With four games left in the regular season, the Colts now sit at 8-5 and are on the bubble of the NFL playoff picture. Their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars catapulted the Jaguars up to first place in the division, and the Houston Texans beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football to improve to 8-5 and take hold of second place in the AFC South.
While it doesn't impact the standings or playoff picture, Tennessee Titans also won on Sunday; they beat the Cleveland Browns for their second win of the season.
Texans win fifth straight on SNF
The Texans went on the road to Arrowhead Stadium and held the Chiefs to just 10 points, winning 20-10 for their fifth consecutive victory. The league's top defense continued to impose its will, picking off Patrick Mahomes three times (his most interceptions since 2022) and recording eight quarterback hits and seven passes defensed.
"Defense did an outstanding job," head coach DeMeco Ryans said postgame. "This is a great offense, and they have done a great job for a long time. It was all about the situational football. Plays we made on third down, getting stops, fourth down, being able to get stops there to put us in range to score some points. I can't say enough about the effort from our defense."
C.J. Stroud finished the day 15-of-31 for 203 yards and a touchdown, and was sacked three times. And while the numbers weren't the best for the Houston offense — they totaled 82 rushing yards on 31 carries — they found a way to rally in the fourth quarter to retake the lead with a touchdown and later seal the game with a field goal.
"You just have to keep playing," Ryans said. "That's been my motto for us, like, how are we finishing? No matter what happens, how are you finishing in the fourth quarter? That's ultimately what every football game comes down to. And our guys finished the best that we could to put us in the position to win the game."
Running back Woody Marks led the team with 26 carries for 68 rushing yards and wide receiver Nico Collins had four receptions for 121 yards; the Texans leaned heavily on Marks in the second half for short gains after the Chiefs defense made more of an effort to limit Collins. Marks' longest run was just eight yards, but he proved crucial in the team's fourth-quarter rally.
"We know how dangerous we are when we're doing the right things," Stroud said. "It's not always going to be pretty, it's not always going to be perfect but whenever your numbers are called, you try to make the play."
With the win, the Texans improved to 8-5 and moved to second place in the AFC South, pushing the Colts out of the playoff race. The two teams will meet again in Week 18, with the Texans playing the Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders and Los Angeles Chargers in the next three weeks.
"We did what we came to do," Ryans said. "We knew it was just about accomplishing your mission. It wasn't anything extra on top of winning this game. We knew we had to get the win, no matter what it took. We had to get the win and that's how our guys think. The guys are confident. We expect to win. It's not too big for us."
Titans break seven-game losing streak with win over Browns
The last time the Titans won a football game was Oct. 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, when kicker Joey Slye knocked in a walkoff field goal to win 22-21. Since then, the Titans were in freefall, spiraling to the bottom of the AFC South standings. So while their 31-29 win over the Browns might not mean anything to the standings or playoff picture, it did mean something to the Titans locker room.
"We've been talking about how desperate we've all been just for a win," defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said. "It's a relief, and it's hard to win in this league. It feels good to head back to Tennessee with a win."
"Much better, huh? This is nice," interim head coach Mike McCoy said. "This is the way it should be all the time...What a team effort. We challenged the guys...and this is how you have to play the game."
The Titans leaned heavily on running back Tony Pollard, as snow fell in Cleveland, and he finished with 21 carries for 161 yards and two touchdowns. Cam Ward was 14-of-28 for 117 yards and two touchdowns, and threw one interception. They got off to a fast start, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter, but then punted six consecutive times.
And with Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders throwing for a whopping 364 yards and three touchdowns, and rushing for 29 yards and a touchdown, Sunday's game wasn't easy by any means. But the Titans were able to hold on for a win, and that's all that matters at the end of the day.
Defensively, they recorded two sacks, 14 quarterback hits and nine passes defensed, and blocked a punt in the fourth quarter that led to a field goal, making it 31-17. The Browns cut the lead with back-to-back touchdown drives, but the Titans defense stopped their two-point conversion attempt and, after the Titans recovered the ensuing onside kick, the game was over.
"It's been too long," guard Peter Skoronski said. "It's been a rough year, and we all know it. Even though the playoff implications aren't there, you still go out there and you try to win games. It feels great, and gratifying for sure."
The Titans have one remaining AFC South matchup on their schedule; they play the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium in Week 18. The Jaguars beat the Titans 25-3 in the teams' first meeting in Week 13.
