Texans down Titans 27-20

Will Fuller V (15) scored two touchdowns, one of them on a punt
return, to lead the Texans scoring against the Titans.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016 All Rights Reserved

By Robert H Kelly

Copyright 2016 TexSport Publications

HOUSTON, TEXAS (October 2, 2016)  The HoustonTexans finally got their offense on the right track in the first quarter and as a result, downed the Tennessee Titans 27-20 at NRG Stadium in Houston on October 2, 2016. The Texans scored 14 points before the Titans could get on the scoreboard. Quarterback Brock Osweiler came right out, from the beginning of the game, and engineered the two first quarter touchdowns in their first two possessions of the game.

The first TD came at the 10:31 mark in the first quarter, when the Arizona State alumni connected with C.J. Fiedorowicz on a 14-yard pass; to cap a nine-play, 75-yard drive. Five minutes later, he hit Will Fuller V with a short five-yard pass for the second Houston TD of the game. Nick Novak split the uprights for both extra points, to give the Texans a 14-0 lead at the 4:34 mark in the first quarter. The Titans cut the Texans’ lead to 14-3 with a 48-yard Ryan Succop field goal with 3:36 left in the first quarter.

C.J. Fiedorowicz (87) caught four passes for 48 yards and
one touchdown before leaving the game with an injury.
Photo by Darla Tamulitis, La Vita Loca Photography
Copyright 2016, All Rights Reserved. 

The Texans continued their third drive of the game into the second quarter; adding a 53-yard field goal by Novak to increase their lead to 17-3. The Titans were not to be outdone, scoring two touchdowns by Demarco Murray on runs of two-yards and one-yard to tie the score with 2:28 left in the half. The Texans regained their lead at the seven-second mark of the first half when Novak booted a 45-yard field goal to close out the score at 20-17 after 30 minutes of play.

Succop evened the score with a 26-yard field goal to cap the Titans’ first possession of the second half, to conclude a 59-yard drive that took 13 plays. The Texans wasted no time in their attempt retake the lead. The Titans, on a 4th and 10 play with 1:12 remaining in the third quarter, sent in Brett Kern to punt. The punter, who played his college ball at Toledo, kicked the ball 45 yards to the Houston 33 yard line. There id was caught by Fuller, who promptly rambled 67 yards down the right side of the field for his second touchdown of the game. Novak booted the extra point to put the Texans up 27-20 going into the fourth quarter. The punt return by Fuller was the first by a Texans player since 2013.