National Football League
Houston 38, Tennessee 14
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, September 30, 2012
Where: Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: Carl Cheffers
Attendance: 71581

Texans 38, Titans 14:
Danieal Manning and Kareem Jackson returned interceptions for touchdowns and Houston's staunch defense shut down Tennessee en route to the first 4-0 start in franchise history.

Manning's pick broke open a seven-point game in the third quarter, and Matt Schaub threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Texans (4-0). Schaub hit fullback James Casey with an 11-yard scoring pass on the game's first possession, then connected with tight end Owen Daniels for a 28-yard score in the third to put the contest out of reach.

The Texans then went to work on the clock and Arian Foster racked up 86 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The Titans had to go with Matt Hasselbeck at quarterback after starter Jake Locker injured his non-throwing shoulder on a sack by unblocked safety Glover Quin. Hasselbeck threw a 19-yard TD pass to Craig Stevens and an 11-yarder to Kendall Wright to close out the scoring.

Tennessee (1-3) managed little else against the NFL's No. 2-ranked defensive unit. Chris Johnson, who entered the game with just 45 yards rushing in his first three contests, had the best day of his season as he gained 141 yards on 25 carries but made little impact.

Game notebook: Locker watched the rest of the game in street clothes with his arm in a sling. ... Johnson is averaging just one-half yard before contact this season, tied for the lowest in the NFL. In Johnson's 2,000-yard 2009 campaign, he averaged 3.9 yards per rush before contact. ... Texans DE J.J. Watt added two more sacks to bring his AFC-leading total to 7.5.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Tennessee   Houston
Chris Johnson Player Arian Foster
25 Attempts 24
141 Yards 86
5.6 Avg Yards 3.6
0 Touchdowns 1
19 Long 16
Receiving
Tennessee   Houston
Kendall Wright Player Owen Daniels
4 Receptions 6
46 Yards 72
11.5 Avg Yards 12.0
1 Touchdowns 1
20 Long 28
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Tennessee 325 158 167 2 0 0 0.0 0
Houston 297 95 202 5 1 2 4.0 2
Upcoming Games
  • Houston will play their next game on the road against N.Y. Jets. The Texans have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.
  • Tennessee will play their next game on the road against Minnesota. The Titans have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.