NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Titans have just one game left of their nightmarish 2024 season and the job is very simple. Lose to the Houston Texans on Sunday. 

Of course the players are not going to try to lose the game, but any Titans fans would agree that it is in the best interest of the organization moving froward to lose the final game of the season and finish 3-14. 

That would secure Tennessee, at worst, the second overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a chance to draft one of the best quarterbacks in the class. But even quarterbacks aside, the difference in capital between having the 2nd pick and the 7th pick (what the Titans may end up with if they win in Week 18) is massive.

Losing seems so simple and very possible for a 3-13 Titans team. But the Texans have already clinched the AFC South title and are not in a position to change their playoff seeding. Houston has nothing to play for.

The Titans already beat the Texans this season and that was on the road while Houston had a lot to lose. If they sit all starters or phone it in to save themselves for the playoffs, a Titans victory is not out of the question. 

Luckily, the Titans got good news from the Texans this week. Houston is planning to have all starters play in order to get ready for a date with the Steelers/Chargers in Wild Card Weekend. "Everybody has to be ready to go," said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans in a press conference earlier this week. "We'll see how the game goes."

DeMeco Ryans on managing reps for starters vs the Titans mentions “everybody has to be ready to go” & “we’ll see how the game goes”

Seems like most starters will get some reps to get a bad taste out of their mouths after BAL loss. What do you think we should do? pic.twitter.com/0Yd8GOCZr9

— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) December 30, 2024

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I wouldn't be surprised if C.J. Stroud and other notable Texans starters do not finish the game. Keeping everyone healthy will of course be a top priority. But even if it's only one half of football, this bodes well for the Titans ability to lose on Sunday.

It can be nerve wracking to think of the Titans entire future coming down to Davis Mills winning a football game. But if Stroud can pull the Texans ahead early, it will be easy for Tennessee to let off the gas a little bit and lose the game. The Titans aren't exactly built to play from behind anyways.

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