Bironas kicks record 8 field goals as Titans notch 38-36 win over Texans

HOUSTON – Rob Bironas kicked an NFL-record eight field goals and the Tennessee Titans needed every one of them to hold off the Houston Texans on Sunday.\nBironas’ 29-yard field goal as time expired led the Titans to a 38-36 win.\nThe kick foiled a spirited comeback by the Texans (3-4) who scored 29 points in the fourth quarter, capped by a 53-yard touchdown pass from Sage Rosenfels to Andre’ Davis to take a 36-35 lead with 57 seconds to play.\nThe Titans (4-2) faced a third-and-10 at their 37 when Kerry Collins found Roydell Williams on a 46-yard pass that set up the winning kick.\nThe Titans were playing without Vince Young, who was active but missed playing in his hometown with a strained quadriceps. Collins got his first win as a starter in Tennessee after losing the first three games of last season.\nBironas’ seventh field goal was also from 29 yards, and he connected from 52, 43, 25, 21, 30 and 28 yards to break the previous record of seven field goals held by Billy Cundiff, Chris Boniol, Rich Karlis and Jim Bakken.\nHe also kicked two extra points and set the NFL record for most points by a kicker, with 26. Cundiff’s 23 points on Sept. 15, 2003, was the previous high.\nHouston’s offense stalled throughout the first three quarters before the furious rally began with a 7-yard touchdown catch by David Anderson early in the fourth quarter. Before that 70-yard drive, the Texans had managed just 34 yards of offense. A two-point conversion by Davis made it 32-15.\nStarter Matt Schaub missed big chunks of the first half and the entire second half with ankle and hip injuries. Sage Rosenfels accounted for four of Houston’s six turnovers by throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble in Schaub’s place.\nThe Texans cut the lead to 32-22 on a 6-yard touchdown reception by Kevin Walter with about eight minutes left. The Texans forced a punt, but Anderson fumbled it and Tennessee recovered, putting a damper on Houston’s comeback hopes.\nBironas seventh field goal made it 35-22 with 3:47 remaining.\nBut Jeb Putzier’s 7-yard touchdown catch with less than two minutes remaining cut the lead to 35-29. The Texans recovered their first onside kick attempt but had to re-kick after an illegal formation penalty.\nThey recovered the second one, too, to set up Davis’ touchdown.\nChris Henry’s 4-yard run capped a 12-play, 73-yard drive in the third quarter and pushed the Titans’ lead to 32-7.\nLenDale White had a 1-yard touchdown run to put Tennessee ahead 16-7 midway through the second quarter.\nDeMeco Ryans sacked Collins, causing a fumble which he returned 26 yards for a touchdown that gave Houston a 7-3 lead in the first quarter. It was the second fumble recovery of the season for last season’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and his first career touchdown.\nThe Texans managed 24 yards and two first downs in the first half, with the second one coming on a penalty. Jacoby Jones fumbled early in the first quarter and Rosenfels threw an interception and lost a fumble before halftime.\nSchaub, in his first year in Houston, had avoided the wrath of the fans before Sunday, but faced a chorus of boos beginning in the first quarter.