The Houston Texans look to clinch the AFC South title and their first trip to the postseason since 2012 with a win at home Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Jaguars (5-10), losers of two straight, are coming off a 38-27 loss to the New Orleans Saints last week. Jacksonville's defense allowed 539 yards of total offense to the Saints, the most given up in three seasons under head coach Gus Bradley. Wide receiver Allen Hurns joined Allen Robinson as the Jaguars' second 1,000-yard receiver this season with his eight-catch, 106-yard performance. Hurns also caught a pair of touchdowns in the defeat.
The Texans (8-7) rolled to an easy 34-6 win over the Tennessee Titans last week. Brandon Weeden became the fourth different Houston starting quarterback to win a game this season, throwing for 200 yards and two touchdowns, while receiver DeAndre Hopkins celebrated his first selection to the Pro Bowl by catching seven passes for 117 yards and touchdown. The Texans will have starting quarterback Brian Hoyer back under center as they look to wrap up a playoff berth. Hoyer missed the last two weeks after suffering a concussion in Houston's Dec. 13 loss to the New England Patriots.
Here are three keys to the game for both the Jaguars and the Texans.
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1. Give House some help
Jaguars cornerback Davon House lost his starting job for a week after giving up a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to Hopkins in Houston's Week 6 win over Jacksonville. Hopkins has made nearlyu every corner who has tried cover him this season look bad, so House is far from alone. With House and Hopkins set to square off again though, the Jaguars need to offer safety help over the top to try to keep Hopkins in check. House can't be expected do it alone.
2. Start fast
In last week's loss to the Saints, the Jaguars allowed New Orleans to jump out to a 24-0 lead before Jacksonville was able to get on the scoreboard just before halftime. Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville offense are talented, but the team cannot afford to dig itself into that kind of hole. Offensive coordinator Greg Olsen needs to find a way score early to help take pressure of Jacksonville's struggling defense.
3. Get off the field on third down
The Jaguars are last in the league in third-down defense. Stopping drives is always critical and getting some kind of pass rush on third downs would certainly help. The Jaguars only sacked Hoyer once when the two teams met in October as the quarterback threw for 393 yards and three touchdowns. The Jaguars may need to consider blitzing more as they try to get pressure on the quarterback. It opens up the potential for big plays, particularly with Hopkins on the field, but Jacksonville has few other options at this point in the season.
1. Attack a weakened offensive line
Jacksonville's starting tackles Luke Joeckel and Jermey Parnell are both dealing with injuries entering the game. This is good news for J.J. Watt and the Houston pass rush. The Texans sacked Bortles three times in their last meeting and should be in line for more success Sunday. Whitney Mercilus, who sacked Bortles twice in October, while starting in place if Jadeveon Clowney may be in for another big game with Clowney nursing a foot injury.
2. Account for the Allens
Jacksonville has a pair of dangerous offensive targets in Robinson and Hurns. Robinson had 151 yards receiving last week, while Hurns topped the 100-yard mark as well. Houston was able to slow Hurns down somewhat in the first meeting between the two teams, limiting him to two catches for 30 yards and a touchdown and will need to duplicate that effort in order to limit the Jaguars' high-scoring offense. With Jacksonville's running game limited by injuries, the Jaguars will rely heavily on the pass again this week. . The Texans can live with one of the Allens having a big afternoon, but not both.
3. Stay healthy
Although the Texans certainly want to win the game, they need to have one eye towards the postseason and make sure they're as healthy as possible entering the playoffs. Nine teams have to win in order for the Indianapolis Colts to overtake Houston for a division title. It's highly unlikely to happen. With that in mind, head coach Bill O'Brien should consider playing his backups for a good portion of the game, particularly if the Texans have the game in hand early. Houston doesn't want to back into the postseason, but needs to be smart about playing stars like Watt, who is nursing a broken hand. Giving Hoyer some first-half reps before sitting him, like in a preseason game, might be a wise move as well.
