. The Texans erased a 21–7 gap to lead 36–29, but the Titans stormed down and scored with seven seconds left. In overtime the Titans got first possession and advanced 82 yards on six plays ending in a direct snap touchdown run by Derrick Henry. In the second meeting of the 2020 season, Sam Sloman kicked a 37-yard field goal that bounced off the right upright and in to give Tennessee the 41–38 win. This was the highest-scoring game (79 points) in the history of the rivalry after the previous game set the record at 78 points.

Connections between the teams

Name	Position(s)	Titans' tenure	Texans' tenure
Andre Johnson	Wide receiver	2016	2003–2014
Gary Walker	Defensive end	1995-1998	2002–2005
Jadeveon Clowney	Defensive End	2020	2014-2018
Jason Babin	Defensive end	2010	2004–2006
Robaire Smith	Defensive tackle	2000-2003; 2006	2004–2005
Chris Brown	running back	2003–2007	2008–2009
Johnathan Joseph	Cornerback	2020	2011–2019
DeAndre Hopkins	Wide receiver	2023–present	2013–2019

Season-by-season results

Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans Season-by-Season Results
2000s (Titans, 12–4) Season Season series at Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans Overall series Notes 2002 Titans 2–0 Titans 13–3 Titans 17–10 Titans 2–0 Texans join the NFL as an expansion team. Both teams placed in the AFC South following 2002 NFL realignment. Titans make first return to Houston since leaving as the Oilers in 1996. 2003 Titans 2–0 Titans 27–24 Titans 38–17 Titans 4–0 2004 Texans 2–0 Texans 31–21 Texans 20–10 Titans 4–2 Texans sweep the Titans for the first time. 2005 Titans 2–0 Titans 34–20 Titans 13–10 Titans 6–2 Titans go 4–12 on the season and Texans go 2–14, resulting in top-3 Draft picks for each team 2006 Titans 2–0 Titans 26–20(OT) Titans 28–22 Titans 8–2 2007 Titans 2–0 Titans 38–36 Titans 31–28 Titans 10–2 2008 Tie 1–1 Texans 13–12 Titans 31–12 Titans 11–3 Titans win 7 straight meetings (2005–08) 2009 Tie 1–1 Titans 20–17 Texans 34–31 Titans 12–4
2010s (Texans, 13–7) Season Season series at Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans Overall series Notes 2010 Tie 1–1 Texans 20–0 Titans 31–17 Titans 13–5 Cortland Finnegan, Andre Johnson fight at game in Houston 2011 Tie 1–1 Titans 23–22 Texans 41–7 Titans 14–6 2012 Texans 2–0 Texans 38–14 Texans 24–10 Titans 14–8 2013 Tie 1–1 Texans 30–24(OT) Titans 16–10 Titans 15–9 2014 Texans 2–0 Texans 45–21 Texans 30–16 Titans 15–11 2015 Texans 2–0 Texans 20–6 Texans 34–6 Titans 15–13 2016 Tie 1–1 Texans 27–20 Titans 24–17 Titans 16–14 2017 Tie 1–1 Texans 57–14 Titans 24–13 Titans 17–15 Texans' 57–14 win is the biggest blowout in the series history (43 points) 2018 Tie 1–1 Texans 34–17 Titans 20–17 Titans 18–16 2019 Tie 1–1 Titans 35–14 Texans 24–21 Titans 19–17 Titans clinch final AFC Wild Card berth in their away win in week 17.
2020s (Tie, 4–4) Season Season series at Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans Overall series Notes 2020 Titans 2–0 Titans 41–38 Titans 42–36(OT) Titans 21–17 Titans clinch AFC South in Houston in week 17. First time since 2007 that the Titans swept the Texans. Two highest-scoring games in rivalry 2021 Tie 1–1 Titans 28–25 Texans 22–13 Titans 22–18 Titans clinch AFC's top seed with win in Houston. 2022 Tie 1–1 Titans 17–10 Texans 19–14 Titans 23–19 2023 Texans 2–0 Texans 26–3 Texans 19–16(OT) Titans 23–21
Summary of Results Season Season series at Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans Notes Regular season Titans 23–21 Tie 11–11 Titans 12–10

External links

• Texans-Titans head-to-head record