NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Ticker) -- Steve McNair would not let the Tennessee Titans lose their only home game in October.
McNair threw for a career-high 421 yards and three touchdowns - all to Derrick Mason - as the Tennessee Titans rolled to a 38-17 rout of the Houston Texans.
The Titans, coming off a road loss to the New England Patriots, returned to The Coliseum for the first time since September 21. They play consecutive games on the road and have a bye week before coming back here on November 9.
McNair threw for 391 yards last week - the second-highest total of his career - but dwarfed every previous performance of his eight-plus year career against the lowly Texans. He completed 18-of-27 passes and eclipsed his previous career-high in passing yards by 23.
It is the first 400-yard effort for the franchise since Warren Moon had 432 for the Houston Oilers on November 10, 1991.
"I can't say enough about the play of our quarterback and what he was able to do today," Titans coach Jeff Fisher said. "I was awfully proud of him."
"We are used to it now," Mason said. "There is nothing he does out there on the field that amazes me. He has been doing it ever since I have been in this league. He is a great athlete and a great leader."
McNair's favorite target was Mason, who caught six passes for a career-high 177 yards - his first 100-yard game of the season.
"I like to say he is a go-to guy, but we do such a good job of spreading the ball around," Fisher said. "He's going to get open short and open deep. He is going to make the big play."
Mason caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from McNair on Tennessee's opening drive and had a 46-yard catch-and-run for a score less than five minutes later. He and McNair connected on a 50-yarder early in the fourth to give the Titans a 30-13 cushion.
Mason helped take advantage of the absence of Texas cornerback Aaron Glenn, who sat out with a groin injury.
"It would have made a big difference," Mason said. "But, if a quarterback has enough time to throw, then you are going to get passes down the field. (McNair) found the open man each and every time."
Rookie receiver Tyrone Calico caught four passes for 92 yards for Tennessee, which had 535 total yards and remained unbeaten in three games at The Coliseum this season.
"Right now I am just trying to get a feel for the team so they can trust me more and more," he said. "Now it's time for me to step up and make some plays when my name is called upon."
"He's improving," Fisher said. "You throw him 10 balls, he will catch eight. He is big, strong and can run after the catch."
David Carr completed 25-of-42 passes for a career-high 371 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times for Houston.
"We were trailing so we had to throw the ball a little bit more," he said. "I would have much rather won the game than throw for all those yards."
The Texans pulled within 24-10 at the start of the fourth quarter. Mason extended the lead with his third touchdown on the second play of the period and cornerback Andre Dyson returned an interception 51 yards for his first career TD four plays later for a 38-10 cushion.
Carr connected with Derick Armstrong on a 13-yard touchdown with 6:04 left but threw his third interception to Titans rookie cornerback Andre Woolfolk - the team's first-round draft pick - in the final minutes.
McNair's first pass of the game to tight end Erron Kinney fell incomplete but he completed 12 consecutive passes until his second attempt of the third quarter. He was 11-of-12 for 233 yards in the first half for a perfect 158.3 rating as Tennessee built a 21-3 halftime advantage.
"I've never seen McNair better," said Texas defensive end Gary Walker, who played with McNair from 1995-1998. "We knew what kind of guy he was. We knew what we were getting into but we just didn't get it done."
"They got off to a smooth start and we never were able to catch up," Carr said. "(McNair) played a great game. Hopefully someday we'll get to that point where it's just consistent and you can go out every drive and get a nice little series."
Mason caught two passes for 78 yards - both touchdowns - in the first quarter and Calico had three receptions in the second, when McNair was 7-of-7 for 118 yards.
