Jadeveon Clowney

Clash of Titans, Texans loses its meaning (Jan 01, 2017)

Published Dec. 30, 2016 6:39 p.m. ET

The Tennessee Titans' hopes of a surprise AFC South championship were already in serious trouble before quarterback Marcus Mariota suffered a fractured fibula in the third quarter of last week's 38-17 loss at Jacksonville.

But Mariota's season-ending injury served as the final insult in a rough reality check of a Christmas Eve game. After becoming one of the NFL's best stories in the previous two weeks with gritty wins over Denver and Kansas City to give it a real chance at winning the division, Tennessee erased those performances with a brutal 60 minutes against a 3-12 team.

That rendered Sunday's regular-season finale with repeat division champion Houston meaningless, except for pride. After going 2-14 and 3-13 the previous two years, the Titans (8-7) can still finish with their first winning season since 2011.

Coach Mike Mularkey believes that will be enough of a motivator to summon up a winning effort.

"It's an important game for everybody for a lot of reasons," he said. "Looking at how we started our season, I'd like to finish it strong. We're playing to win the football game. That's No. 1 and the only intent."

Winning the football game will be a lot tougher with Matt Cassel under center instead of Mariota. While Cassel does bring plenty of experience to Nissan Stadium, there's a reason he's with his sixth NFL team.

Cassel performed passably in a sudden relief role for Mariota last week in Jacksonville, throwing for 124 yards and a touchdown, although he mixed in a pick-six to Jalen Ramsey that sealed the already-inevitable outcome.

Mularkey said the offense, aside from fewer designed runs for the quarterback, won't require too much tweaking with Cassel in charge.

"Matt prepares like he's starting every game," Mularkey said. "He's here every morning Marcus is bright and early, very early. Matt knows how to prepare. He's been in this business long enough and our guys know that about him."

Cassel could have a tough time throwing against the NFL's second-ranked pass defense, so don't be surprised if Tennessee opts for a heavy dose of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry running the ball at the 14th-ranked rush defense. Murray, who has 1,266 yards, has a chance to finish as the AFC rushing champion.

While individual goals and the chance at a winning record are the motivators for the Titans, the Texans (9-6) can use this game in any way they wish after clinching the division last week with a 12-10 win over Cincinnati.

Regardless of whether coach Bill O'Brien rests other players, though, he almost has to play quarterback Tom Savage the entire game, barring a blowout or an injury. Savage's first NFL start was the division-clincher, and he certainly needs every rep he can get ahead of a possible playoff opener with the AFC West runner-up -- either Kansas City or Oakland.

Savage was 18 of 29 for 176 yards passing against Cincinnati, which doesn't sound impressive until one realizes he threw for a whopping 13 yards in the first half.

O'Brien and Savage both want to quicken the tempo this week, pointing to the team's low total of 57 plays against the Bengals.

"We played too slow against Cincinnati," O'Brien said. "I want us to play faster. It doesn't mean a whole game of no-huddle. It just means we need to get in and out of the huddle quicker and play at a better tempo."

While Savage seems certain to play wire to wire, Houston is again keeping leading rusher Lamar Miller in mothballs this week. Miller will miss his second straight game with an ankle injury.

Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (elbow, wrist) will also miss the game. Inside linebacker Brian Cushing (ankle) and cornerback Johnathan Joseph (ribs/shoulder) are questionable.

However, Cushing doesn't sound like someone who's interested in a busman's holiday on New Year's Day.

"Any time we step on the football field," he said, "you want to win."

That might go double for their opponent, which won't step on the football field again for a meaningful game until next September.

"We're going to play the game to win the football game," Mularkey summed up.