Bironas, Brown match field goals to forge 17-17 tie in Houston

Titans, Texans tied at 17-all after 3 quarters

HOUSTON — Matt Schaub threw touchdown passes to Steve Slaton and Andre Johnson and the Houston Texans were tied 17-17 with the Tennessee Titans after three quarters Monday night.

Rob Bironas kicked a 50-yard field goal with 2:49 left in the third to give the Titans a 17-14 lead. On Houston’s next series, Schaub split double coverage on a 49-yard pass to Andre Johnson to the Titans’ 8. Brown tied it with a 26-yard field goal on the last play of the quarter.

Vince Young threw a touchdown pass to Kenny Britt and LenDale White had a TD run in the second quarter for the Titans (3-6), who’ve won three in a row. Chris Johnson had 20 carries for 100 yards in the first three quarters.

Schaub was 20 for 29 for 236 yards through three quarters.

The Texans (5-4) started their second series of the game at the Tennessee 36 after a short punt by Brett Kern. On first down, Schaub found Andre Johnson across the middle for a 15-yard gain.

Houston drove to the Titans’ 3 and on third down, Schaub underhanded a pass to Slaton, who bulled into the end zone with 6:36 left in the first quarter. Slaton was back in the starting lineup after being replaced by Ryan Moats in Houston’s last game because of fumbling issues.

The Titans gained only 19 yards on their first two drives. They pinned the Texans deep in their own territory with a punt late in the quarter, but Schaub completed a 27-yard pass to Kevin Walter to give Houston room to maneuver.

Texans starting fullback Vonta Leach left with a bruised left knee with 3:37 left in the quarter. He returned in the second quarter.

Young guided the Titans on an 80-yard touchdown drive bridging the first and second quarters. He rolled right and found Britt in the end zone with 12:50 left in the first half.

Later in the second quarter, Schaub evaded the Titans’ rush and completed a 32-yard pass to James Casey. The rookie from nearby Rice was back in the lineup after sitting out one game due to minor knee surgery.

Schaub found Andre Johnson with a 12-yard pass to the corner of the end zone with 4:01 left in the first half. It was Johnson’s 38th career touchdown reception and his fifth this season. Schaub threw his 19th TD pass, extending his own single-season franchise record.

Chris Johnson broke a 36-yard run for Tennessee right after the two-minute warning. Young scrambled to the Texans’ 1 later in the drive, and White scored the tying touchdown with 50 seconds left.

The Texans needed a win to keep pace in the crowded field of contenders for the AFC wild-card berths. The game also marked the return of Young, a Houston native. The Texas star led the Titans to an overtime victory at Reliant Stadium in 2006, his rookie season.

Young threw a 27-yard pass to Bo Scaife in the first minute of the third quarter. Texans linebacker Brian Cushing was flagged for hitting Young out of bounds, giving Tennessee a first down at the Houston 28.

Young scrambled again on the next play, but Houston linebacker Zac Diles forced a fumble and safety Bernard Pollard recovered at the 16.

Schaub completed a 23-yard pass to tight end Joel Dreessen and the Texans crossed midfield on a first-down pass from Schaub to Leach. The drive stalled and Brown missed a 49-yard field goal with 8:08 left in the third quarter.