NFL Power Rankings, Week 16: Cowboys find their grove, 49ers stunned by Falcons

12. Tennessee Titans (8)

By previously winning six of their last seven games leading up to Sunday, the Tennessee Titans were rightfully considered one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and were in great position to officially take over first place in the AFC South if they could defeat the Houston Texans.

With the Texans coming off a rough loss the previous week at home against the Denver Broncos, the Titans were hoping to see the struggles of their rivals carry over into Week 15, which clearly was far from the case.

While Tennessee certainly found a way to make the game interesting in the second half after losing to Houston 24-21, it’s difficult not to wonder how different things would have been if the Titans managed to put up points over the first two quarters.

Sure, Tennessee deserves some credit for keeping things close with one of the top teams in the AFC, but this isn’t going to make the team feel better if January rolls around, and they are left watching the playoffs from home.

On a positive note, at least the surprise duo of Ryan Tannehill and A.J. Brown continue to work wonders for the Texans on offense after the two connected eight times in the loss to the Texans for 114 yards and a score.

Earning a trip to the playoffs could still happen for the Titans despite Sunday’s loss, but with remaining games against the New Orleans Saints on top of the regular-season finale in Houston, Tennessee will have their work cut out for them.