NASHVILLE - The Houston Texans took charge in the fourth quarter Sunday afternoon at Nissan Stadium, and now they have sole control of their division - again - with two games remaining, thanks to their 24-21 win against the Tennessee Titans.
The Texans are the reigning champions in the AFC South, which they're trying to win for the fourth time in six years under coach Bill O'Brien.
Carlos Hyde finished with 104 rushing yards including a 10-yard touchdown with 10:34 left, and Ka'imi Fairbairn's 29-yard field goal with 3:26 remaining provided the winning margin as the Texans scored 10 straight points in the fourth quarter to pick up a crucial division victory on the road.
"We had to lock in," Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson said. "That's what we did. It came down to that fourth quarter of standing up, getting up and getting a drive in and getting points on the board and our defense making a stop.
"Yeah, it was just something that we definitely didn't want to let it slip out of our hands."
The Texans (9-5) were heading home for a short week of preparation before Saturday's road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Houston then hosts the Dec. 29 regular-season finale against the Titans (8-6), who will welcome the New Orleans Saints next Sunday.
"I don't think we should even think one second about anything other than Tampa Bay, and that should be the whole goal," O'Brien said of the Texans' improved chances of winning the division after entering the day tied with the Titans for first place but holding the tiebreaker over Tennessee due to a better record against AFC South competition.
The Titans haven't won the division since 2008, when Jeff Fisher was still running the show. Mike Munchak, Ken Whisenhunt, Mike Mularkey and now Mike Vrabel are Tennessee's coaches since Fisher.
Not only do the Titans trail Houston, they're on the outside of the AFC's six playoff berths altogether because both Pittsburgh and Buffalo, who faced one another Sunday night, were ahead of Tennessee in the race for the wild-card spots.
"If we find a way to win (against New Orleans), I would imagine we have all the opportunities in the world," Vrabel said.
Houston Texans running back Carlos Hyde celebrates after scoring a touchdown on a 10-yard run against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. / AP photo by James KenneyTitans kicker Ryan Succop had a field-goal attempt blocked, and tight end Anthony Firsker had a would-be touchdown pass knocked out of his arms into the hands of Texans linebacker Whitney Mercilus for an interception and a long return in the first half. The Titans also couldn't recover an onside kick with a couple of minutes left before fielding a punt at their 1-yard line in the final seconds.
The Texans nearly blew a 14-0 halftime lead as the Titans intercepted Watson twice inside the Tennessee 1. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, whose elevation to starter helped spur a stretch of six wins in seven games going into Sunday, described Tennessee's comeback effort as "too little, too late."
Tannehill connected with Dion Lewis on an 11-yard touchdown pass with 2:04 left to pull Tennessee within 24-21. Backup kicker Ryan Santoso was sent out to try an onside kick, but the ball went only 7 yards before being smothered by Texans safety Justin Reid.
The Titans forced a punt with 28 seconds left, but LeShaun Sims fielded the ball at the 1 instead of letting the ball go into the end zone. Tannehill was sacked, then spiked the ball with a second on the clock. Officials ruled time had expired.
"We've just got to be better, man," Titans safety Kevin Byard said. "We'll see them guys again in two weeks, but (we're) disappointed."
The Titans had won four straight, and the end of that streak is a big blow to their hopes of making the playoffs for the second time in two seasons.
Tennessee, which outgained Houston 432-374 in total offensive yards, picked off Watson on the opening drive and again late in the third quarter when linebacker Jayon Brown picked off a tipped pass in the end zone.
Tannehill threw for 279 yards and ran for a 1-yard touchdown, but he was also intercepted at the goal line with the game scoreless in the second quarter. Texans safety Justin Reid hit Firkser just after the ball arrived, popping it out to Mercilus, who ran 86 yards the other way.
"I've got to make that catch and control the ball and not let it pop out like that," Firsker said.
Watson threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Stills two plays later. Houston then forced Tennessee to go three-and-out, and Watson finished a 72-yard touchdown drive with another throw to Stills, this one covering 16 yards.
Tannehill's 1-yard run capped a 15-play, 76-yard touchdown drive on the first series of the third quarter, a possession that consumed nearly 9 1/2 minutes on the game clock.
On the next series, the Texans had second-and-goal at the Tennessee 4. Titans rookie defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons tipped the pass that was picked off by Brown in the end zone inside the final minute of the third, and Tennessee turned that into a 5-yard pass from Tannehill to A.J. Brown for the tying touchdown.
"We had to have an answer there," O'Brien said.
Although he was held scoreless, DeAndre Hopkins helped provide that response, with four of his six catches and 98 of his 119 receiving yards in the game coming in the fourth quarter. It is his second straight 100-yard receiving game, fifth this season and the 30th of his career.
"I was able to get the ball to him," Watson said, "and just let him go to work."
Titans running back Derrick Henry, who had a streak of 100-yard rushing games snapped as he went for his fifth in a row, finished with 86 yards on 21 carries.
Succop is 1-of-6 since being activated off injured reserve for the Titans, who already ranked last in the NFL in field-goal percentage. Texans lineman Angelo Blackson blocked Succop's 45-yard try in the first quarter after Kenny Vaccaro's interception.