Houston Texans

Titans quarterback Vince Young is 3-0 as a starter this season and 21-11 for his career. The last time Young played against his hometown team -- Dec. 10, 2006 -- was a day Houston football fans would rather forget.

Young was a rookie, a favorite son, and his 39-yard touchdown run in overtime gave the Titans a 26-20 victory.

Middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans was also a rookie that season. He had 14 tackles in that game, but he wasn't able to make a 15th tackle to save the game-winning touchdown.

The Texans called a blitz. Young saw an opening up the middle and took off as if he had been shot out of a cannon. He didn't stop until he reached the wall behind the end zone, where he slammed the ball and danced and celebrated with his teammates.

While Young celebrated, thousands of fans cheered. Ryans has never forgotten that experience, and he never wants to suffer through it again.

"It was a devastating play for us, but when he scored, the way the fans erupted, well, that was a blow to my heart," Ryans said. "The way the fans erupted hurt even more. When he scored, it was like this was his home, like he played for the Texans. You would have thought the Texans had won the game. They forgot all about us. We thought we were in Nashville. I'll always remember that."

Young, who has a 3-0 record against the Texans, will make his second appearance at Reliant Stadium on Monday night.

"I never want to hear that sound again," Ryans said. "I never want to hear that sound when somebody else scores in our stadium. And I'll do everything I can to make sure it doesn't happen."

SERIES HISTORY: 16th regular-season meeting. Titans lead series 11-4. Texans have a two-game winning streak, including a 34-31 victory at Nashville this season. The Texans are trying to sweep the Titans for the second time. The first was in 2004.

—Because Titans QB Vince Young starred at Madison High School, which is a long touchdown pass from Reliant Stadium, and won a national championship for the University of Texas, he's always going to be popular in his hometown.

"You pull into the stadium parking lot, and you see all these Vince Young jerseys," MLB DeMeco Ryans said. "It's like everybody's still wishing we got Vince, but we didn't. That's always in the back of my mind when we play them. Vince is a great player. He brings a different dynamic to their team. He's been winning, and we have to find a way to slow him down."

• RB Arian Foster, an undrafted rookie from the University of Tennessee, was moved from the practice squad to the active roster for the Titans game. Foster, who played enough in training camp and preseason to impress the coaches, gives them four backs—Steve Slaton, Ryan Moats and Chris Brown are the others. Gary Kubiak won't name his starter but says every back who's active will play.

• SS Bernard Pollard is on a mission to help the Texans make the playoffs for the first time.

  "We've got seven games left, and this is a new season," he said. "We don't fear anybody. I set my standards high. We're capable of winning the rest of our games, but we have to eliminate the self-inflicted wounds. We've got a goal, and we want to achieve it."

  Pollard is fired up about playing the Titans on Monday night.

  "I want the fans to know that we're going to play hard, and every guy on this team's going to give 100 percent," he said. "If (Titans) throw the first punch, we're not going to flinch. We're going to fight the whole game. We're going to put it on the line, and we're going to leave it on the field."

• CB Dunta Robinson is playing in his sixth season. He says the rivalry between the Texans and Titans has gotten mean and nasty.

  "It's always a physical game with the Titans," he said. "It's also a lot of fun. We know this team. On both sides of the ball they like to hit you in the mouth. We feel like we're a pretty physical team, too. That's what division games should be like. They expect to win. We don't expect to lose (because) we have other plans."

• Coach Gary Kubiak is impressed with the Titans' three-game winning streak.

  "They're exceptional right now," he said. "They're as hot as any team in football. They've won the last three, I think, by 105 to 57. That's domination."

By The Numbers:

6.5—Number of sacks by DE Mario Williams in his last two prime-time games.

Quote To Note:

"He' a hero in this city, but he happens to play for the Tennessee Titans."

—CB Dunta Robinson, when asked why QB Vince Young gets so much attention from fans and media from Houston.

In a perfect world, the Texans would love to establish a running game against the Titans, but odds are they won't be able to do it. They average only 90.8 yards rushing. They're so desperate they elevated an undrafted rookie, Arian Foster, to the regular roster.

Offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan will run as much as possible because it makes the play-action fake work better. If the linebackers and ends don't bite on the play-fakes to the backs, the bootleg with Matt Schaub won't work.

Steve Slaton had five days of vacation to get over his fumble problem. They need him to hold the ball and run effectively, like he did last season when he was one of the league's most productive backs. If Slaton fumbles, he'll be benched again.

Schaub has thrown four interceptions in the last two games, and that's not going to cut it in the next two against Tennessee and Indianapolis. Schaub has to start strong and stay in control because he's the leader of the offense. He has to get WR Andre Johnson involved early and often.

Defensively, the Texans have to be disciplined when RB Chris Johnson gets the ball or QB Vince Young takes off and runs. They have to stay in their gaps. They have to handle their assignments. They can't try to do too much. Over the last six games, the defense has done an outstanding job, allowing only 280 yards a game, including 60.5 rushing.

Player Notes

• TE James Casey, a fifth-round draft choice, missed the last game after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. He's 100 percent now. Watch him get a few passes thrown to him. He has excellent hands.

• WR Jacoby Jones, who has 13 catches, an 18.3-yard average and three touchdowns, is nursing a calf injury that won't get better. Jones is doing rehab around the clock to make sure he plays against the Titans. He's also vital to the return game. He averages 11.5 yards on punt returns and 27.5 on kickoff returns. He has one kickoff return for a touchdown.

• WR Glenn Martinez, who also returns punts, could be active for the first time this season. He had an excellent camp and a good preseason and impressed the coaches enough to keep him on the roster. If Jacoby Jones can't play, Martinez will return punts. Interestingly, when he played for Denver, he returned one for a touchdown in a Monday night victory over Tennessee.

• TE Anthony Hill, a fourth-round pick, had his first catch in the last game against the Colts. At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, he's a huge blocker. When the coaches have tight ends on the field, they like to utilize them in the passing game.

• DE Jesse Nading was moved from the regular roster back to the practice squad to make room for RB Arian Foster.

• DE Mario Williams, who leads the team with four sacks, was pronounced 100 percent fit after the bye week by coach Gary Kubiak. Williams has been bothered by a badly bruised shoulder, according to the team.

• QB Matt Schaub is 10-4 as a starter at Reliant Stadium. He hasn't thrown an interception at home since the opener against the Jets.

• RB Steve Slaton had 24 carries for 100 yards in the Texans' 13-12 victory over the Titans at Reliant Stadium last season. Chris Johnson, a rookie like Slaton, carried 13 times for 65 yards.

Game Plan:

The blockers must protect QB Matt Schaub because passing is what the Texans do best. They're ranked sixth in offense, including third in passing. They use the pass to set up the run. Schaub has to be comfortable in the pocket. It would help if he got off to a good start. He's thrown early interceptions in each of the last two games. If Schaub is protected, he could play extremely well against the Titans for the third consecutive game.

Matchups To Watch:

Texans WR Andre Johnson vs. Titans CB Cortland Finnegan. Both are Pro Bowl players. Since Finnegan became a starter in 2007, Johnson has averaged eight catches for 125 yards and one touchdown against the Titans.

Texans MLB DeMeco Ryans vs. Titans QB Vince Young. Young has been throwing low-risk passes. In clutch situations, he likes to run for first downs. Ryans has to be disciplined in the middle. He can't overrun Young. When Young takes off, Ryans has to catch him and do a sound job of tackling.

Injury Impact:

TE James Casey (scope on knee) and S Dominique Barber (sprained ankle) will play. WR Jacoby Jones (strained calf) expects to play.

CB Antwaun Molden (strained quad) may not play.