Houston Texans fans can finally breathe.
The Texans dominated the Titans defensively in a 26-3 win, earning their first victory of the season after losing their first four games.
Here are the grades from the performance:
Quarterback: A
C.J. Stroud had another efficient game, completing 26 of 34 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a 2-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Stroud is playing his best football this season, making great decisions and putting the Texans in a good position to score despite not having a running game. He’s also making some clutch throws on third down.
Houston’s offense had just one three-and-out, which came with six minutes remaining.
Running backs: C
The Texans still haven’t been able to get much from their running game largely because of their blocking. Several runs were also called back for holding penalties, including a would-be 24-yard touchdown. So it’s impossible to put all the blame on the running backs. Woody Marks finished with 62 yards on 15 carries.
David Montogmery, who had 11 yards on five carries, injured his groin in the first half and didn’t return.
Wide receivers/tight ends: A-
It was a solid game from the wide receivers with the exception of a couple of drops. It was a blanched performance. Xavier Hutchinson led all receivers with 65 yards, followed by Nico Collins who had 56 yards. Jaylin Noel added 41 yards and a touchdown.
Offensive line: C
The offensive line gets a C because there were too many negative runs, including several penalties that negated big gains. For the most part, they were able to protect Stroud, who carved up the secondary for another good passing performance.
Defensive line: A
The defensive line got after Cam Ward in the second half. Will Anderson Jr. had three sacks, and Danielle Hunter had another. Defensive tackles Logan Hall and Sheldon Rankins both were able to get pressure on Ward. In addition, the Titans run game was inefficient. Dominique Robinson also forced a fumble
Linebackers: A-
This was one of the better days for the linebackers. Azeez Al-Shaair returned after a one-game absence with a groin injury. He was all over the field. And Jake Hansen recorded his first career interception. The interception was just the second of the season for the Texans, and the second of two takeaways.
Secondary: A-
After such a poor performance in last week’s loss to Dallas, one must give the Texans’ secondary credit. Ward finished with less than 200 yards passing and didn’t have a single touchdown. Kamari Lassiter and Derek Stingley both played well and didn’t give up many explosive plays. Reed Blankenship tackled well. Unfortunately, Jalen Pitre suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the game.
Special teams: A
The special teams unit has been one of the weaknesses of this team, especially in kick return coverage.
But they were one of the most valuable units Sunday. Ka’imi Fairbairn made all four of his field goal attempts. Kai Kroeger punted it well. And the kick return defense held the Titans in check.
Coaching: B
The penalties are a problem. The Texans were called for 11 penalties for 95 yards, often negating several positive plays, including a touchdown.
But overall it was a balanced performance from all of the Texans units, and it’s why they were able to win in such decisive fashion.
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This article originally published at Texans report card: Grading Houston’s 26-3 win over the Tennessee Titans.