Titans at Texans final score: Tennessee earns last playoff berth in AFC with dominant win in Houston

The Tennessee Titans officially secured a playoff spot in Week 17, as they defeated the AFC South champion Houston Texans, 35-14. The Titans were the best team on the field, and we can say that with confidence since the Texans made the decision to sit most of their starters. 

Bill O'Brien said earlier in the week that he would play his starters against the Titans, but after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Los Angeles Chargers, he changed his tune. A.J. McCarron started at quarterback for the Texans, and he actually put together a pretty impressive performance. He completed 21 of 35 passes for 225 yards and one interception, and also rushed five times for 39 yards and a touchdown. He engineered a couple of impressive drives -- including in the first quarter, when McCarron helped Houston score its first touchdown on an opening drive all season. 

The Titans' offense was unstoppable for most of the game, and Ryan Tannehill and Co. racked up 467 yards of total offense. Whether attacking through the air or on the ground, Tennessee was effective. Derrick Henry's 211 rushing yards and three touchdowns made him the regular-season rushing champ, as he passed Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers and Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns. 

Both teams now turn their attention to the playoffs, as both will play next week. 

Why the Titans won

At times this season, it was clear that the Titans had a dynamic trio on offense. They didn't always show up week to week, but when they did, the Titans appeared to have one of the best offensive attacks in the NFL. Tannehill completed 13 of 20 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns and was extremely accurate on Sunday. He was putting the ball only where his wideouts could get it and he was efficient when it came to moving the chains. If the Titans were forced to punt at any point during the game, it was usually because Tannehill's wideouts let him down, not the other way around. 

After taking last week off to rest his hamstring, Henry was absolutely dominant. He rushed 32 times for 211 yards and three touchdowns, and he looks ready to make a statement in the postseason. He's been great this year, and he ends the regular season with more rushing yards than any other player. Rookie wide receiver A.J. Brown put up a career-high eight catches for 114 yards and a touchdown in Week 15 against the Texans, and he again had this way with Houston's secondary on Sunday. He caught four passes for 124 yards and a touchdown, and he was explosive from the Titans' very first possession. When these three players are at their best, there's no doubt that the Titans can compete with teams like the New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs or Baltimore Ravens. Tennessee will need them to step up again in the postseason. 

Why the Texans lost

The Texans simply lost because they weren't playing their starters. If you're not satisfied with that answer, then let's dive a little deeper. Houston put together a 15-play, 75-yard drive on its first possession of the game that ended a touchdown and a 16-play, 75-yard drive on its first possession of the second half that ended in a touchdown. Other than those two possessions, there was nothing going right for the Texans. They went three-and-out three times, were just 3 for 12 on third-down conversions and punted five times. Taiwan Jones was the leading rusher with just 40 yards and Duke Johnson only received four rushes. Houston made a good decision to rest its starters, so don't sweat this game. 

Turning point

The Titans extended their lead to 14 points on their first drive of the second half. It was a dominant possession, as they went 78 yards on 10 plays and didn't pass the ball once. McCarron wasn't rattled, however, and took the Texans 75 yards down the field on 16 plays to cut the deficit to just seven points again. One had to wonder if the Texans were going to be able to keep up in the second half, but the Titans quickly put any thought of a comeback to bed. It took them just five plays to go 75 yards on their ensuing possession, and Henry punched in his second touchdown. It was the beginning of a 14-point run that Tennessee would ride all the way to the finish line. 

Play of the game

That five-play, 75-yard drive was sparked by a 47-yard catch Brown made that got the Titans all the way down to the one-yard line. If you take anything away from this matchup, understand that Brown is an emerging superstar in this league.

Quotable 

What's next

Both teams now turn their attention to the postseason, as the Titans will travel up to New England to take on the Patriots, while the Texans will prepare to host the Buffalo Bills.