The Colts now stand alone in second place in the AFC South after Week 3's Sunday games, as the Tennessee Titans fell to 0-3 after losing to the Green Bay Packers, 30-14. The Houston Texans still hold possession of first place, but lost 34-7 to the Minnesota Vikings in their first loss of the 2024 season.
The Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) play Monday night against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium.
Self-inflicted wounds plague Texans
Houston's Sunday afternoon matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium began with a penalty called on the Texans offense on the first snap that was immediately followed up by an interception – quarterback C.J. Stroud's first interception since November 2023. Those two plays set the tone for the game, as the Texans were called for 11 penalties in the loss.
In the second quarter, already trailing 14-0, the Texans set up on the Vikings' 25-yard line with one of their first real chances to score. They were then called for three straight false starts. On the fourth play an illegal formation penalty was declined as Stroud threw an incomplete pass, and the Texans were forced to punt the ball.
"We didn't do anything to help ourselves," head coach DeMeco Ryans said postgame. "Way too many penalties...it's unacceptable. You can't win that way. When we have something positive going, we negate it by the penalties. That just zapped the energy out of everyone."
The Texans trailed just 14-0 heading into halftime, but couldn't find a way to bounce back after the Vikings kicked off the third quarter with their third touchdown drive of the day. Houston's lone touchdown came on a seven-play, 72-yard drive highlighted by a 34-yard run from wide receiver Nico Collins and an eight-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to running back Cam Akers.
Stroud finished the day 20-for-31 for 215 yards but was intercepted twice and sacked five times. As a team, the Texans rushed for only 38 yards; they were without running backs Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce. Mixon suffered an ankle injury in Week 2 and did not practice all of last week. Pierce, Mixon's backup, was ruled out with a hamstring injury. Neither traveled to Minnesota.
Houston's defense also faltered, allowing Vikings running back Aaron Jones to rush for 102 yards on 19 carries, and record five catches for 46 yards and a touchdown.
"Just a lot of negative plays," Ryans said. "We couldn't get the run game going like we wanted to. It's just, it's hard to do anything positive when you continue to hurt yourself. So we have to go back to the drawing board, figure it out and not let one become two."
Titans' third straight loss "embarrassing and disappointing"
On paper, Titans quarterback Will Levis had his best performance of the young 2024 season on Sunday. He completed 26 passes on 34 attempts for 260 yards and two touchdowns and finished the day with a passer rating of 92.8. But he was also intercepted twice – one was returned for a Green Bay touchdown – and was sacked eight times, one of which resulted in a turnover.
And the Titans still lost, 30-14, to the Packers at Nissan Stadium.
"At the end of the day, I have not done a good enough job," head coach Brian Callahan said after the game. "We're an 0-and-3 football team, and I'm an 0-and-3 head coach. It's embarrassing and disappointing. I have to be a lot better than I've been. This is frustrating and unfortunate, and not what I thought we were capable of to start the season."
Tennessee's offense failed to protect Levis, and they also struggled to get any momentum on the ground. As a team, the Titans rushed for 23 yards on 11 attempts.
"It's a great defense," Levis said about the Packers. "But we definitely didn't do our job on offense to the best of our ability."
"I'm this team's quarterback, and every time we take the field and succeed or we're defeated, I feel like it's on me," Levis added. "I am a big part of that and I know that and I have to make sure i bring my 'A' game every Sunday to not put our team in tough spots like I know that I have in these few games, turning the ball over. It's tough."
In Tennessee's previous two losses, one (somewhat) bright spot was its defense; the Titans hade the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL after Week 2 after allowing a total of 413 yards across two games. The Packers racked up 378 yards of offense on Sunday. Backup quarterback Malik Willis was 13-for-19 for 202 yards (averaging 10.6 yards per attempt) and one touchdown, and led the Packers with 73 rushing yards on six attempts.
"It's a grown man's league," defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons said. "Nobody is going to come save us. At the end of the day, we have to man up. It don't stop."
The Titans have now allowed the most points of any team in the NFL with 78, and the Texans are right behind them with 74 points allowed. The Colts are ninth with 61 points allowed.
