Houston pulls away
The Houston Texans earned their first victory of the season with a 26-3 win over the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium in Week 5. C.J. Stroud threw for a touchdown and ran for another as Houston ended its four-game losing start. The teams finished the opening quarter tied 3-3. Houston took control with nine points in the second quarter for a 12-3 halftime lead, then added seven points in each of the final two quarters. Tennessee never scored again after the first period. Houston improved to 1-4 after losing its previous two games by a combined six points. Tennessee dropped to 0-5, following losses of 12-7 to the New York Giants and 24-18 to the Baltimore Ravens with its lowest scoring output of those three games.
Stroud leads a balanced effort
Stroud completed 26 of 34 passes for 261 yards and a touchdown. He also carried six times for five yards and a score. Jaylin Noel caught all five of his targets for 41 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Hutchinson added four receptions for 65 yards on five targets, giving Houston another productive receiving option. Woody Marks contributed in both phases of the offense, rushing 15 times for 62 yards and catching all four of his targets for 23 yards. His 85 yards from scrimmage complemented Stroud's passing production.
Tennessee gets little scoring return
Cam Ward finished 23-of-36 passing for 170 yards with one interception. Tony Pollard gained 52 yards on 14 carries, while Wan'Dale Robinson caught six of seven targets for 53 yards. Tyjae Spears caught all nine of his targets, but those receptions produced just 28 yards. Chimere Dike added three catches for 28 yards on four targets. Tennessee's completions did not translate into points beyond the opening quarter.
Fantasy takeaways
Stroud led the game's fantasy scoring with 20.9 PPR points, benefiting from touchdowns through the air and on the ground. Ka'imi Fairbairn followed with 17.0 points. Noel's touchdown helped him reach 15.2 PPR points, ahead of Marks at 12.5 and Nico Collins at 10.6. Robinson led Tennessee with 11.3. Spears' nine receptions yielded 9.8 points, illustrating how limited yardage constrained his return despite the catch volume.
Week 6 schedule
Houston visits the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, Oct. 18, at 9:30 a.m. ET. Tennessee visits the Indianapolis Colts later that day at 1 p.m. ET.