The Jacksonville Jaguars will look to make it five wins in six games when they meet the Houston Texans in Week 17.
The Jaguars have continued to turn around their campaign in the second half of the season. They boast a 5-2 record in their last seven contests, and they are just coming off a double-digit road win over the New York Jets. For a team that looked as if it was going to throw in the towel on its season earlier this year, Jacksonville is now sitting atop the AFC South standings.
The Jaguars do not need to beat Houston to remain in the AFC South race, although they sure would like to secure a victory to keep their hopes alive of clinching a winning season for the first time since 2017. For the Jaguars to move to an 8-8 record on the year, they must achieve each of these three feats in Week 17.
Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*
3. Trevor Lawrence records four touchdown passes
Trevor Lawrence has not had his best career performances against the Texans. He has posted a lowly 65.4 passer rating and thrown five interceptions in three games played against Jacksonville’s divisional rival.
Lawrence last squared off with Houston in Week 5, where he threw one interception and failed to lead the offense to a single touchdown drive. For the second-year passer, he believes that he has grown since the Jaguars' 13-6 home loss to Houston.
“You look at the way we played the first game, especially watching the tape this week going back through it, it’s like some of that stuff is hard to watch,” Lawrence said during a press conference on Wednesday. “Offensively and personally didn’t play near my best, and we just left a lot out there. It’s good to watch it obviously, you learn a lot, and you see the growth and where we’re at now, individually where I’m at now and as an offense, the level we’re playing, it’s where you want to be.
“You don’t want to go back and change any of it because I think that’s helped get us to here, but obviously for me, definitely want to play better and give us a chance to win, obviously. That’s the goal every week from here on out.”
Lawrence will receive an opportunity for redemption in Week 17, and he will face one of the more formidable pass defenses in all of the NFL. The Texans rank at sixth in the AFC in passing yards allowed per game with a 212.5 average, and they have allowed a mere 13 passing touchdowns, which is tied with the Jets for the fewest in all of the NFL this year.
The Texans will be without Derek Stingley Jr. against Jacksonville in Week 17, as the rookie cornerback was placed on injured reserve earlier in the month due to a hamstring injury. And taking into account Lawrence’s recent keen form, he should go on to tally four touchdown passes on Sunday with relative ease.
2. Jaguars come away with three takeaways
One of the main reasons behind the Jaguars’ run to the top spot in the AFC South has been their ability to come away with game-changing takeaways. They have logged 24 takeaways in the ongoing campaign, which is 15 more than they had all of last year.
Houston did not turn the ball over once in its road matchup against Jacksonville in October, but when the two teams face off in Week 17, the latter side should get the last laugh with a trio of takeaways.
1. Jaguars notch a double-digit victory over Houston
The Jaguars can afford to drop their upcoming clash with Houston, but they should still take care of business with their fifth double-digit victory of the campaign. Jacksonville will then turn its attention to Week 18, where it must go on to defeat the Tennessee Titans to clinch the AFC South.
In the big picture, Lawrence well understands the importance of finishing regular season play on a strong note.
“You have to finish strong,” Lawrence said. “That's the message. We get to finish with two division games, so it's a great opportunity for us.
“It's another opportunity to show who we are, to put our best foot forward, to play another complete game, to keep this momentum that we have. If you go out there and lay an egg, no one's feeling good about that, especially heading into the last week.”
The Jaguars are also looking to string together a four-game winning streak for the first time since the 2017 season.
Follow Us
Subscribe