Texans on overtime road victory over Tennessee: 'Luv ya, H-Town'

The Houston Texans emerged victorious in a 19-16 overtime game against the Tennessee Titans, a significant win considering they were without key players C.J. Stroud, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, and Will Anderson Jr. The game was marked by the Titans' choice to wear the uniforms of their franchise predecessors, the Houston Oilers, which many perceived as an attempt to provoke their opponents.

Following the game on December 17, the Texans responded with a postgame tweet saying, "Luv ya, H-Town," a nod to the historic era in Houston sports history that the Titans’ throwback uniforms were referencing," according to an unknown source from the Houston Texans.

In lieu of Stroud who suffered a concussion during a previous match against the Jets, emergency quarterback Case Keenum took up the mantle. Kicker Kaimi Fairbairn also made his return from a quad injury to secure the game-winning kick. These details were reported by The Associated Press (AP). Keenum, a 35-year-old alumnus of University of Houston (UH), managed to throw for just under 230 yards and score in his first National Football League (NFL) start since 2021.

The AP also highlighted another impressive performance from rusher Devin Singletary who contributed significantly to their victory over Tennessee with his run of 121 yards and an overtime touchdown.

Addressing their absent players, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said: "Of course we miss C.J., we miss Will, we miss Blake." He further noted that despite several key players being out, their team didn't falter. "It didn’t matter. Whoever steps on that field, we expect our guys to give their best and that’s what our guys did today," added Ryans.

According to OutKick, retired Texans star J.J. Watt urged his former rivals to relinquish the Oilers jerseys back to Houston’s current NFL franchise. The Oilers had been a staple in the fourth-largest city in the country from 1960 to 1996 until owner Bud Adams relocated the team to Tennessee after failing to secure a replacement for the Astrodome. The Texans were established later in 1999 and began their play in 2002.