Task Enterprises presentsNFL Intelligence

2002 · Week 17 · Division

Final

Titans

Tennessee

QB Steve McNair

13·3

Texans

Houston

QB David Carr

Reliant Stadium · open · grass

Closing spread

TEN -9.5

Total

35.5

Model margin

-2.1est.

HOU perspective

Push chance

None

half-point line — cannot push

Win probability

  • Texans
  • Titans

How each play moved the game.

Texans winsTitans wins

Matchup

Where the edges are

Season-long league percentiles for both sides, mirrored. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge.

Titansedge mapTexans
  • +0.043EPA / play-0.226
  • 44.9%Success rate33.0%
  • +0.151EPA / dropback-0.172
  • -0.095EPA / rush-0.307
  • 6.9%Explosive rate5.8%
  • 43.7%Third-down rate25.7%
  • 55.8%Red-zone TD rate39.5%
  • 1.58Points / drive0.66
  • 2.3%Turnover rate2.4%
  • -0.038EPA / play allowed-0.083

Bar length is league percentile, already oriented so longer is better. The saturated side of a lopsided row holds the edge; rows within ~12 points are washed as even.

The rivalry

All square 24–24 since 1999

HOU have won 3 straight. Meetings average 43.7 points. HOU are 28-19-1 ATS in the series.

Previous meetings
SeasonMatchupScoreWinner
2025 · W11HOU @ TEN1613HOU
2025 · W4TEN @ HOU026HOU
2024 · W18HOU @ TEN2314HOU
2024 · W12TEN @ HOU3227TEN
2023 · W17TEN @ HOU326HOU
2023 · W15HOU @ TEN1916HOU
2022 · W16HOU @ TEN1914HOU
2022 · W8TEN @ HOU1710TEN

Box score

Individual performances

Titans

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
Steve McNair8/2214800
Frank Wycheck0/1000

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
Eddie George251024.11
Steve McNair331.00

Receiving

PlayerRecTgtYdsTD
Drew Bennett24580
Justin McCareins25460
Eddie George22180
Derrick Mason0600
Frank Wycheck0300

Texans

Passing

PlayerC/AttYdsTDINT
David Carr21/4021401
James Allen0/1000

Rushing

PlayerCarYdsAvgTD
James Allen6203.30
David Carr372.30
Jonathan Wells1310.10

Where this game is likely to land

  • Model
  • Smooth (normal)
  • Betting line

Probability of each final margin. Football scoring clusters — the spikes at 3 and 7 are real, and a smooth model misses them.

line -9.53.0%4.7%3.1%7.5%7.1%2.7%

Positive margins favour Texans; negative favour Titans.

Half-point at risk

1.19%

outcomes that flip if the line moves 0.5

Model home win

43.5%

Expected total

41.2est.

Model

Where the number comes from

Each component is additive, in points of expected margin.

  • Team ratings (opponent-adjusted EPA)-4.62
  • Home-field advantage+2.56
  • Quarterback adjustment0.00
  • Rest differential0.00
  • Expected margin-2.06