It is time to put New England and J.J. Watt in the past and move forward for the Houston Texans today against the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans (1-2) certainly will not give the Texans (2-1) any sympathy points in Houston’s first AFC South divisional game.

“Again, I think it goes back to what I’ve been saying all week to you: every week is a different season,” Houston coach Bill O’Brien told a reporter this week when asked about coming off a big loss. “That’s the job of a NFL football player. It’s important to turn the page and move on to the next game, win or lose. No matter what happens, no matter what happens.

“It’s a different opponent. It’s a whole different scheme. Everything about it is different. It’s a different time of the game. I mean, there’s nothing that this game entails that has anything to do with any other game.”

If the Texans are going to still contend for the division title without their star defensive end, Houston must wins games like this one against AFC South opponent.

“I mean, the past is the past,” nose tackle Vince Wilfork added. “It’s a division game so we can’t be stuck in the past, I’ll tell you that. What understand what’s at stake for us in the division and at home. We have some things working for us but we just have to play well and execute. That’s the biggest goal of ours.”

FACING MARIOTA

Houston faces Tennessee’s second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota for the first time after the second-year player out of Oregon missed both starts in 2015 with an injury.

“You know, the young quarterbacks, it’s a learning phase they have to go through, and sometimes in that learning phase they are not all-world like everyone wants them to be,” Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel said this week. “But Mariota, he has a good, strong arm, he has great running ability and he can throw it in. If you give him clear passing lanes, he sticks it in whether the guy is covered or not.”

Mariota has thrown for 723 yards on 67-of-107 passing with four touchdowns and four interceptions.

He has 866 yards passing with five touchdowns and 141 yards rushing and two more scores in his last three games against South Division opponents.

WAITING ON BROCK

The Texans are still trying to learn what type of quarterback Brock Osweiler will become.

Osweiler has only started 10 games in the NFL and has thrown four interceptions in the first three games of the season compared to three touchdowns.

“Everybody is growing as a player, not just Brock,” Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins said. “I’ve played four years and I’m still growing.

“He’s doing the best he can. He’s leading us on and off the field. He’s the same guy that he was from the day he stepped in the building.”

Osweiler, meanwhile, isn’t making excuses for his slow start.

“I don’t think – in fact, I know for a fact – I don’t use my lack of starts as an excuse for anything,” Osweiler said. “I expect myself to play at an extremely high level. I have great confidence in my abilities and what I can do and I have great confidence in the teammates around me to help me do my job.”

TRY STOPPING THE RUN

For all the talk about the loss of Watt and facing Mariota for the first time, the Texans’ first issue on defense could be stopping the Titans’ run game. Houston gave up 105 yards and two touchdowns to LeGarrette Blount in a 27-0 New England win last Thursday.

This week the Texans face DeMarco Murray, who has 245 yards on 41 carries, 5.9 yards per rush. The Titans as a team average 5.1 yards per carry.

Houston is 26th against the rush and Tennessee is eighth in rushing.

“With their running game, it’s a big strong, physical running game,” Crennel said.” Like I said, everybody is going to have to play good, but a linebacker like Benardrick McKinney, he’s going to have to continue what he’s been doing. Last week he made a lot of plays. That has to continue. Those guys up front allow him to make some of those plays. The guys up front have to do good so that he can improve.”

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Gabriel Pruett: 721-2436. Twitter: @PaNewsGabe