Tag: Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans

Jaguars vs. Texans: 3 things to know about Week 1’s game

The Jags’ and Texans’ Week 1 season opener will be 1-of-2 where two first-year HCs will face off. The other will be between ATL and PHI.

The Jacksonville Jaguars wrapped up their 2021 preseason over a week ago, and now six days remain before their regular season opener. In that game, they will travel to Houston to take on their AFC South foes in the Texans, which presents Urban Meyer and his young team with a chance to start with a divisional win.

Both teams will be looking to bounce back from terrible seasons where the Jags only registered one win while the Texans only had four. That resulted in both organizations overhauling their staffs and player personnel, which has both fan bases very intrigued.

With a lot of uncertainty surrounding these new units, here are three things to know as we inch closer to the start of the Jags’ and Texans’ 2021 regular season opener.

Jags open as 1.5-point favorites in Week 1 game vs. Texans

The betting info for the Jags’ season opener is out via BetMGM.

The Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t favorites often last season, but will open the 2021 regular season as favorites against the Houston Texans. This comes after all of the league’s Week 1 games were revealed Wednesday morning.

At the moment, BetMGM has the Cardiac Cats down as 1.5-point favorites on the road against their divisional rivals, who the Jags haven’t defeated since Dec. 7 of 2017. However, for the time being, first-round pick Trevor Lawrence, who has never lost a regular season game in high school or college, will start his NFL career on a team that’s favored unless changes are made.

Not only will the game mark Lawrence’s first regular season game, but it will also be the first for Urban Meyer as he’s never been an NFL head coach. However, under previous head coach Doug Marrone, the Jags were 3-1 in their season openers.

In their first game, Meyer and Lawrence will be up against a team many feel could have a worst 2021 record than the Jags. Starting for the Texans could be either Tyrod Taylor or Davis Mills, who won’t have a lot of notable names to help them under the new regime of coach David Culley.

Like Meyer, Culley will be the head coach of an NFL team for the first time in his career. However, he has been an NFL assistant since 1994.

BetMGM also has the over/under set at 46 points for Week 1’s game. As for the money line, the Jags have a -125 figure, which means a $100 bet on them would net a bettor $125.

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Jaguars remain at No. 29 spot in USA TODAY power rankings despite loss to Texans

The Jags didn’t move in USA Today’s power rankings despite achieving a bad historic feat.

The Jacksonville Jaguars added another game to the loss column Sunday after falling to the Houston Texans by a score of 30-14. With the loss the Jags’ losing streak increased to four games and they became the first team in history to acquire three consecutive losses to winless teams (Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Texans).

Despite achieving such an embarrassing feat, the Jags somehow remained at the No. 29 spot of USA TODAY’s recent power rankings with only the Washington Football Team and New York Giants behind them, respectively.

29. Jaguars (29): Per Elias, they’ve already made NFL history. Jags are first to lose three in a row in one season (not counting Week 1) to winless teams.

Sunday’s game was one where the Jags’ offense made some crucial mistakes in which they couldn’t recover from. They had three trips inside the Texans’ 22-yard line but weren’t able to come away with touchdowns or field goals, which was a recipe for a loss. Additionally, the offensive game plan was puzzling as Gardner Minshew II threw the ball just under 50 times against a team that came into the game as the worst rushing defense in football.

As for the rest of the AFC South, the Tennessee Titans moved up to the No. 7 spot (from No. 9) after beating the undefeated Buffalo Bills. The Indianapolis Colts fell to No. 13 (from No. 10) after a loss to the Cleveland Browns. Lastly, the Texans moved from No. 27 to No. 26 after acquiring their first win against the Jags.

 

Texans DB Bradley Roby discusses Gardner Minshew’s struggles Sunday

The Jacksonville Jaguars had yet another forgettable performance on Sunday, acquiring their fourth consecutive loss of 2020 courtesy of the Houston Texans. Coming into the game most didn’t have high expectations for the defense which was without …

The Jacksonville Jaguars had yet another forgettable performance on Sunday, acquiring their fourth consecutive loss of 2020 courtesy of the Houston Texans. Coming into the game most didn’t have high expectations for the defense which was without three starters, but the offense was equally disappointing.

When looking back at the game, the unit missed out on three opportunities inside the Texans’ 22-yard line to come away with points. A huge reason for that seemed to be play-calling as the team didn’t run the ball as much as one would expect going against the worst rushing defense in the league. It also didn’t help that Jaguars kicker Stephen Hauschka wasn’t able to minimize the missed opportunities by the offense in the red-zone, which would’ve gave the Jags a 13-10 lead heading into half-time at the least.

Another issue that seemed to somewhat hinder the Jags was Gardner Minshew’s struggles in the pocket. While he ultimately finished the game 31-of-49 for 301 yards and two touchdowns, his success in the pocket was iffy, and as a result, the Jags only left the game with 14 points.

The issue was such a factor in the game that Texans veteran cornerback Bradley Roby also mentioned it in his post-game presser when explaining what led to the defense’s solid day.

“Yeah, we just wanted to pressure them and not let them just get comfortable back there, and we did a great job,” Roby said. “We were back there, and I could tell from the secondary that he was kind of unsettled early. We got some sacks and some pressure, and I think he had some trouble with that, and he was kind of panicking back there. Any time you can get the offense unsettled and the quarterback rushing his throws and things like that, you’re going to be successful, and that was our plan today.”

As of the last few weeks, Minshew has had plays where he’s jumped out of the pocket a little early, which has resulted in missed opportunities. This was something he even commented on after the Jags’ game against the the Cincinnati Bengals, which also resulted in a loss.

“If you’re skipping reads and getting out early, that’s an issue,” Minshew said. “It’s a process we’re working on week by week. Everyone looks back and takes accountability, and that’s a good thing. We all wish we had things we could do better and addressing moving forward will make us better.”

Jags legend Tony Boselli also noticed Minshew’s struggles in the pocket Sunday, too, and commented on them on the local airwaves. In a nutshell, Boselli echoed something a lot of fans have been saying — and that’s the fact he can’t solely rely on extended plays and rollouts.

Minshew will be playing a respectable Detroit Lions passing defense this Sunday that is currently ranked No. 11 in the category, though they have issues against the run (No. 30). That said, his play in the pocket will be important if the team wants to make an attempt at a decent season.

Good, bad, and ugly from the Jags’ loss to the Texans

There wasn’t a lot of good to take from the Jags’ loss in Houston, but there were two defensive players who stepped up and did their part.

The Jacksonville Jaguars three-game skid increased to a four-game one Sunday after the team lost yet another game to another winless team in the Houston Texans. As a result, they made history, becoming the first team to ever lose three games to winless opponents.

With such a terrible achievement to their names, it feels like the team is due for a rough season and could meet the expectations of those who deemed them a three-win (or less) team. Yet, here at the Jags Wire, it’s our jobs to provide our readers with insight on just what went right and wrong for the team Sunday — even in the toughest of times.

That said, here are the good, bad, and ugly moments that came from Week 5’s loss:

The good: CB Sidney Jones IV and DE Dawuane Smoot stepped up

Coming into Sunday’s game, it was a given that the Jags’ defense would struggle with starters Myles Jack, CJ Henderson, and Josh Allen all sitting out with injuries. That’s exactly what happened as the Texans’ offense was 14 yards shy of 500 on the day. However, there were some players on the Jags’ unit that stood out and took advantage of their increased playtime.

Cornerback Sidney Jones IV was a member of the secondary that fans who watched couldn’t help but notice as he was in on two plays that caused turnovers. The first was a pick on Deshaun Watson who was trying to hit receiver Will Fuller in the middle of the field. Defensive end Dawuane Smoot (who we’ll discuss in just a bit) got a piece of the ball while trying to get to the quarterback, causing the ball to lose some velocity and Jones to make a play on it.

Jones also was able to cause a pick through a pass deflection that was intended for Fuller in the third quarter. Watson tried to hit the veteran receiver on an outside post and Jones was able to tip the ball. Wilson then plucked it from the air and returned it deep into Houston territory.

Ultimately, Jones finished the game with three tackles, a pass breakup, and a pick and now has a Pro Football Focus grade of 73.6. At this rate, it appears he may have secured a spot starting as a boundary corner with Henderson, which will allow Tre Herndon to remain at nickel for D.J. Hayden who is on injured reserve.

As for Smoot, he had a solid day with the increased reps he got due to Allen’s injury. In addition to the aforementioned pass deflection we mentioned, he was a nuisance for Watson, registering a sack and three quarterback hits. Those are totals that led the team in both categories and should result in the staff utilizing the fourth-year player more down the road.

The bad: Missed opportunities to score by the offense

When looking back at the game, there were three opportunities where the Jags were able to get inside the Texans’ 22-yard line but came away with zero points. There were two opportunities late in the second quarter that they squandered, then there was another in the third quarter where they had a fumble.

When looking at these moments, many fans weren’t high on the play-calling, which is a change from the past few weeks. If there has been anyone the fanbase felt was worth praising, it was offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, but that wasn’t the case Sunday.

The play in particular that didn’t sit well with fans was the aforementioned fumble from James Robinson that occurred in the third quarter. The Jags simply tried to get too cute with the play call, putting Robinson in the backfield as a wildcat quarterback. With the rookie rolling out right to find an open target, he fumbled the ball and it was recovered by J.J. Watt.

Of course, when the offense looks back at the film on Monday, they are going to want each failed series back. Unfortunately, there will be no time machine to jump in and correct things, so they will just have to settle for improving their red-zone offense in the future.

The ugly: The kicking game

In the two aforementioned series where the Jags weren’t able to score, they brought newly signed kicker Stephen Hauschka on to the field — and just like the offense — he came up short. The first attempt was for 24 yards and ended up missing wide left. The second kick, which was a 49-yard attempt, was short. Had the Jags been able to make both kicks, they would’ve gone into the half with some momentum and a 13-10 lead.

After the two missed kicks late in the second quarter, the Jags elected to keep Hauschka on the sidelines (aside from their extra-point attempts), which possibly played a role in the team going for the fourth-and-one attempt on Houston’s 8-yard line in the third quarter that led to Robinson’s fumble.

Thankfully, help might be on the way to correct the Jags’ flaws in the kicking game. Their initial starter, Josh Lambo, will be eligible to return from IR Monday if healthy from a right hip injury that occurred before the Jags’ game against the Miami Dolphins.

The last update the media was able to provide on Lambo was that he was off crutches last month. Hopefully, that leads to a return to the practice field soon but we’ll have to monitor the injury report on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday to further make a call.

Watch: Gardner Minshew hits Keelan Cole for a toe-drag touchdown reception

The Jags offense was able to get on the board in the second quarter of Week 5’s game against the Texans with a highlight TD from Keelan Cole.

The Jacksonville Jaguars went through the first quarter of Week 5’s game against the Houston Texans scoreless, but were able to turn it on in the second quarter with a touchdown reception to Keelan Cole.

At roughly the six-minute and 40-second mark, quarterback Gardner Minshew II was able to connect with the speedster for a touchdown by the right boundary line. Cole was able to show tremendous concentration, bringing down the 13-yard pass for a toe-drag touchdown.

The reception marked Cole’s first and only reception of the game, but fans can bet their bottom dollar that Minshew will come back to the fourth-year receiver who is one of his favorite targets.

Unfortunately, the Texans answered back with a touchdown through tight end Darren Fells, putting the score at 10-7 in favor of the them. However, with the Jags’ offense rolling and plenty of football left to be played, the Jags could close the gap if their defense can put together a serviceable game.

5 Jaguars to watch vs. the Texans

Laviska Shenault will come into Week 5’s game against the Texans with a lot of momentum, as a result, he’ll be a key player to watch Sunday.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will be looking for their second win of the season against the Houston Texans on Sunday, and despite them being winless, it’s expected to be a dog fight. Simply put, that’s the way divisional games simply are and the Texans’ talent level seems to be a little more even with the Jags’ than in years past.

For the Jags’ staff, this game feels like a crucial must-win situation. If they can somehow stop the bleeding from a three-game losing streak, they would be a game away from .500 with another winnable game coming up Week 6 against the Detroit Lions.

As always, the Jags will at least need a handful of players to step up and lead the team against Houston. Here are five who we think will be worth watching if the team is to acquire it’s second victory of the season:

RB James Robinson

With the Texans’ rush defense being last in the NFL and allowing an average of over 180 yards a game, James Robinson should be in for a great day. The undrafted rookie sensation stunned the league during the first quarter of the season, exiting the process with 60 carries for 285 rushing yards and three touchdowns as a rusher. He also flashed as a receiver, registering 14 receptions for 161 yards.

Not only could Robinson be a key to putting points on the boards for the Jags, but he also should be the biggest all-around key for the team. With his skills on the ground, the team could dominate the time of possession and keep their wounded and struggling defense off the field.

Center Brandon Linder

The leader of the Jags offensive line will be returning to the lineup after missing Weeks 3-4 with a knee injury he sustained in the second quarter of the Jags’ game against the Tennessee Titans. That’s no only huge for the aforementioned Robinson, but the offense in general.

Linder has faced this Texans front more than any lineman on the team as a draft pick from the 2014 class. They only catch about facing them this time is that he doesn’t have to face the tough D.J. Reader, who joined the Cincinnati Bengals in free-agency. As Houston’s rush defense reflects, that’s a huge loss, which means Linder could have a dominant day upon his return.

WR Laviska Shenault Jr.

Again, the key to beating the Texans is through running the ball. However, that’s not to say the Jags won’t need contributions through the air. Luckily, for Laviska Shenault Jr. he does both and I believe he’ll be a key contributor as a result.

Shenault has not only been one of the Jags’ key contributors, but he’s been one of the best rookies in the game. He’ll come into Week 5 after a career high of five receptions for 86 yards. It wouldn’t be wrong to expect a similar day or better in addition with some effective carries as the Texans are also allowing a 71% completion rate.

DE K’Lavon Chaisson

The Jags first-round pick from April is set to get his first start with Josh Allen being ruled out. He’s going to need to have a good day, too, if the Jags are to win as Deshaun Watson can hurt the Jags with his legs or his arm.

It’s been a struggle for K’Lavon Chaisson this season and the rookie will enter Week 5’s game with a Pro Football Focus grade of 52.9, seven total tackles, and a sack. However, in the Jags’ divisional games, he’s made impact plays and that could be the case against Houston.

Against Indy (Week 1) he had a pick, but it was taken back due to a holding penalty. The next week, against the Tennessee Titans, he acquired his first sack, so there clearly is big play ability in Chaisson’s arsenal.

Safety Jarrod Wilson

Even aside from Allen, the Jags had a lot of names from their defense on this week’s injury report. They could be without two more starters in linebacker Myles Jack (ankle) and cornerback CJ Henderson (shoulder), too,  as both were ruled questionable on Friday. Simply put, without either or both players, the Jags’ defense is going to have an uphill battle on their hands if the team wants a victory.

However, one positive is that the team will gain a starter back in Jarrod Wilson, who was placed on IR after Week 1’s victory over Indy with a hamstring injury. While he’s a player who fans don’t refer to as an “impact player” he was clearly missed with Andrew Wingard replacing him in the lineup. As many found out, Wingard is more of a special teams player and teams picked on him on occasions.

That said, maybe Wilson could give them better coverage and positioning on the opponents as he’s much more experienced than Wingard.

Jaguars vs. Texans: Week 5 Jags Wire staff picks and predictions

The Jags will face another winless team this week, but does that mean they will end up with a win? The Jags Wire panel isn’t too optimistic.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have officially entered the second quarter of their season, and with that could come a start much like the first quarter of the season where they got a divisional win. A big reason for that is because this week’s opponent, the Houston Texans, seem to be dealing with some turmoil of their own and will come into Sunday’s game winless.

Simply put, for the Jags to get back on the right track they will need their defense to show some kind of resistance to the opposition. That might prove to be easier said than done with Josh Allen already rule out and Myles Jack’s status up in the air.

Regardless as to who takes the field, it’s time to give out our weekly predictions. And, yes, we think it’s going to be a rough one.

James Johnson (@Sportsgrind_Don): Texans 31, Jaguars 28

As I’ve said in the past, the Jaguars always have a chance to win, but it’s just a matter of whether they put together the right game plan. Their offense has been solid for the most part, however, Todd Wash isn’t holding up his end of the bargain. With his unit struggling, I honestly don’t know if the Texans will punt the ball at anytime today.

With Houston’s rush defense being the worst in the NFL, the Jags’ best hope is to rely on James Robinson and keep their defense off the field. Still, I’m going to have to go with Houston.

Phil Smith (@PhiltheFilipino): Texans 31, Jaguars 20

The Jaguars have an opportunity to grant a third straight team their first win of the season. Between the Texans firing Bill O’Brien, the complete lack of a pass rush, and Deshaun Watson, I fully expect the Jags to help lead Houston to its first win. That would put the Jags in sole possession of last place in the AFC South and squarely back in the “Tank For Trevor” conversation. Until major changes are made in the defensive play calling and the Jags understand that a certain coordinator is hurting the team, the defense is going to get eaten up over the next few weeks against top notch quarterbacks and it begins with Watson.

Daniel Griffis (@DanDGriffis): Texans 31, Jaguars 26

The Texans just fired coach Bill O’Brian after a abysmal start to the 2020 season. With a talented roster, it will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out for the Deshaun Watson led team. This team is better than their record and with Jacksonville’s almost non-existent pass rush, I think Watson makes the Jaguars’ defense pay.

Robert Ricks (@rrickswriting): Texans 23, Jaguars 19

The Jaguars will have to find a way to stop the bleeding, but this probably wont be the game for them. Deshaun Watson has been highly successful against the Jags but this game may be surprisingly low-scoring considering that both teams need a win in the worse way.

Will Frost (@willfrost_): Texans 28, Jaguars 18

So, the Texans don’t have a general manager, they don’t have a coach and they also don’t have a win. This should be a victory for the Jaguars right? Unfortunately, it won’t be as easy as that.

Despite the upheaval within the Texans organization, they enter today’s game as firm favorites. The last time these two teams played Deshaun Watson had one of his better games, and against this lackluster Jaguars’ defensive unit, he’s poised to see similar production today.

Jacob DeLawrence (@_Jdela): . Texans 28, Jaguars 17

The battle for last place in the division is the headline for this matchup that no one had coming into the season. The Texans have simply underperformed and have fired head coach Bill O’Brien this week and Romeo Crennel is at the helm for the Texans.

The Jags are coming off of two extremely disappointing performances and look to bounce back. This is the perfect game for them to do so. However, the Jags have struggled against the run, and with Myles Jack’s, status up in the air I expect David and Duke Johnson to be able to put up solid numbers on the ground. Deshaun Watson will also do what he always does against the Jags. As a result, the Texans will get their first win and the Jags could continue to spiral downward.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Jags downgrade DE Josh Allen to OUT vs. Texans with a knee injury

The Jags sustained a huge blow to their chances to beat the Texans Week 5 as Josh Allen has been ruled OUT.

After not being able to practice all week with a knee injury, the Jacksonville Jaguars officially ruled defensive end Josh Allen OUT Saturday afternoon for Week 5’s game against the Houston Texans. This news comes after Allen was ruled questionable along side several others on the final injury report Friday.

Allen’s absence is a huge blow to the Jags’ struggling defense, which hasn’t been able to generate much of a pass rush this season and has allowed a league-high completion rate of 77% against them. It also doesn’t help that the defense will be going up against one of the most mobile quarterbacks in the NFL in Deshaun Watson, who has been an unstoppable force against the team.

With Allen now out of the lineup, first-round pick K’Lavon Chaisson will be called on to step up in his place and will likely earn his first career start. The rookie will come into Week 5 with seven total tackles to his name and a sack. He’s also managed to register two quarterback hits over the span of Weeks 1-4.

It also wouldn’t be surprising to see Dawuane Smoot receive an increase in snaps to help keep Chaisson fresh. Smoot, who currently is in his fourth season,  will enter Sunday’s game with four total tackles this season (one of which is a TFL) in addition to one quarterback hit.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.

Jags place LB Quincy Williams, safety Jarrod Wilson back on active roster from IR

The Jags’ final injury report for Week 5 has a lot of fans concerned, however, the team is getting some healthy bodies back from IR, too.

After both players were designated to return from injured reserve recently, the Jacksonville Jaguars have officially elevated linebacker Quincy Williams and Jarrod Wilson to their active roster.

Additionally, the team also utilized a standard elevation roster slot to elevate defensive lineman Caraun Reid from practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans.

The Jags’ transactions come after they had a lot of players on their injury report Friday, specifically on the defensive side. With that being the case, most expected them to make some elevations Saturday to prepare for an important divisional game against Houston.

Wilson’s addition is the biggest out of the three because the team will be getting back one of their initial starters in him. He was placed on IR after Week 1’s game against the Indianapolis Colts after sustaining a hamstring injury.

Williams was a player the Jags placed on IR before Week 1 as he sustained a core muscle injury during training camp and had to have surgery for it. He was one of the Jags’ 2019 third-round selections and ended up starting in eight games despite struggling at the weak-side linebacker position. That said, many are excited for his return to the field as he brings experience to the defense and could be a tremendous help on special teams.

Reid’s addition appears to be to give the Jags some depth on the defensive line. The team had defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale (ankle) surface on the final injury report as questionable, so Reid could be taking his spot in the lineup Sunday if needed.

Listen to the latest from Jags Wire’s own James Johnson and Phil Smith on their podcast “Bleav in the Jags.” Subscribe via Apple Podcasts and check out our archived episodes via Bleav Podcasts.