Titans vs. Texans 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online

Two AFC South bottom-feeders will try to salvage something out of their season.

by Jon Benne

Nov 1, 2015, 2:30 PM UTC

Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

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Week 8 of the NFL season features some exciting, important divisional games that could have playoff implications down the road. The Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans is low on entertainment potential, but bizarrely enough, both teams still have something to play for in the putrid AFC South.

Despite Houston being 2-5 and Tennessee sitting at 1-5, they’re only a couple games behind the Indianapolis Colts, who lead the division with a 3-4 record. Whoever wins this game could actually keep pace in the division race.

Keeping pace will be a tall order for the Texans after losing running back Arian Foster for the year with a torn Achilles. Foster’s loss cripples a running offense that was already stuck in neutral, ranking 27th in rushing yards per game. Alfred Blue will attempt to pick up the slack, but he was less than impressive filling in for Foster earlier this year.

Blue has just 234 rushing yards on 60 carries, averaging 3.9 yards per attempt. This could end up being a committee with Blue, Chris Polk and Jonathan Grimes, with neither player distinguishing himself.

Whoever ends up being the lead back, none of it will matter if the defense can’t get off the field. What was supposed to be Houson’s biggest strength ended up being a massive weakness this season. Last week the Miami Dolphins moved the ball with ease on Houston’s defense, racing out to a 41-0 lead before calling off the dogs in the second half.

To make matters worse for Houston, defensive stalwart J.J. Watt is on the injury reports with a back injury. He practiced on Friday and is listed as questionable. Watt at less than 100 percent would spell even more doom for a lowly defense.

The Titans haven’t been much better this year, sitting at 1-5 and looking as aimless as ever. Things went from bad to worse when promising rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota suffered a sprained MCL in Week 6. Mariota has been ruled out already, so second-year player Zach Mettenberger is getting the start for the second straight game. Mettenberger looked respectable in last week’s start, but the Titans still struggled to a 14-7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

Tennessee’s offense is once again a weak spot, ranking just 28th in yards per game. The running back trio of Antonio Andrews, Bishop Sankey and Dexter McCluster has failed to accomplish much on the ground and rookie wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham has yet to be utilized in any real fashion.

Mariota, Mettenberger and company haven’t been helped out by a porous run defense, ranking 30th in rushing yards allowed per game. Devonta Freeman was just the latest to gash Tennessee on the ground, rushing for 116 yards on 25 carries. The pass defense has actually done well on paper, ranking second in the league in passing yards allowed per game, but it has yet to translate into wins for Tennessee.

With two scuffling offenses facing each other, Vegas doesn’t expect this to be a high-scoring game. The over/under is set at just 43.5, according to OddsShark, while the Texans are favored by 4.5 points.