NASHVILLE – The end of the Tennessee Titans’ six-game winning streak, as well as the end of the Houston Texans’ eight-game losing streak, came down to one simple number: Five.
Ryan Tannehill was intercepted a career-high four times and the Titans also lost the ball on a muffed punt for a season-high five turnovers Sunday in a 22-13 loss to the Texans that snapped the longest active winning and losing streaks in the NFL.
“You turn the ball over in this league, you’re going to lose,” Tennessee coach Mike Vrabel said. “Nobody wants to hear that, nobody believes that. But when you do that, it doesn’t matter what the record is. We had five turnovers. They had zero. You’re going to lose the game 99% of the time.”
The Titans (8-3) had other problems on a rainy afternoon. They fell behind 19-0, leading them to go for it on fourth down four times. They turned the ball over on downs twice and cost themselves a chance at another fourth-and-1 opportunity after a false start by left guard Rodger Saffold.
Those mistakes were more than enough even when the Titans outgained Houston 420-190 in total offensive yards and held the ball for nearly a minute longer.