The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to win the AFC South title in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1998-1999. Their biggest obstacle to pulling it off will be the Houston Texans.
Sure, the Tennessee Titans improved on both sides of the ball in the offseason, and the Indianapolis Colts are still around. However, the Jags' biggest threat remains Houston. Specifically, their pass rush could give them trouble next season.
As good as Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen are, the pass-rush duo of Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter is arguably the best in the league. The good news is that Jacksonville has a secret weapon to counter the Texans defensive ends.
Nate Boerkircher will help the Jaguars counter the Texans pass rush
One of the biggest reasons the Jaguars drafted Nate Boerkircher 56th overall in 2025 was to run more two-tight-end sets alongside Brenton Strange next season. Not only will it help them create mismatches on offense, but the Jags will also be better suited to block up front.
Tony Wiggins on Lock on Jaguars believes that having Boerkircher will come in handy against Houston, noting that he'll play a role in neutralizing Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter.
"You can't run around them. You got to run through them, and you got to keep running through them, and you got to make them wave the flag and want to come out of the game," Wiggins said when discussing how to defend the Texans defensive line (2:44 mark). "This is where Nick Boe comes in. This is where the added physicality comes in."
Hunter and Anderson combined for 27 sacks last year, and both of them cracked the top 10 of the best pass rushers in the NFL. That said, they're good but not elite run stuffers. Meanwhile, Jacksonville spent the offseason making tweaks to the offense to make it a more physical group.
Head coach Liam Coen hired associate Brian Picucci as the run game coordinator, the team's brass signed running back Chris Rodriguez, and used a pair of draft picks on Boerkircher and Tanner Koziol in Rounds 2 and 4, respectively. On paper, these don't appear to be earth-shattering moves, but they should most definitely add physicality to the offense.
Rodriguez excels at creating yards after contact, while Picucci oversaw a dynamic running game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On the other hand, Koziol and Boerkircher give Jacksonville the personnel to block up front without compromising the passing game.
When you add it all up, the Jaguars put themselves in a position to play a "ground and pound" brand of football next season.
The Jaguars must watch out for the Houston Texans
There's no doubt that the Texans are a formidable foe, but they're far from perfect. Their offense, in particular, has several flaws. Quarterback C.J. Stroud has left much to be desired after exploding onto the scene as a rookie in 2023. His future in H-Town is in doubt, as he's yet to sign a contract extension. It doesn't help that the Texans offensive line has underperformed despite the fact that they've spared no expense to improve it.
On the other hand, the Jaguars have a pretty good defensive line. If they can stuff the run like they did last year and force Stroud into making mistakes, they'll have a legitimate chance to beat Houston next season.
The bottom line is that the Texans are nothing to scoff at, but neither are the Jaguars, who are well-equipped to neutralize their division foe's biggest strength.
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