JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While everyone is making final preparations for the most important dinner of the year Thursday, the Jaguars will be making final preparations for one of their most important games of the season.
“I think everybody knows (the importance of this game) without really speaking it verbally,” Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said. “I think the importance of where we are and then what we’ve done and focusing on that and staying true to that. Just understanding we’re going down to a place, you’re in a dome, it’s going to be loud, the environment is going to be great.”
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Sunday at 1 p.m. in Houston, more than just adding a win to a record will be on the line for the Jaguars and Texans. The winner will control the AFC South division. Heading into the matchup, the Jaguars lead the division, but the Texans are just one game behind. This can quite possibly have huge implications on the playoffs. Looking at the ESPN NFL Playoff Machine, if the playoffs started right now the Jaguars would be the three seed in the AFC and would play the seventh-seed Texans in a wild-card game.
“I think there’s plenty of motivation for this game,” Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence said. “You look at kind of what the Texans have done this year being in our division. We’re getting down here end of the season all these games matter when you go back and look at your season. Every game you’ve played has implications, but especially when you get to this point. We got seven games left. It’s a tight race in our division. Overall you look at the AFC, I mean there are a ton of teams that are in the hunt.”
Who would have thought the Texans would be one of the toughest competitions of the year? Think back to 2022. The Texans finished the season last in the AFC South and only won three games (3-14). In the offseason they hired first-time head coach DeMeco Ryans and drafted Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud with the second overall pick. Then, they traded up to draft Alabama defensive end Will Anderson with the third overall pick. Now, the Texans are fighting for the division title.
Pederson said Stroud does not make many rookie mistakes.
“This kid is playing extremely well. Very mature individual,” he said. “I think he’s really settled into that role. He’s fast. He has good strength, leverage, power and really turning into a really good edge rusher.”
The Jaguars are equally finding success this season. The team is coming off a dominant win over the Titans. The offense played its best game of the season and showed how potent it can be when it finally clicks. Lawrence is coming off a showing where he became the first player in franchise history to run for two touchdowns and pass for two touchdowns in a single game. Lawrence was also named AFC Offensive Player of the Week. The defense continues to overwhelm opposing offenses ranking first in the AFC in rush defense and 15th in pass defense.
This will be the second game of the season series between the Jaguars and the Texans. In Week 3, the Texans beat the Jaguars 37-17 in EverBank Stadium. Jaguars defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell said Stroud has improved since the September 24 game.
“He was good back then and he’s even better now. It’s pretty amazing to see him come in and do the things that he’s been able to do. Takes care of the ball,” Caldwell said. “Throws the ball wherever he needs to. Makes a bunch of plays with his legs.”
Houston started the game scoring 17 points and the Jaguars never got any closer than 10 points of the Texans lead. Jaguars wide receiver Jamal Agnew fumbled in the second quarter and Lawrence was intercepted in the third quarter, both times leading to Texans field goals. On special teams, Brandon McManus made uncharacteristic mistakes. He missed a field goal on the game-opening drive and then had a field goal blocked on the first drive of the second quarter.
“I think there was a lot of self-inflicted wounds in that game,” Jaguars offensive coordinator Press Taylor said.
That was Week 3 though. Now, we’re at the end of November and both teams have improved since their game two months ago.
“We still have to understand that we still haven’t done anything,” Pederson said. “Yeah, OK, we got in the playoffs last year, but didn’t do anything. We didn’t finish. We have to play the same way. We have to play like we have everything to prove.”