HOUSTON (AP) — The Tennessee Titans‘ regular-season finale came down to a 2-point conversion.

The Texans botched it, and the Titans stayed alive in the playoff hunt — at least for a few more hours.

Matt Hasselbeck threw two touchdown passes, and Tennessee staved off Houston‘s last-minute rally in a 23-22 victory Sunday.

Tennessee (9-7) earned its first winning record since 2008 in Mike Munchak‘s first season, but its postseason fate depended on the outcome of later games in Cincinnati, Oakland and Denver.

The Titans got some early help when the New York Jets lost in Miami, but then had to sweat out the final two minutes when Ahmard Hall fumbled, and Jake Delhomme drove Houston for a touchdown with 14 seconds left.

The Texans (10-6) were locked into the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoffs before the game began.

With their position secured and nothing to lose but more players to injury, coach Gary Kubiak called for a two-point conversion to avoid overtime and win the game in regulation.

“You would never go for 2 there in any other situation,” Kubiak said. “But where we were physically, at the end of the game, I had a tight end (Garrett Graham) playing linebacker. Our team, I had to get them to next week.”

But tight end Joel Dreessen was flagged for illegal motion, and then backup center Thomas Austin flipped the snap over Delhomme’s head and the game was over.

Kubiak and Munchak shared a chuckle at midfield after the game.

“I think if they were shooting for the playoffs, they probably kick the extra point and go to overtime,” Munchak said.

Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan took offense to Kubiak’s decision.

“I think they wanted to show that no matter who they put on the field, they want to embarrass us and beat us,” Finnegan said. “And we ended up winning.”

The victory might turn out to mean nothing.

Tennessee needed the Bengals to lose to Baltimore and victories by Oakland and Denver to earn a playoff berth. And that would land the Titans right back in Houston next week to play the Texans.

“Of course, having a chance to still make the playoffs is a great thing,” running back Chris Johnson said. “That’s one of the team goals around here to make the playoffs and hopefully make it to the Super Bowl.”

The Texans, meanwhile, will head into the franchise’s first postseason on a three-game losing streak and new concerns about their quarterback.

Rookie starter T.J. Yates left the game after one series and was replaced by the 36-year-old Delhomme. Kubiak said Yates had a bruised left shoulder but could’ve returned if necessary.

“Obviously, I didn’t want him to go back in the game,” Kubiak said. “We’ll know better where we’re at (Monday), at this point.”

Delhomme, signed Nov. 29 in the wake of season-ending injuries to starter Matt Schaub and backup Matt Leinart, completed 18 of 28 passes in his first action since December 2010.

Johnson ran for 61 yards to go over 1,000 for the fourth consecutive season, and Rob Bironas kicked three field goals for Tennessee.

“It was an interesting ending,” Munchak said. “Our goal was to come in here and win this game. We did that. We’re 9-7 and that’s all we can control.”

Yates was sacked on Houston’s first snap by Jurrell Casey and Derrick Morgan. He completed passes to Dreessen and James Casey for first downs, before Ben Tate and Derrick Ward started alternating touches for the rest of the drive.

Tate plowed into the end zone with 5:15 left in the first quarter, but Yates came off the field favoring his left shoulder and went to the locker room.

Yates jogged back to the Houston sideline for the start of the second quarter. But after Bironas kicked a 21-yard field goal, Delhomme returned for the Texans’ next possession.

Titans defensive end Dave Ball sacked Delhomme and knocked the ball loose, and safety Chris Hope recovered at the Texans 33. Hasselbeck threw a 25-yard pass to Jared Cook, then found Donnie Avery in the corner of the end zone to move Tennessee in front.

Hasselbeck completed 22 of 35 passes for 297 yards without an interception.

Delhomme threw a 16-yard pass to Andre Johnson to get Houston moving again. Johnson caught two passes and sat out the second half after missing the previous three games with a strained left hamstring.

Notes: Hall and Titans LT Mike Otto left with “probable” concussions, Munchak said. WR Damian Williams has a rib injury, Munchak said, and would be re-evaluated Monday. … Chris Johnson is the third player in Titans history to reach 1,000 yards rushing in at least four straight seasons, joining Eddie George (1996-2000) and Earl Campbell (1978-81). … Bironas extended his own NFL record by kicking a field goal of at least 40 yards in his 10th consecutive game. … The Texans dropped to 5-1 in season finales under Kubiak. … Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips worked from the press box after missing two games following kidney and gall bladder surgery.

He’s’ also just 73 yards shy of Frank Wycheck’s franchise record of 769 yards receiving by a tight end going into Sunday’s game at Houston (10-5).

“We know what a good player he is. I think since the first day (offensive coordinator) Chris Palmer came in here and in the first press conference, I think he is the first guy he talked about,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said of Cook. “I think there has been an emphasis to try to get him the ball.”

In last week’s 23-17 win over Jacksonville, Cook had eight catches for 169 yards including a 55-yard touchdown. That bumped aside Casper who had 150 yards receiving Nov. 30, 1980, against Cleveland for the then-Houston Oilers. That also marked Cook’s second straight 100-yard receiving game and put him over 1,000 yards receiving fo rhis career.

Cook has 45 receptions for the season. His biggest challenge since being drafted out of South Carolina is being an up-and-down player. He has 17 catches the past two weeks, but none in either of the two previous games.

“There are going to be roller coasters in seasons, you just got to roll with it,” Cook said. “Sometimes the offense expects to do great things, but sometimes we don’t. You’ve just got to keep riding the roller coaster.”

The tight end is just happy that things are finally going well for him.

“It feels good,” he said. “Hopefully, this is kind of a preview of what’s to come for the offense. It feels good to be out there and offense is clicking and everybody is catching balls.”

As for why Cook has been so inconsistent, that appears to remain a bit of a mystery.

“Things are trending the way where it’s either feast of famine with him more so than anything,” Munchak said. “It just a multiple of factors … and it doesn’t mean that we are not trying to get him the ball. There could be things about what Cookie is doing and what he is not doing, the quarterback getting a read wrong, how they are covering, it’s all of those things going into the equation.”

Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck agreed, saying it was good to see Cook involved in the game from start to finish against the Jaguars.

“It was nice to see Jared Cook come out and play so well,” Hasselbeck said. “He’s always been kind of a big-play threat for us in a way, but he consistently played well for us in that game, catching the ball, pass blocking, all of it. That was great to see. He’s a matchup problem for a lot of people.”

The Titans (8-7) hope to keep up that trend Sunday at Houston. They must win to maintain their playoff hopes and need help from later games to earn a playoff berth.

They head into the game relatively healthy.

Defensive end Jason Jones remains in a walking boot with a high ankle sprain and is doubtful. But running back Chris Johnson (right ankle), receiver Lavelle Hawkins (ankle), tight end Daniel Graham (illness), defensive tackle Shaun Smith (knee) and linebacker Gerald McRath (knee/ankle) all practiced fully Friday and are questionable.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—For nearly three seasons, the Tennessee Titans have
waited for Jared Cook to consistently perform up to his potential.

Now Cook has put together the best two games of his career, with 169 yards
receiving in the last game to set a new team record for most yards receiving by
a tight end.

He’s’ also just 73 yards shy of Frank Wycheck’s franchise record of 769
yards receiving by a tight end going into Sunday’s game at Houston (10-5).

“We know what a good player he is. I think since the first day (offensive
coordinator) Chris Palmer came in here and in the first press conference, I
think he is the first guy he talked about,” Titans coach Mike Munchak said of
Cook. “I think there has been an emphasis to try to get him the ball.”

In last week’s 23-17 win over Jacksonville, Cook had eight catches for 169
yards including a 55-yard touchdown. That bumped aside Casper who had 150 yards
receiving Nov. 30, 1980, against Cleveland for the then-Houston Oilers. That
also marked Cook’s second straight 100-yard receiving game and put him over
1,000 yards receiving fo rhis career.

Cook has 45 receptions for the season. His biggest challenge since being
drafted out of South Carolina is being an up-and-down player. He has 17 catches
the past two weeks, but none in either of the two previous games.

“There are going to be roller coasters in seasons, you just got to roll
with it,” Cook said. “Sometimes the offense expects to do great things, but
sometimes we don’t. You’ve just got to keep riding the roller coaster.”

The tight end is just happy that things are finally going well for him.

“It feels good,” he said. “Hopefully, this is kind of a preview of what’s
to come for the offense. It feels good to be out there and offense is clicking
and everybody is catching balls.”

As for why Cook has been so inconsistent, that appears to remain a bit of a
mystery.

“Things are trending the way where it’s either feast of famine with him
more so than anything,” Munchak said. “It just a multiple of factors … and
it doesn’t mean that we are not trying to get him the ball. There could be
things about what Cookie is doing and what he is not doing, the quarterback
getting a read wrong, how they are covering, it’s all of those things going into
the equation.”

Titans quarterback Matt Hasselbeck agreed, saying it was good to see Cook
involved in the game from start to finish against the Jaguars.

“It was nice to see Jared Cook come out and play so well,” Hasselbeck
said. “He’s always been kind of a big-play threat for us in a way, but he
consistently played well for us in that game, catching the ball, pass blocking,
all of it. That was great to see. He’s a matchup problem for a lot of people.”

The Titans (8-7) hope to keep up that trend Sunday at Houston. They must win
to maintain their playoff hopes and need help from later games to earn a playoff
berth.

They head into the game relatively healthy.

Defensive end Jason Jones remains in a walking boot with a high ankle sprain
and is doubtful. But running back Chris Johnson (right ankle), receiver Lavelle
Hawkins (ankle), tight end Daniel Graham (illness), defensive tackle Shaun Smith
(knee) and linebacker Gerald McRath (knee/ankle) all practiced fully Friday and
are questionable.

The three Titans quarterbacks rank potential plays in the game plan each week, letting offensive coordinator Chris Palmer know which ones they think will be most successful against a particular opponent.

This week, all three quarterbacks — who do their homework separately — ranked the deep crossing route to tight end Jared Cook as an excellent option.

The coaching staff apparently agreed, which is why the Titans went to Cook again and again during their 23-17 win over the Jaguars on Saturday.

When all was said and done, Cook had hauled in eight catches for a career-best 169 yards, a total that included a 55-yard touchdown. He broke the franchise record for receiving yards by a tight end, set by Dave Casper (150) in 1980.

“It was awesome,” Cook said. “I just wanted to kind of prove to the players what I could really be. (Palmer) kind of gave me the opportunity to do that today. He kind of mixed it up, came out gunning, so it worked in our benefit.”

There were at least a couple of reasons the Titans went pass-heavy against the Jaguars.

Running back Chris Johnson was gimpy all week, missing two days of practice because of a sore ankle. Also, the Jacksonville secondary has been ravaged by injury — 11 defensive backs on injured reserve.

“We talked a lot about that,” Cook said. “Their whole defense lost a lot of guys and put them on the IR, so we felt like we could take advantage of that.”

If Cook still had any doubt as to how much influence he might have Saturday, it was answered when he saw the script for the first 15 plays.

“I saw there was a little change-up from the normal and we kind of got excited,” Cook said. “So kudos to coach Palmer for kind of doing that and catching the defense off guard.”

Cook caught three passes for a combined 47 yards on the Titans’ first two series, but it was his fourth catch that provided the afternoon’s biggest highlight.

He sprinted down the middle of the field, past Jaguars middle linebacker Paul Posluszny, and made a 55-yard touchdown reception.

“We all talk about him, what a great talent he is, and today he put it all together,” Coach Mike Munchak said. “It was a huge game by him and it was great on us for getting him the football as much as we did. It made a big difference.”

It was the deep crossing route that paid huge dividends late in the game, with the Titans holding on to a six-point lead and facing a third-and-five from their 22.

Hasselbeck hit Cook for a 29-yard gain, which helped the Titans run out the clock on their final drive.

Only a couple of weeks ago, Titans fans were wondering what had happened to Cook, who went without a catch for consecutive weeks against the Bills and Saints.

But he’s responded with two huge games — a combined 17 catches for 272 yards.

“There are going to be roller-coasters in the season, but you just have to roll with it,” Cook said. “Sometimes the offense is going to do great things and sometimes we don’t. We just have to keep riding the roller-coaster.”

Cook is apparently someone who enjoys coming down the stretch, as he made 15 of his 29 catches in 2010 over the final three games of the season.

“Jared has always had it in him,” safety Michael Griffin said. “You just don’t know when you’re going to get it from him. … He’s a basketball player, but he has the ability to be a great football player. It’s just a matter of having that confidence.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson is questionable for Saturday’s game with the Jacksonville Jaguars after being limited by his sore right ankle Friday.

Johnson hurt his ankle late in last week’s 27-13 loss to the Colts and did not practice Tuesday or Wednesday.

Receiver Nate Washington, who is having a career year with catches and yards receiving, practiced fully with his sore left ankle and is probable. Linebacker Patrick Bailey was limited but is probable for the Titans’ home finale due to a hamstring injury.

Defensive end William Hayes (groin) practiced and is questionable. LInebacker Gerald McRath (left knee/ankle) did not practice and is out.

Defensive end Dave Ball did not practice but not because of injury. His wife gave birth to a son on Wednesday.

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

For a complete look at all injuries around the league, go to NFL.com’s injury page.