Texans WR Andre Johnson needs 132 receiving yards to reach 10,000 for his career. (US Presswire)

Titans at Texans -- Week 4

Where: Reliant Stadium, Houston (turf, roof expected to be closed)

When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

Spread: Texans by 12

Records: Texans (Overall: 3-0, AFC South: 1-0); Titans (Overall: 1-2, AFC South: 0-0)

Past results: Two most recent meetings -- Jan. 1, 2012: Titans 23, Texans 22. Oct. 23, 2011: Texans 41, Titans 7. Series record: Titans lead 14-6.

What matters: The Texans are looking for their first 4-0 start in franchise history and are facing a Tennessee team that is coming off a dramatic home win over Detroit in overtime. QB Matt Schaub played his best game of the young season at Denver last week, throwing for 290 yards and four touchdowns. He’ll look to take advantage of Tennessee’s pass defense, which ranks No. 30 in the NFL (312.7 yards per game).

Who matters: There aren’t many defensive players performing at a higher level than DE J.J. Watt. He is second in the league with 5.5 sacks and tied for the team lead with 25 tackles. RB Arian Foster is carrying the ball over 26 times per game, the most in the league. Houston’s offense, as always, begins with establishing the run.

Key matchups: Tennessee second year QB Jake Locker threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns against Detroit last week, but he will face one of the best defenses in the NFL on the road Sunday. The offensive line will have to do a good job of giving Locker time against a pretty dominant front seven, specifically Watt. Through the first three weeks, that has not been a problem as the Titans have given up just two sacks, which is second fewest in the NFL.

Injuries of note: CB Johnathan Joseph missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday with a groin injury. Kubiak plans on having Joseph available Sunday, but it might be a game-time decision. S Quintin Demps will have to play with a cast on his right hand after breaking his thumb last week against Denver. WR Lestar Jean will be out after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this week.

Inside stuff: Houston has been playing seven along the offensive line the last couple weeks. Derek Newton and Ryan Harris are splitting the right tackle duty while Antoine Caldwell and rookie Ben Jones are splitting time at right guard.

Connections: Titans linebacker coach Frank Bush coached in Houston from 2007-10 and served as defensive coordinator in his last two years. Tennessee offensive coordinator Chris Palmer held the same post in Houston from 2002-05 under then-head coach Dom Capers.

Stat you should know: The Titans rank dead last in rushing offense by a wide margin. Tennessee is averaging just 39 rushing yards per game. Chris Johnson is averaging just 1.6 yards per rush. The Texans, meanwhile, are No. 5 in rushing defense (67.7 yards per game).

Record watch: WR Andre Johnson is 132 yards shy of 10,000 receiving yards for his career. He would become the 37th player in NFL history to reach that milestone.

Bulletin board quote: Foster said it will be a physical game Sunday against a traditionally physical team. “That’s the nature of their organization,” he said. “We always have to look forward to one of those types of fist fights when we, not literally. That’s terrible, actually. I meant a tough game.”

Looking ahead: Houston’s schedule gets interesting in the next three weeks. The Texans travel to take on the Jets on Monday Night Football next week before returning home for games with the Packers and Ravens. It will be clear where Houston stands in the NFL hierarchy after that three-week stretch.

Prediction: Texans 31, Titans 10

Follow Texans blogger Sean Bielawski on Twitter @CBSTexans.