Titans-Texans Week 17 Postgame Notes

TEAM NOTES

• The Titans used a season-high 13 rookies in the game, including a season-high seven rookie starters. The rookie starters included quarterback Will Levis, running back Tyjae Spears, wide receiver Colton Dowell, left guard Peter Skoronski, offensive lineman/tight end John Ojukwu, linebacker Otis Reese IV and cornerback Eric Garror.
• The Titans' seven rookie starters were the most by any team in an NFL game in 2023 through the early afternoon contests of Dec. 31.
• The Titans' five rookie offensive starters were the most by any team in an NFL game in 2023 through the early afternoon contests of Dec. 31.
• The Titans' three penalties and 15 penalty yards were both season lows.
• The Titans defense limited the Texans to three conversions on 11 third-down attempts for a rate of 27.3 percent. It was the sixth time in 2023 that the Titans kept their opponents under 30.0 percent on third down.
• The Texans offense scored one touchdown on three trips inside the red zone against the Titans. The Titans defense, which entered the game ranked second in the NFL in red-zone efficiency, improved its season totals to 22 touchdowns allowed in 58 opponent red-zone opportunities for a rate of 37.9 percent. At the current rate, the defense can finish 2023 with the team's best red-zone performance in its "Titans era," which began in 1999. The best mark during that stretch has been held by the 2010 squad, which allowed 26 touchdowns on 63 opponent drives inside the 20 for a rate of 41.3 percent.

ILB AZEEZ AL-SHAAIR

• Ranked third on the defense with eight tackles.
• Leads the team with 153 tackles in 2023.
• Owns the team's first 150-tackle campaign since linebacker Wesley Woodyard had 172 tackles in 2017.

WR TREYLON BURKS

• Caught a pair of passes for 11 total yards.

WR COLTON DOWELL

• Registered his first career start. He exited the game late in the second quarter with a knee injury.

K NICK FOLK

• Provided the team's only scoring with a 53-yard field goal as time expired in the first half. It was his fifth made field goal on six attempts from 50-plus yards in 2023.
• His five field goals in 2023 tied for the third-highest total in team history for a single season. Only Stephen Gostkowski (seven in 2020) and Rob Bironas (six in 2011; five in 2009) have previously accomplished the feat for the Titans/Oilers.

RB DERRICK HENRY

• Led the team with 42 rushing yards on 12 attempts.
• His season totals include 1,014 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 261 attempts.
• On a 16-yard run in the third quarter, he reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the fifth time in his career (1,014). He joined Eddie George (seven), Chris Johnson (six) and Earl Campbell (five) as the only players in franchise history with five or more 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
• Became the 10th player in NFL history to record at least five seasons with 1,000 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
• On his first carry of the contest, he became the second player in Titans/Oilers history (Eddie George) and the 42nd player in NFL history to reach 2,000 career rushing attempts (2,011).

WR DeANDRE HOPKINS

• Led the team with seven receptions and 72 receiving yards.
• Registered his fourth game of 2023 with at least seven receptions. He tied J. Brown (2021) for the must such games by a Titans player in a season since 2016.
• Extended his active streak to 161 consecutive games with a reception—every game he has played since he entered the NFL. He owns the third-longest such streak to begin a career in NFL history behind only Marvin Harrison (190 consecutive games) and Keyshawn Johnson (167).
• On a 14-yard catch in the third quarter, he reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the seventh time in his career. He joined 29 previous NFL players who have recorded at least seven 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
• Leads the team in 2023 with 68 receptions, 1,011 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns.

OLB HAROLD LANDRY III

• Totaled five tackles and led the team with one sack and three tackles for loss. His three tackles for loss tied his career high.
• Sacked J. Stroud for a 12-yard loss in the fourth quarter. He increased his season total to 10.5 sacks, giving him his second career double-digit sack campaign (12 in 2021).
• Improved his career total to 41.5 sacks, which ranks 11th in franchise history.
• Has 9.5 sacks in his last 11 games.
• Became the team's first player since Kyle Vanden Bosch (2005 and 2007) with 10 or more sacks in multiple seasons.
• His sack at Houston gave him 8.5 sacks in 2023 in the fourth quarter, which led the NFL through the early afternoon games of Dec. 31.
• Since 1991, Landry's 8.5 fourth-quarter sacks in 2023 are more than any other Titans/Oilers player has had in a season. The previous mark was 5.5 by Jevon Kearse in 2000.

QB WILL LEVIS

• Returned to the lineup after missing the previous game with an injury. He became the third rookie quarterback in franchise history to start at least nine games, joining Vince Young (13 starts in 2006) and Marcus Mariota (12 starts in 2015).
• Completed two of six passes for 16 yards before leaving the game in the first quarter with a foot injury.

CB ROGER McCREARY

• Totaled seven tackles, including two tackles for loss.

DB ELIJAH MOLDEN

• Credited with seven tackles and one forced fumble.
• Registered his second career forced fumble on a reception by Nico Collins in the third quarter, but the ball went out of bounds.

WR CHRIS MOORE

• Recorded a 32-yard reception in the second quarter. It was his fifth reception of the season covering at least 30 yards.
• With 19 total receptions for 394 yards in 2023, his 20.7-yard average is the highest in the NFL among all players with at least 19 receptions through the early afternoon games of Dec. 31.

TE CHIG OKONKWO

• Caught three passes for 34 yards, including a 21-yarder in the fourth quarter.
• Logged his sixth consecutive game with at least three receptions, becoming the team's only tight end other than Delanie Walker to do so since the beginning of the 2013 season. Walker, who had multiple such streaks, last accomplished the feat in 23 straight games from 2016 to 2019.

LB OTIS REESE IV

• Started and ranked second on the defense with nine tackles. He added a stop on special teams.

RB TYJAE SPEARS

• Registered his first career start in a two-running-back package.
• Totaled 29 yards on four receptions.

QB RYAN TANNEHILL

• Entered the game in the first quarter after starter Will Levis exited with an injury.
• Completed 16 of 20 passes for 168 yards without throwing an interception.
• His 80.0 completion percentage was the fourth-best mark of his career in a game in which he attempted at least 20 passes.
• Recorded a passer rating of 101.7, marking his 47th career game with at least 20 attempts and a passer rating of at least 100.0. It was his 27th such performance since joining the Titans in 2019.
• Completed his first nine pass attempts.
• Completed a 32-yard pass to Chris Moore in the second quarter and a 21-yard pass to Chig Okonkwo in the fourth quarter.

S K'VON WALLACE

• Recorded a start at safety. He led the defense and set a career high with 11 total tackles.

P TY ZENTNER

• Averaged 49.6 gross yards and 43.6 net yards on five punts with two punts placed inside the 20.
• His 64-yard punt pinned the Texans on their 10-yard line in the fourth quarter.