TEXANS (5-3) VS. JAGUARS (2-6)
SUNDAY, 1 P.M. ET, EVERBANK FIELD, JACKSONVILLE uTV: CBS, DIRECTV 706
Announcers: Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon About the Texans: Much of the talk surrounding the Texans during their bye week centered around further criticism of coach
and QB and skepticism about their 5-3 record considering that they’re winless on the road and 5-0 at home. The best cure for the critics? Win on the road in convincing fashion. There aren’t very many places better to do that than Jacksonville, where the Texans are 4-1 in their last five trips. One of the biggest criticisms about Osweiler has been an inability to get key playmaking WRs and
involved. With back-to-back road games at Jacksonville and Oakland (on Monday Night Football) and another two at Green Bay and Indianapolis in Weeks 13 and 14, winning this game is critical if Houston is to win the division.
About the Jaguars: After making a drastic midseason change by firing offensive coordinator Greg Olson and promoting quarterbacks coach to call plays, Jacksonville had a new look but the same end result. The common denominator was another poor performance by QB who was wildly inaccurate and threw an interception for the third time in his last four games. Jacksonville did rush for a season-high 205 yards, thanks to strong performances from
and but three fumbles doomed the Jaguars, spoiling a defensive effort in which Jacksonville allowed a seasonlow 249 total yards. Coach seat is getting hotter by the week, but ending a three-game skid could buy him time. The Texans’ Jadeveon Clowney has three sacks this year, but none in a road game.
Jacksonville went from 29th in passing yards allowed in 2015 to sixth practically overnight, and the fifth overall pick and potential defensive rookie of the year has been a pivotal part of that turnaround. Containing Hopkins has been one of the most sure-fire ingredients for success against Houston, so this matchup is huge.
In the absence of J.J. Watt, Clowney has become Houston’s biggest X factor. The 2014 top overall pick has continued to struggle with consistency, but when he’s good, he’s really good. All three of his sacks came in Houston wins at home, and he’s due for a big game on the road. He has six tackles for loss.
The Texans have dominated Jacksonville in four games under O’Brien, winning by an average margin of 13.7 points.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Committing to the run: Both teams have struggled to stick with the run when falling behind. Winning on the ground in the third and fourth quarter is huge, whether it’s
running away with it for Houston or Ivory moving the chains for Jacksonville.
2. Under pressure: Bortles and Osweiler have been dreadful against the blitz this season, committing costly turnovers or making wildly inaccurate passes under pressure. Neither team has been particularly successful when blitzing, but there’s no better time to take a shot than in this game against these quarterbacks.
3. Turnover tally: In both meetings last season, the teams’ final stat lines in yardage were pretty even. But Jacksonville committed seven turnovers between two games while Houston committed one. If the Texans can maintain that level of separation in turnovers, their winning ways in Jacksonville will continue.
Jordan Godwin