NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As he stands 73 yards away from a 1,000 season, there’s have been many impressive ingredients to A.J. Brown’s rookie season.

Perhaps the best among them is that it’s hard to think of an instance where he’s been caught from behind after he’s got into the open field.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Coming off their worst kickoff games of the season, the Titans are looking to get back to limiting the return man in their crucial game Sunday in Houston.

Mike Vrabel said he’s less worried about the kick and more concerned about covering it well.

The Titans are 25th in average drive-start given up, which doesn’t sound good. Opponents typically begin drives at the 25.5, which doesn’t sound bad.

But the five kickers they’ve used this year have only delivered 33 touchbacks. Twenty-three individual kickers in the NFL this season have delivered more, with Bradley Pinion of Tampa Bay managing a league-best 85. (Photo: Core coverage players Dane Cruikshank and Tye Smith.)

The Titans have the fourth-worst touchback percentage in the NFL at .478, and the 45 kickoffs they’ve hit that have reached the end zone are the sixth-fewest in the league. Only the Jets, Lions, Jaguars, Browns and Bears have fewer, and it’s not hard to quickly see what all of those teams happen to have in common.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Twice in the last two weeks as they’ve dropped a couple of crucial games, the Titans have pushed to get back in games only to see a defensive drop-off in response.

Spurred by Jonnu Smith’s 57-yard run on Dec. 15 against Houston, the Titans moved to a 5-yard Ryan Tannehill to A.J. Brown touchdown pass that leveled the score at 14-14.

But then the defense gave up a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive during which the Texans had to convert only one third down. Carlos Hyde beat three defenders into the left corner for a 10-yard score and the Texans regained control, never in real danger again.

A week later against New Orleans, Tajae Sharpe caught an off-schedule Tannehill pass and bolted the rest of the way for a 36-yard third-quarter touchdown that closed the Saints lead down to 24-21.

By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The goal Sunday was to compete and win versus a top NFL team. The Titans competed but couldn’t finish. The Saints started out sluggish and uninspired, but the offense found its rhythm and became a tough team to stop.

Two well-designed big scoring plays by the Titans offense started the game perfectly for a team that was without their best offensive player.

The first scoring play for the Titans was a simple three WR look, TE Jonnu Smith was aligned on the line of scrimmage to the right side of the formation. He ran a simple shallow crossing route behind the linebackers. Saints LB A.J. Klein got sucked in on the play-action.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The fourth-quarter hit on Kalif Raymond that created a fumble and set up a Saints' touchdown should have been called an illegal hit on a defenseless receiver, a former VP of officiating in the NFL said.

Mike Pereira, now of FOX, said by text he saw the play live. Looking again at video I shared he said he saw a hit on a defenseless receiver and could have also seen a case for an incomplete pass.

Such a call by Jerome Boger's crew would have resulted in a first-and-10 from the Saints' 47 for the Titans with 4:06 left in the game. [Unlocked]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The unpredictable NFL left multiple scenarios out there for the Titans with two weeks left.

The Jets made things a lot clearer by beating the Steelers.

Now, if Tennessee gets to 9-7 for the fourth consecutive season with a win in Houston in Week 17, they’ll be the sixth seed in the AFC playoffs. If the Titans lose to the Texans and finish 8-8, they’ll be finished.

“Early wild-card round,” Kenny Vaccaro said.

It’s the third consecutive regular-season finale for Tennessee that’s a win-and-in game.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Derrick Henry will definitely not play for the Titans against the Saints.

The Titans' decision likely results from two factors: the limitations his injured hamstring would cause against New Orleans and an eagerness to have him rested and more ready for Week 17’s game at Houston.

Now in his fourth season, Henry has previously missed only one game because of injury, Week 9 in 2016 because of a calf strain.

Last week while clearly limited by the injury he still ran 21 times for 86 yards in the home loss to the Texans. [Unlocked]

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By BLAKE BEDDINGFIELD, special correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A true evaluation of Ryan Tannehill as a franchise quarterback begins this week.

With an ailing Derrick Henry, the offense will run through the quarterback and the other offensive weapons. WRs A.J. Brown, Corey Davis and TE Jonnu Smith will need to have big games to keep up with the Saints' scoring.

Tannehill has played well since taking over as the starter, but he has had the benefit of an outstanding run game and the play-action that is a result of the success of running the ball.

The Saints' defense has a playmaker at each level.