The Titans ended the 2016 season a high note on Sunday.
The team’s 24-17 victory over the Houston Texans gave the franchise its first winning season since 2011. The win also closed out a season when the Titans tied the largest single-season turnaround in franchise history.
The Titans finished 9-7, a year after ending the 2015 season with a 3-13 mark.
And while no one was satisfied with the end result – the Texans clinched a playoff spot and will represent the AFC South as the division winner in the playoffs – it’s impossible to deny the progress in coach Mike Mularkey’s first full season on the job.
The Titans finished the season 5-3 at Nissan Stadium, where they ended the year with four straight wins. They finished second in the division behind the Texans, and ahead of the third-place Indianapolis Colts (8-8).
Titans quarterback Matt Cassel, playing in place of an injured Marcus Mariota, completed 16-of-26 passes for 150 yards with a touchdown and an interception on Sunday.
Running back Derrick Henry led the Titans with 65 yards on 16 carries, and a touchdown run. DeMarco Murray finished with 21 yards on 11 carries.
Receiver Rishard Matthews had a team-high nine catches for 114 yards, and a touchdown. He had a 50-yard catch that also set up another score.
The Titans had four sacks on defense, including two by Pro Bowl defensive lineman Jurrell Casey.
The Titans started with a bang – on defense.
Linebacker Sean Spence forced a fumble when he sacked Texans quarterback Tom Savage, and defensive lineman DaQuan Jones recovered it in the end zone for a touchdown to give the Titans a 7-0 lead with 9:57 remaining in the first quarter.
It was part of an impressive early showing by the Titans defense. In the second quarter, safety Daimion Stafford sacked Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler on fourth down to end another drive. Osweiler replaced Savage early in the second quarter after the starter left while being checked for a concussion, and he finished the game.
The Titans jumped out to a 14-0 lead when Cassel completed a two-yard touchdown pass to receiver Rishard Matthews with just 23 seconds left before the half. It gave Matthews his ninth touchdown of the season.
The Titans held the Texans to just 57 yards of total offense in the first half, and to only six first downs.
The Texans drove the length of the field to start the second half, however, and capped off the 13-play drive with a four-yard touchdown pass from Osweiler to tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, which made it 14-7.
But the Titans quickly answered back, driving 55 yards on 10 plays and capping it off with a two-yard touchdown run by Henry, who picked up 30 yards on the drive on his own. The touchdown stretched the lead back to 21-7 with 4:44 left in the third quarter.
The Texans then cut it to 21-10 on a 26-yard field goal by Novak before the Titans answered back with a 35-yard field goal from kicker Ryan Succop to make it 24-10 with 8:30 left in the contest.
The Texans cut the lead to 24-17 on a one-yard touchdown run by Osweiler with 3:11 left.
The Titans held the Texans on their final possession, and celebrated the win.
