Although 59 minutes or so of action against the Jacksonville Jaguars were anything but pretty, it appeared that with its last breath, the Texans might, MIGHT find a way to salvage overtime with a late charge down the field in week three in Duval County.
With :27 remaining, QB C.J. Stroud dropped to throw and, as he did, he located former Jaguar/current Texan WR Christian Kirk breaking into the open in the end zone. Down by seven, a Stroud to Kirk TD and subsequent extra point would tie the game and, presumably, send it to overtime.
Jaguars star DE Josh Hines-Allen reached out his long arm/hand and tipped the ball as it left Stroud's hand. As it spun through the air, I just hoped it would eventually hit the ground.
Now, it's time to meet again, but this time it's much different. Stroud will not play, missing the game due to a concussion suffered against the Broncos. K Kai'mi Fairbairn will be out. Jaguars star rookie WR Travis Hunter is also out.
That said, a sixth win for Jacksonville will give the Jags a season sweep over the Texans for the first time since 2017 and move Jacksonville into prime position to catch the Colts. But, a fourth win for the Texans in the 2025 season will give them life as the campaign heads into the second half of the season.
It's a "circle the wagons" game for your Texans, no question about it, and they must go win this game with QB Davis Mills in charge, who is 2-1 in starts against the Jaguars in his career. With all of that as the backdrop for this matchup, let's get to Know the Texans' Week 10 Foe - the Jacksonville Jaguars, yet again
Jacksonville Jaguars 2025 Schedule (5-3)
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* Week 1 - W Carolina Panthers 26-10
* Week 2 - L @ Cincinnati Bengals 31-27
* Week 3 - W Houston Texans 17-10
* Week 4 - W @ San Francisco 49ers 26-21
* Week 5 - W Kansas City Chiefs 31-28
* Week 6 - L Seattle Seahawks 20-12
* Week 7 - L Los Angeles Rams (London) 35-7
* Week 8 - BYE WEEK
* Week 9 - W @ Las Vegas Raiders 30-29
* Week 10 - @ Houston Texans
* Week 11 - Los Angeles Chargers
* Week 12 - @ Arizona Cardinals
* Week 13 - @ Tennessee Titans
* Week 14 - Indianapolis Colts
* Week 15 - New York Jets
* Week 16 - @ Denver Broncos
* Week 17 - @ Indianapolis Colts
* Week 18 - Tennessee Titans
Jaguars OFFENSE (in 2025 regular season)
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* Rushing Yards Per game - 123.6 ypg (11th in the NFL)
* Passing Yards Per game - 215.3 ypg (16th)
* Total offense per game - 338.9 ypg (14th)
* Turnovers lost - 7 (6 INT, 1 Fumble)
Expected Jaguars starting offense for Week 10
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* QB - Trevor Lawrence
* RB - Travis Etienne
* WR - Brian Thomas Jr.
* WR - DYAMI BROWN
* WR - JAKOBI MEYERS
* TE - Johnny Mundt or HUNTER LONG
* LT - Walker Little
* LG - Ezra Cleveland (injured) or Cole Van Lanen
* C - ROBERT HAINSEY
* RG - PARICK MEKARI
* RT - Anton Harrison
### Other Key Offensive pieces
* RB - _BHAYSHUL TUTEN_
* WR - Parker Washington
* WR - TIM PATRICK
* RB - _LEQUINT ALLEN_
* OC - _JONAH MONHEIM_
ALL CAPS - New to team in 2025
Keys to winning v. the Jaguars Offense
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1. The Offensive Engine - I said back in week three that the Jaguars running backs have been a clear arrow up for this offense in 2025. I mentioned "running backs", plural, because rookie Bhayshul Tuten had flashed his insane speed in the two weeks leading into the first matchup with the Texans. But, if I'm being honest, the driver, the heart, the EVERYTHING for this offense is RB Travis Etienne. When Etienne thrives, the Jaguars offense goes to a different level. 143 rush yards v. Carolina? Win. 124 rush yards v. San Francisco? Win. 115 yards total offense at Las Vegas last week? Win. The Rams and Seahawks held him to a combined 71 yards rushing? Loss and loss. It's really easy to say, and difficult to do, especially considering how banged up the Texans are at this point, but stop Etienne, win the game.
1. Newbies - The Jaguars have been a bit banged up the past month or so and the one position that seems more snake bit than any other is wide receiver. Just last week, rookie two-way star Travis Hunter, who had just seemingly moved to offense full-time, injured his knee in practice and was put on IR. In the game against the Raiders, the Jaguars lost Brian Thomas Jr. and Dyami Brown. Both of them were DNP and/or limited early in the practice week. So, the Jaguars went out and traded for Jakobi Meyers just a few days after playing against him in Las Vegas. But, what will the receiving corps look like for Trevor Lawrence on Sunday? He'll have Parker Washington and he's gotten better week after week, but on the outside, will it be Thomas Jr.? Will Brown be ready to go? How much of the offense will Meyers know?
1. What's up, Trevor? - In the first meeting, following a Texans missed field goal, Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence threw passes like a quarterback dead set on becoming one of the best in the NFL. He finished that drive four of six for 43 yards on a 58 yard drive. I remember saying during a break to Marc and Andre that it was our worst nightmare…Trevor becoming THAT guy right under our nose. But, after that drive, Lawrence struggled, yet made the one throw that he had to make in the fourth quarter. So, seven weeks later, what more do we know about Trevor Lawrence? The Jaguars' second drive of the game against Las Vegas went 17 plays…and ended with a Lawrence INT in the end zone. Then, in the second half, he lost all his receivers, seemingly, and led the Jags to five straight scoring drives, including one in overtime. He helped the Jaguars offense generate 17 first downs in the second half and overtime. The Raiders defense isn't the Texans defense, so Lawrence will carry all the pressure against that rock star Texans defense.