Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-11 · by Teresa M. Walker The Associated Press
C.J. Stroud led the Houston Texans to their first win of the season with a 26-3 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. Stroud threw for 261 yards and a touchdown, while also running for another score; Houston forced two turnovers and held Tennessee to just 187 total yards. The Texans’ defense dominated, led by Will Anderson Jr.'s three sacks, as they extended their halftime lead to 19-3 after the third quarter. This win marks the second consecutive season Houston has ended a winless start against Tennessee.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
C.J. Stroud led the Houston Texans to their first win of the season, defeating the Tennessee Titans 26-3 in Nashville on Sunday. Stroud threw for 261 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score. The victory snapped Houston's four-game losing streak, while Tennessee fell to 0-5 with their sixth straight loss overall. Key defensive plays by Houston included forcing two turnovers and recording four sacks, three of which were credited to Will Anderson Jr. Houston also outgained the Titans 225-49 over the second and third quarters, limiting Tennessee to a season-low 187 total yards. The win marks the second consecutive year Houston has ended an opening winless stretch by beating Tennessee.
Written for “Houston Texans Win First Game” on 2026-10-11,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — C.J. Stroud threw for 261 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score and the Houston Texans snapped their winless start to the season by routing the Tennessee Titans 26-3 Sunday.
asserted
Texans → throw → Titans
This is the second straight season Houston (1-4) ended an opening winless skid by beating Tennessee.
asserted
Houston → end → Tennessee
This time, the Texans forced two turnovers and Will Anderson Jr. had three of Houston’s four sacks.
asserted
Jr. → force → sacks
Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked four field goals with the Texans taking a 12-3 halftime lead.
asserted
Texans → kick → lead
Houston played keep-away over the second and third quarters outgaining the Titans 225-49 and outscoring them 16-0.
asserted
Houston → play → them
The Texans held Tennessee to a season-low 187 total yards.
asserted
Texans → hold → yards
The Titans (0-5) now have lost 11 straight in the AFC South and six straight going back to the end of last season.
asserted
Titans → lose → season
Tennessee led only after opening with a drive for a 30-yard field goal by Joey Slye.
asserted
Tennessee → lead → Slye
Cam Ward finished throwing for 170 yards.
asserted
Ward → throw → yards
Then the Texans forced the Titans three-and-out, safety Jalen Pitre recovered a fumble by Tyjae Spears on the next Tennessee drive.
asserted
Pitre → force → drive
Jake Hansen picked off Ward’s pass up the middle on the ensuing drive.
asserted
Hansen → pick → drive
Houston then forced another three-and-out by the Titans.
asserted
Houston → force → Titans
Tennessee managed only one sack as Stroud scrambled safely to the sideline.
asserted
Stroud → manage → sideline
The Titans’ secondary didn’t have safety Amani Hooker still in the concussion protocol, and the injuries grew quickly after kickoff.
asserted
injuries → have → kickoff
Safety Kevin Winston Jr. hurt a quadriceps muscle early, cornerback Cor’Dale Flott hurt his chest and Tony Adams returned after clearing a concussion evaluation.
asserted
Adams → hurt → evaluation
Stroud picked apart the Titans, and only the Texans’ inability to convert twice inside the Tennessee 20 in the first half kept the final score from being worse.
asserted
inability → pick → score
Houston also had to settle for field goals of 35 and 26 yards from Fairbairn after the turnovers.
asserted
Houston → have → turnovers
Houston put the game away in the third quarter with a 17-play drive using up 8 minutes, 23 seconds.
asserted
Houston → put → minutes
Stroud kept the drive alive on third-and-11 escaping All-Pro tackle Jeffery Simmons to find Kayshon Boutte for a tiptoe-catch on the sideline for 23 yards.
asserted
Stroud → keep → yards
Stroud finished the drive with a 2-yard keeper for 19-3 lead.
asserted
Stroud → finish → lead
Stroud added a 9-yard TD pass to Jaylin Noel to start the fourth quarter.
asserted
Stroud → add → quarter
Self-inflicted mistakes
Houston hurt itself repeatedly, piling up 11 penalties for 95 yards.
asserted
Houston → inflict → yards
The Titans didn’t pick up a penalty until 2:49 left in the third quarter and finished with seven for 83 yards.
asserted
Titans → pick → yards
Injuries
Texans running back David Montgomery hurt a groin muscle in the second quarter and didn’t return.
asserted
Montgomery → hurt → quarter
He had just five carries for 11 yards.
asserted
He → have → yards
Pitre hurt a shoulder late.
asserted
Pitre → hurt → shoulder
Flott didn’t return after hurting his chest.
asserted
Flott → return → chest
The injury happened when teammate Isaiah Oliver, promoted from the practice squad, hit both Flott and Texans tight end Dalton Schultz on an overthrown pass in the end zone.
asserted
Oliver → happen → zone
Up next
The Texans play the Jaguars in London on Sunday.
asserted
Texans → play → Sunday
The Titans visit Indianapolis on Sunday.
asserted
Titans → visit → Sunday
The Aporia
