The Houston
Texans wanted to honor their late owner and founder Robert
"Bob" McNair, who died last week at age 81.
They knew the perfect way to
do that Monday night was to keep their winning streak going.
Deshaun
Watson threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score as
the Texans set a franchise record with their eighth straight victory, 34-17
over the Tennessee
Titans.
Demaryius
Thomas scored his first two touchdowns with Houston and Lamar Miller ran
for 162 yards, including a 97-yard TD.
The Texans (8-3) also saluted
McNair by wearing decals in the shape of a football with white block letters
bearing his initials of "RCM." With that tribute on the back of their
helmets, they became the first team in NFL history to win eight games in a row
after starting 0-3. They lead the AFC South by two games over Indianapolis.
The Texans trailed by 10 early
before reeling off 27 straight points.
Houston receiver DeAndre
Hopkins said there was no panic after the team fell behind in
the first quarter.
Tennessee (5-6) finally scored
again on a 48-yard reception by Corey Davis late
in the third quarter, but the second TD by Thomas -- this one for 10 yards --
made it 34-17 with just more than eight minutes left.
Marcus
Mariota, who missed the second half of last week's game with a
stinger, was 22 of 23 for 303 yards and two touchdowns. He completed his first
19 passes before an incompletion with just more than a minute remaining.
Miller's 97-yard breakaway in
the second quarter made it 21-10. It was the longest run in franchise history
and the longest in the NFL since his dash of the same length for a touchdown on
Dec. 28, 2014, with the Dolphins. He's the only player in league history with
two career rushing touchdowns of 95 yards or longer.
The Titans went ahead 3-0 on
their first possession, and Jonnu Smith had
a career-long 61-yard catch-and-run touchdown that extended their lead less
than halfway through the first quarter.
Houston got going after that,
cutting the lead to 10-7 when Thomas grabbed his first touchdown since being
traded from Denver on Oct. 30, a 12-yard grab with about six minutes left in
the quarter.
Watson put the Texans on top
when he scrambled 15 yards for a score on the first play of the second quarter.
The Titans went for it on
fourth-and-inches from the 3 later in the second, but tight end Luke Stocker was
stopped for no gain.
Miller's long TD, which helped
Houston set a franchise record with 281 yards rushing, came on the next play.
He took the handoff in the end zone and darted through a crowd of Titans before
shedding one tackle and simply outrunning the rest of the defense.
The Texans kicked a field goal
as time expired in the second quarter to take a 24-10 lead into halftime.
MCNAIR REMEMBERED
The Texans honored McNair in a
pregame ceremony, which included a video tribute to him while the Texas A&M
Singing Cadets sang "Amazing Grace." While the video was played, one
side of the video board displayed the words: "Faith, Family, Philanthropy,
and Football."
Painted on both 25-yard lines
was a football with his initials that looked just like the decals on the
players' helmets.
Television cameras panned to
several fans with signs honoring the late owner. One read: "McNair Never
Forgotten."
WATSON'S WORK
Watson has thrown 39 touchdown
passes in his first 18 career games, which is third in NFL history behind Hall
of Famers Kurt Warner (44) and Dan Marino (40). His 70 yards rushing on Monday
were a career best and he tied Matt Schaub's
franchise record by throwing a TD pass in his 16th straight game.
INJURIES
Titans cornerback Malcolm
Butler left in the second quarter to be evaluated for a concussion
and did not return. ... Houston WR Keke Coutee didn't
return after injuring his hamstring in the third quarter.
UP NEXT
Titans: Host the New York Jets on
Sunday.
Texans: Host the Cleveland
Browns on Sunday.
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