Jaguars schedule: 3 takeaways from Week 1 matchup vs Texans

The NFL will release its 2021 schedule Wednesday night, but the media has confirmed some of the dates and matchups, including the Week 1 slate, when the Jacksonville Jaguars will travel to NRG Stadium to take on the Houston Texans.

CBS posted on social media their Week 1 lineup and the Jags will face the Texans at 1:00 pm ET. While it will be a few months before the game, here are three thoughts about the Jags’ season opener.

Three thoughts on the Jacksonville Jaguars Week 1 matchup vs the Texans.

1) The Jaguars will face a very different Texans team

The Texans fired Bill O’Brien in the middle of the 2020 season and hired former Baltimore Ravens assistant Davey Culley to take his place. That’s not the only change Houston underwent this offseason though, as they also parted ways with defensive end J.J. Watt, who was a staple of their defense in the 2010s.

Moreover, quarterback Deshaun Watson may not be available for the season opener. He’s currently facing several lawsuits alleging inappropriate behavior, and Adam Schefter of ESPN reported there are people in the league that believe the 2017 fourth-overall pick may not play in 2021. If that’s the case, the Jaguars will play against a Texans team that won’t resemble their 2020 version much.

2) The Jaguars haven’t beaten the Texans in a while

The Jaguars haven’t been a very good team in recent years. Last season, they were only able to beat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1 and went on to lose the next 15 games. The Texans weren’t good either but still managed to sweep Jacksonville in 2020. In fact, they have swept them for three consecutive seasons.

The last time the Jags defeated the Texans was in 2017, their only winning season in more than ten years. If they want to get national attention and win a division title for the first time since 2000, they need to start beating their fellow AFC South teams more often.

3) This is a story of two different teams

The Jaguars lacked direction and didn’t seem to have a long-term plan in place for years. However, that changed this season when they cleaned house and brought in Urban Meyer as the head coach this offseason. Jacksonville also moved on from long-time general manager David Caldwell and promoted Trent Baalke to take his place.

Furthermore, they gave the roster a makeover and took Trevor Lawrence first overall in this year’s selection meeting. This has arguable been the best the Jaguars have looked in years and are ready to make some nice in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Texans are headed in the opposite direction, as Watson’s future with the team looked murky even before his legal situation. Also, there’s executive vice president of football operations Jack Easterby, who may not be the best person to oversee Houston.