HOUSTON -- Here's a look at Houston Texans players who were "up" and those who were "down" in Sunday's 20-6 win over the Tennessee Titans.

UP

Kevin Johnson: The Texans' 2015 first-round pick has steadily improved since he got to Houston and it culminated Sunday in his first interception. Johnson returned the pick 22 yards and then, at fellow cornerback Johnathan Joseph's urging, did a dance he often did during training camp. Johnson started the game in place of Kareem Jackson, who was out with an ankle injury.

Texans starting receivers: Against his old team, Nate Washington caught a 42-yard touchdown pass for quarterback Brian Hoyer's second touchdown of the day. The first was when DeAndre Hopkins climbed the imaginary ladder to go up and get a pass at the edge of the end zone. Hopkins set a franchise record for yards in a player's first three seasons. According to ESPN Stats and Info, his 870 yards after eight weeks are the most in Texans history after eight games.

Whitney Mercilus: With 3.5 sacks, Mercilus played the finest game of his NFL career. He lined up against Titans tackle Taylor Lewan, often, and frustrated the young player, as was his goal.

DOWN

Jadeveon Clowney: Clowney went in and out of the game three times in the first half, then sat out the entire second half with a back injury. Since being drafted first overall, Clowney has been played only five games in which he wasn't limited by an injury.

Texans running game: This was a rare game in which the Texans weren't able to run very efficiently but didn't need to in order to win. Alfred Blue ran the ball 14 times and Chris Polk eight times. The Texans averaged 2.4 rushing yards per carry and only gained 56 total yards.

Duane Brown: Brown suffered a concussion in the second half and had to leave the game. The good news is Brown seemed OK after the game and will have a bye week to recover in case he has any lingering effects.