And just like that, the Jacksonville Jaguars just caught a massive break for their divisional matchup against the Houston Texans in Week 10.
In the loss to the Denver Broncos the prior game, C.J. Stroud suffered a concussion. He was placed on protocol in the aftermath. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans just ruled out the third-year quarterback for Week 10, via Adam Schefter of ESPN. That means that the Jags will get to face second-stringer Davis Mills when they play Houston.
The Jaguars expected CJ Stroud to sit out the Texans game
When Liam Coen met with the local media Wednesday, he talked about the possibility of facing Davis Mills, noting that he's had success running the offense.
"Watching David Mills throw the football for a while. Davis Mill, sorry. I remember coming out of Stanford, like he can spin the ball. He's a talent. He can throw the football," Coen told the media when discussing the challenges of facing Mills. "I've watched him in preseason games before, where he's started games, and their offense was rolling. And so, he gave Nico, I think, on his like, second throw of the game, a fade down there on the right sideline that was right here. So it's talented."
Coen continued, "So from a game plan, they've done a little bit more jumbo and being able to run the football with Woody [Marks] and doing a nice job that way. So expect a similar plan. In ways, it's more so maybe the mobility from C.J. that he can provide, at times, extending plays on the boot game, getting them out on the perimeter, and maybe being able to use his legs as a weapon as well."
A third-round pick in 2021, Mills was pressed into action after the Deshaun Watson trade. He showed a bit of promise as a rookie but struggled in Year 2, which led the Texans to draft Stroud third overall in 2023.
Dating back to 2021, Mills has appeared in 40 games with 26 starts (all in his first two seasons) and completed 62.3 percent of his throws for 6,327 yards with 35 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. Below is Coen's exchange with the press corps. His remarks about the Texans backup quarterback start at the 8:01 mark.
Facing Davis Mills will give the Jaguars an edge vs. the Texans
Before C.J. Stroud was ruled out, Houston was a 1.5-point favorite in Week 10. The odds should be refreshed in the upcoming days after DeMeco Ryan's update. The Jaguars, for their part, just saw their odds to win increase.
Even if Stroud had started, the Texans have struggled this season. Sure, Jacksonville has been far from flawless but has racked up wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Moreover, the Jags managed to beat the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 9 despite the fact that Trevor Lawrence was dealing with the flu.
Now, divisional matchups are always tough, and Davis Millis will have Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz at his disposal, so the Jaguars cannot afford to take Houston lightly.
Ultimately, the Jaguars were just handed a big break for Week 10, and it will be up to them to make the most out of it.