The Jacksonville Jaguars should be highly motivated to beat the Houston Texans in Week 12. For starters, this will be a rematch of their Week 3 loss. Also, falling to their divisional foes would drop them to second place in the No. 2 in the AFC South, and play catch-up the rest of the season. Head Doug Pederson, for one, knows this is going to be a big game.
"It's not the end of the year, but it's big because it's the next game, right?" Pederson told the local media Friday. "It's big because it's the AFC South. It's big because both teams are playing well. It's been a while since both teams have been in this situation together, so I think all of that plays into how big this type of football game is, but you still have to approach it, quite honestly, no different than last week or the week before and he's still gotta go play and try to calm your mind and execute your game plan."
Pederson is right. It's been a while since both the Jaguars and Houston were playing meaningful football at this point of the season. It's true that Jacksonville was in the middle of a playoff push last year but the Texans managed to win just three games. This time though, both teams could qualify for the postseason, and whoever wins in Week 12 will seize the top spot in the division. With that in mind, here are three keys to beating Houston:
3. The Jaguars must avoid penalties, drops vs. the Texans in Week 12
The Jaguars had four drops and were flagged six times for 49 yards against the Texans in Week 3. On top of that, kicker Brandon McManus failed two field goal attempts and had a kickoff returned for a touchdown. Simply, Jacksonville couldn't get out of their own way that day.
Working in the Jags' favor this time around is that McManus hasn't missed a field goal since then. Their skill-position players have cut down on the number of drops, and Jacksonville has been one of the least penalized teams in the league in recent weeks.
Moreover, wide receiver Zay Jones didn't play against the Texans in Week 3 but he's set to suit up in the rematch. Having him in the mix will prevent the Houston defense from drawing coverage away from Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk.
Against the Tennessee Titans, the Jaguars didn't turn the ball over once. If they can keep the trend going in Week 12, they should have a favorable chance to beat the Texans on the road.
2. The Jaguars must give Trevor Lawrence enough time to throw vs. the Texans
The Jaguars' offense was operating at full steam against the Titans. One big reason was their offensive line play, which has improved considerably in recent weeks. Trevor Lawrence was pressured just seven times, and he wasn't sacked once. Walker Little, who's currently lining up at guard, and sophomore center Luke Fortner stood out the most.
Little moved to guard to provide stability after Cam Robinson returned from his suspension to start the season. It took him a while to get a good grasp of the nuances but he's settling in. Fortner, for his part, hasn't made huge strides in Year 2 but he's coming off arguably one of his best performances of the season. Both linemen will need to build off of last week's game. Lawrence made sure to point out Wednesday that the offensive line has played much better lately.
"I don't know, they don't get much love," Lawrence told the local media. "It seems like that's a tough room to be in for recognition. They understand that and they handle it like champs. They're always joking about it but those guys are doing a great job and stuff like that doesn't happen. The offense doesn't go like that when the guys up front aren't leading the charge, and that's what they did and they took a lot of it on themselves last week."
"They're gonna do great in the run game, they're gonna protect all these things, give us time to shoot the ball downfield and we're able to do that, so it doesn't go without them and I think sometimes, I should mention it more because people don't understand that. I understand that, and we talk about it a lot in our group. We love those guys up because it is a tough job, the most selfless job on the field," Lawrence said.
The Texans defensive front if stacked with talent. Besides rookie Will Anderson Jr., the Jags will have to account for defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, Johnatan Greenard, and veteran Jerry Hughes. It's fair to say that the Jacksonville O-Line will have their hands full Sunday, and doing a good job will go a long way toward coming out on top.
1. The Jaguars must contain C.J. Stroud, force him into making mistakes in Week 12
C.J. Stroud is having one of the best seasons ever by a first-year quarterback in NFL History. Back in Week 3, he completed 66 percent of his passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Already playing like a vested veteran, Stroud is averaging 8.3 yards per attempt, showing the Texans are already trusting him to take deep shots.
Up until Week 11, Stroud had thrown just two interceptions. He had three against the Arizona Cardinals. The young passer acknowledged after the game that he has to play smarter but said that he's going to keep taking chances. Head coach DeMeco Ryans didn't seem overly concerned either, pointing out that "it's all about how you respond to those plays."
Of course, Stroud, like any other rookie, is bound to make mistakes. But he's also learned a lot since the last time Houston faced the Jaguars. Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell knows Stroud will be a much better quarterback in Week 12.
"He was good back then, and he's even better now," Caldwell told the local media Wednesday. "It's pretty amazing to see him come in and do the things that he'd been able to do. Take care of the ball, throw the ball wherever he needs to place a bunch of plays with his legs and he's a guy that he's really putting on a great performance week after week."
Failing to contain C.J. Stroud was one of the reasons the Jaguars fell to Houston in Week 3. They'll have another shot at stopping him Sunday. If they seize it, they should come out of NRG Stadium with their eight win of the season.