The Jacksonville Jaguars open AFC South play with a chance to take firm control of the division. At 4-1, a victory over the Houston Texans would give Jacksonville a 5-1 record for the first time since 1999 and a three-game lead over Houston in the division. Jacksonville is coming off an emotional win over the Philadelphia Eagles in London and will aim to carry that momentum against Houston for a second consecutive game in London.
Here are four Jaguars to watch in Week Six.
Defensive end Josh Hines-Allen has not had the start to the season he expected. Hines-Allen has recorded 1.5 sacks, 14 total pressures, seven quarterback hits and 19 total tackles this season.
He has gone four weeks without a sack and faces a Texans offensive line that has allowed 14 sacks and a 34.7% pressure rate through five games. Houston’s left tackle, Aireonta Ersery, has allowed four sacks, four penalties and 16 total pressures.
Jacksonville blitzes on 25% of opponents’ dropbacks and relies on its standard pass rush on the remaining 75% of dropbacks. The Jaguars have recorded 11 sacks, tied for eighth in the NFL, with Hines-Allen accounting for just 1.5. With 6.5 career sacks against Houston, this game could serve as a potential get-right game for Hines-Allen as he looks to end his four-game sack slump.
Left tackle Walker Little will be tasked with blocking the NFL’s premier pass-rushing duo in Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter this week. Little got his first snaps of the regular season in the third quarter against Philadelphia after replacing Anton Harrison, who was carted off with a knee injury. Little allowed no sacks or quarterback hits and committed one penalty.
Anderson and Hunter have combined for 10.5 sacks, 22 total tackles and two forced fumbles through five games. Last season, while starting at left tackle for Jacksonville in Week 10 against Houston, Little saw quarterback Trevor Lawrence get hit on 26% of his dropbacks, while Hunter recorded 3.5 of the Texans’ five sacks.
A second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Little was selected to be the Jaguars’ long-term solution at left tackle. Instead, he has become Jacksonville’s swing tackle. Given the challenge posed by Anderson and Hunter, he has the opportunity to make his mark as a premier option at left tackle.
Cornerback Jarrian Jones bounced back nicely against Philadelphia last week. After allowing 14 completions on 20 targets for a 109.0 passer rating against the Bengals in Week Four, he allowed just three completions on nine targets for 27 yards and a 42.4 passer rating when targeted. Through two games, he has allowed 17 completions on 29 targets for 136 yards.
Now, Jones faces a division rival in the Houston Texans, who hope to carry the momentum from their first win of the season into London. Last week, Houston totaled 329 yards and scored 26 points. Quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 261 yards and a touchdown while posting a 107.6 passer rating.
With Travis Hunter on the other side, teams have targeted Jones 40 times this season, completing 27 passes against him. He has allowed a 76.4 passer rating when targeted and recorded one reception and two pass breakups.
This week will present another challenge. The Texans acquired Stroud’s former college wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. via trade from the Arizona Cardinals, giving them another weapon alongside Nico Collins.
Head coach Liam Coen has certainly earned the respect of the Jaguars’ locker room in just his second year at the helm. Coen is 17-5 during his time in Jacksonville, but a Week Ten collapse became a defining moment in his tenure.
Jacksonville entered NRG Stadium with a 5-3 record to face the 3-5 Houston Texans, who were without starting quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Jaguars held a 29-10 lead in the fourth quarter and appeared to have the game in hand. However, backup quarterback Davis Mills led Houston to 26 unanswered points to defeat Jacksonville 36-29.
The 19-point collapse to this day remains the largest blown lead in Jaguars history. From that moment, Jacksonville bought into what Coen was preaching, winning its final eight regular-season games to capture the AFC South crown. Jacksonville has since won 12 of its last 13 regular-season games.
“We have a tough feeling in our stomach from the last time we played against the [Houston Texans]. Every time you line up against this team it’s going to be a fight, and that’s what’s great about rivalries,” Coen said Wednesday.
The stakes don’t get much higher for Jacksonville against an AFC South rival who handed you the worst loss in franchise history. My focus will be on head coach Liam Coen, who is in his second season and has the opportunity to change the perception of the Jaguars and establish them as the team to beat in the AFC South.
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