The Houston Texans have been struggling so far in the 2025 season, a major surprise considering they were assumed to easily win the AFC South again this year. Instead, the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts appear to be the only playoff contenders in the division. But as the Jaguars prepare for their first divisional match-up of the season in Week 3, seeing the Texans struggle can only be a good thing.
Still, it's never a good idea to underestimate an opponent. C.J. Stroud has not recovered from his sophomore slump, and the offense has been underwhelming at best - yet the Houston defense is nothing to sneeze at. That's not to say there are no weaknesses there, however, and those weaknesses were exposed in the Texans game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
But the biggest challenge the Jaguars - specifically, the offense - will face comes from the pass rush. The Texans have a formidable pass rush duo in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, and Jacksonville will need to be prepared to keep them contained.
How Liam Coen will handle the Texans' pass rush
In his recent media remarks, Coen noted that both Anderson and Hunter will pose a major threat to Jacksonville's offense - and indicated that they're already preparing to neutralize them.
"Obviously being in that division, in LA with San Fran, right? Very, very similar structure, the way that they come off the rock, the way that they want to disrupt," he began. "We have got to have another sound plan when it comes to protecting the quarterback, but also in the run game, manufacturing different ways to manipulate those guys. Like I said, it takes all 11, but specifically, the way that they want to roll off and come off the rock and play talented. Got a lot of respect for the way that those guys play the game, and can be very disruptive."
Luckily, the Jaguars have one of the best offensive lines in the league. While quarterback Trevor Lawrence struggled a bit in Week 2, running backs Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten both performed well. All of this will certainly help the offense be successful, even with Anderson and Hunter on the prowl.
And the Jaguars defense has shockingly bounced back well after Ryan Nielsen's catastrophic 2024 season, which again, works in the Jaguars favor, particularly as the Texans offense is currently in complete disarray. Coen will need to have his team prepared for the highs and lows that are currently happening in Houston right now, and ensure they understand what the real threats are. If they can do that, Jacksonville has a good chance of improving their record to 2-1.