Texans Shut Out Titans: What We Learned Going Forward

4 Days Later: What We Learned From the Texans’ Shutout

This one felt different. Yeah, the Titans aren’t exactly world-beaters, but the Texans finally did what good teams are supposed to do — dominated, pitched their first shutout since 2010, and showed some things they can actually build on.

A few takeaways that stood out: • Fresh faces on defense: MJ Stewart stepped in for C.J. Gardner-Johnson and looked steady, EJ Speed showed he’s more than just a special teams guy, and Tommy Togiai made impact plays (including a tipped pass on 4th down). • Marks & Higgins: Woody Marks’ usage opened up the run game in new ways, and Jayden Higgins finally got opportunities from Stroud, even catching his first career TD. Both look like pieces this offense can lean on. • Stroud gaining more control: For the first time, it looked like he was truly checking into plays — not just ID’ing protections. That freedom led directly to Higgins’ TD and was something DeMeco highlighted postgame with the run checks. • DeMeco’s role: With Matt Burke calling defensive plays, DeMeco looked more involved with the whole team — situational awareness, time management, and in-game adjustments all felt sharper.

And while the offense still looked clunky at times through the first 3 quarters, they quietly moved the ball all game, dominated time of possession for the first time this season, and converted 3 of 3 on 4th downs.

More takeaways & clips in article!