Tennessee Titans report card vs. Texans: Unpacking Derrick Henry's greatness, Malik Willis' debut

HOUSTON — The Tennessee Titans asserted their will against the Houston Texans on Sunday, winning with a dominant blend of downhill runs and aggressive defense.

The Titans bested the Texans 17-10 at NRG Stadium, holding Houston to 161 yards of offense and riding running back Derrick Henry for another 200-yard day. Quarterback Malik Willis underwhelmed in his first NFL start, but the Titans didn't ask much of him, attempting only 10 passes.

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Here are the Tennessean's grades for the Titans (5-2) in the win over the Texans (1-5-1):

Offense: B+

Any time a team runs for more than 300 yards, it's hard to find much fault. Henry (219 yards on 32 carries) was as good as he always is against the Texans, and backup Dontrell Hilliard nearly accounted for 100 yards on his own. The offensive line kept paving the way well into the second half. But Willis' struggles in the passing game — he went 6-for-10 for 55 yards with an interception — and the near-complete lack of production from wide receivers keep this from being an A.

Defense: A+

At times, it looked like the Titans were an NFL defense playing against an average college team. Tennessee defenders lived in the Texans backfield. Quarterback Davis Mills rarely had time to throw, and when he did, there weren't often open targets. Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons managed to make a tackle-for-loss by driving an offensive lineman into the Texans' running back.

The Titans held the Texans to fewer than 100 total yards until the final drive of the game.

Special teams: C

Randy Bullock missed a kick in the first quarter. Robert Woods fumbled on a punt return. Were it not for some fantastic Ryan Stonehouse punts to pin the Texans deep, this grade would've been much lower. Not the kind of performance to be proud of on an otherwise great team day.

Coaching: A

Even with the offense handcuffed by a backup quarterback, the team put up big numbers and the offense found a way to be creative, especially with the way it incorporated Hilliard into the gameplan. And when the defense plays one of its best games, the coaching staff deserves credit for preparation.

Overall: A-

Losing the turnover battle is a problem. So is playing a whole game without ever pushing the ball downfield. But it didn't matter. The Titans leaned into their strengths as well as they could've and reasserted themselves as one of the best defenses in the AFC, even if the game was against a struggling Texans team.

Contact Nick Suss at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on Twitter @nicksuss.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans report card vs Texans: Unpacking Derrick Henry's greatness