Jaguars vs. Texans: Black and Teal picks the winner

The Jacksonville Jaguars hope to get back to their winning ways on Sunday when they host the Houston Texans from TIAA Bank Field.

You cannot help but look at the trade the Jacksonville Jaguars made that brought Cleveland Browns running back Carlos Hyde without thinking about Leonard Fournette.

Per Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com, things have become a reason for concern given Fournette is once again out with a hamstring injury and there is no date set for his return.

"“Fournette did not practice this week, but he did some running and worked off to the side during practice, he wrote. “Fournette hurt his hamstring late in the first half of the season opener. He missed the next two games. He returned in Week 4 but aggravated the injury late in the first half of that game and hasn’t practiced since. He has 71 yards rushing and four catches for 19 yards.”"

What does this mean for the second-year running back? Does this mean the former first-round draft pick will be out longer than anticipated? Does this mean he is not the future of this franchise? Has his injury problems become an issue for this organization?

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There aren’t definitive answers to all these questions, but adding another dependable back to this offense should help the passing game and take some of the pressure off Blake Bortles and his receivers.

On defense, coordinator Todd Wash must figure out how to correct his unit is making. The 40-7 loss last week to Dallas combined with the 30-14 loss to Kansas City signal that maybe the defense isn’t as sound as it was last season. This week gives the Jaguars a chance to make things better and stop the hemorrhaging.

The best thing for this team and the fan base is a win. That isn’t as easy as it sounds since the Houston Texans are a team with a mobile quarterback in Deshaun Watson and stinging defense led by J.J. Watt.

We here at Black and Teal weigh in on who we believe will win on Sunday at The Bank.

Lorenzino Estrada – The Jacksonville Jaguars are playing at home for the first time since their week four win against the New York Jets. Jacksonville is a tough team to play at home, which should immediately benefit them.

While the Jaguars swept the Texans last season, this team is healthier than last season and will look to increase their win streak to four. The Texans have won their past three games off the mistakes of other coaches and luck. While the Jaguars may be going through a small slump, they will not roll over.

Blake Bortles finds some consistency with a rejuvenated run game with Carlos Hyde. Jalen Ramsey tacks on his first interception as the defense finds itself again. Jaguars win, 17-10.

Kathy Clark – This is a must win for the Jaguars. The coaching staff is obviously well aware of this as shown by the amazing number of roster moves in the past two weeks.

The Texans have a strong defense and a weak offense much like the Jaguars. The pass rush against Bortles will be brutal. The Jags have added some depth at running back and will hopefully return to their run-first plan.

My head says we will most likely lose but I just can’t pick against my team. Jaguars win 17-10.

Andrew Scott – This one is tough. I’m tired of thinking the 2017 Jaguars will show up. It’s not the same team.

After a disastrous two weeks, I honestly think the Jaguars bounce back but I’m scared. I won’t blindly pick the Jags to win again. This team needs to get back on track and I never thought who was running the ball was the problem. Jags win a nail-biter 17-14.

David Levin – The fan in me thinks the Jaguars should win. The writer in me is on the fence about this one.

The Jaguars once again face a mobile quarterback in Watson. Last week, Dak Prescott ran for the most yards of his career against this defense, which is obscene. I hope the run defense tightens up a bit.

The offensive line is key to this game with the Texans defense finding a rhythm of late. Unfortunately, I think this team has real problems but squeaks by. Jacksonville, 16-13.

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