The Jacksonville Jaguars had a chance to make a statement when they faced the Houston Texans in Week 3, and they kind of did. Although they got back to the winning column, they also show that they have a long way to go before they can make a legitimate playoff push.
Nobody will deny that there were many positive signs, but it's hard to see the Jags beat the top teams in the AFC if they don't get back to the drawing board. For the time being, though, here are four observations from their divisional win over Houston.
The Jaguars are still being dealing with P-E-N-A-L-T-I-E-S
For a brief moment, it looked like the Jaguars had cleaned up the penalty issues that had held them back the previous two games. Their first offensive drive was relatively sharp, but it didn't take long for the flags to start flying.
By the end of the game, Jacksonville had been credited with an alarming nine penalties for 70 yards. Of course, a few of them stung more than others. For instance, the offense was marching down the field early in the second quarter, but tight end Brenton Strange committed a false start that effectively ended the drive instead of at least coming out with a field goal.
Ultimately, the Jags won't be able to beat top-tier teams unless they get their penalties under control.
Travis Hunter is still quiet on offense but flashed at corner vs. the Texans
Travis Hunter's slow start to the regular season has gotten a lot of attention, and understandably so. Although players' readiness is always variable, the former Colorado Buffalo was the top prospect at both corner and receiver in 2025. Yet, he's barely made an impact.
On the other hand, Hunter has made strides, especially on defense. He played mostly well against the Cincinnati Bengals and was unjustly flagged for a phantom pass interference call. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner built off of his strong Week 2 performance and once again had a solid outing against the Houston Texans, logging 36 snaps at corner.
Early in the game, the Texans were in the Jaguars' red zone. C.J. Stroud targeted wide receiver Nico Collins, but Hunter had stick coverage on him. On the other hand, he was quiet at receiver, logging just one catch for one reception.
The Jaguars passing game remains an issue, what happened to Trevor Lawrence?
Trevor Lawrence is healthy, and he's had plenty of time to get acclimated to Liam Coen's scheme, so why is he off to an inconsistent start to 2025? Sure, there are some flashes here and there, but he's yet to play like the quarterback that took the league by storm in 2021.
Against the Texans, Lawrence went 20-of-40 for 222 with one interception. Those are pedestrian numbers when you take into account that the weather wasn't a factor and the coaching staff leaned on him to beat the Texans. Sure, he did have that long completion to Brian Thomas Jr. in the game-winning drive but otherwise left much to be desired.
In his defense, Lawrence didn't get much help from his receivers. Parker Washington had two drops in the second half alone while Brian Thomas Jr. once again a non-factor.
Regardless of who's at fault, the coaching staff had better get back to the drawing board and fix whathever issues holding the offense back.
Devin Lloyd and the defense gave the Jaguars a chance to win
Before the game, the Jaguars ranked first in the NFL with six takeaways. In Week 3, they increased their lead.
For most of the game, the Texans had only scored a measly three points. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that cornerback Tyson Campbell got beat and the Jaguars allowed a touchdown pass to make it 10-10. But then, linebacker Devin Lloyd came through and picked off C.J. Stroud, ending whatever momentum Houston might have had.
Before that, Jourdan Lewis had also gotten an interception off Stroud, so Jacksonville now leads the league with eight turnovers. Similarly, they tied a team record with an NFL-best six interceptions in three games to start the year.
Heck, the offense managed to score the game-winning touchdown precisely because Lloyd gave them the ball. Then, Antonio Johnson fended off the Texans' comeback attempt. So yes, Travis Etienne and Brian Thomas Jr. deserve their flowers for their play in the final drive, but it was the defense that gave Jacksonville a fighting chance throughout the game.