1. Sen'Derrick goes back to back
On the Texans' second drive of the game quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick hit DeAndre Hopkins for an 11-yard gain of first down and it appeared from that play that the Houston offense was going to cause problems for the Jaguars early. But on the next 2 snaps Sen'Derrick Marks shared a sack with Chris Smith then was there to cover Fitzpatrick when he slipped, for a second sack. Those 2 plays killed the Texans drive and forced a punt that put the Jaguars offense at midfield. Blake Bortles and the offense responded with a 7-play touchdown drive that took advantage of the field position and rewarded the defense for its' effort.
2. Foster gets them for 51
On the very next snap after the Jaguars touchdown Texans All Pro running back Arian Foster burst through the line almost untouched and raced 51 yards to the Jaguars 29 yard line. It was the first sign that Foster would once again be the determining factor for the Texans on Sunday and it wasn't the last. The Jaguars defense rose up and allowed the Texans just 3 more yards on the drive which ended with a Houston field goal, but stopping Foster became imperative on that one play.
3. 16 plays 84 yards 8:29 drie
Jacksonville led 13-10 and opened the 3rd quarter with the ball…but managed just 5 yards before punting. Things seemed in hand for a defense that held the Texans to just 124 yards in the 1st half and they had them pinned at their own 16. But Fitzpatrick and Foster were ready to play better in the 2nd half. Foster touched the ball on 8 of the next 16 plays of a drive that would end with the Texans reclaiming the lead 17-13. Minus Andre Johnson, Houston leaned on Foster and he delivered critical runs at key moments to sustain the drive which also served to prevent the Jaguars offense from getting the chance to rebuild their rhythm.
4. DJ Swearinger intercepts Blake Bortles 3 plays later
The Jaguars were down just four points but looked as if they were wobbling after the Texans' 16-play, 84-yard drive. The week before New York used 19 plays to score a touchdown and the Jacksonville offense responded with a 3 play and punt drive that led to an exhausted defense having to go back out on the field in less than a minute of game clock. The Jaguars knew they couldn't put their defense back out there…but Bortles was intercepted by safety DJ Swearinger who stepped in front of Toby Gerhart at the Jacksonville 28-yard line and in the span of 76 seconds the defense was back on the field and on their heels.
5. 4th and 1 at the Jaguars 1 yard line
Houston took advantage of the turnover and pushed the ball to the Jaguars 1 yard line in 2 plays. On 1st down Foster gained a yard. On 2nd down Foster lost a yard. On 3rd down Fitzpatrick was stopped short of the goal line and on 4th down…the Jaguars had Foster for a loss…until he broke away from Red Bryant and reversed field into the end zone. It was a back-breaking play for the defense and a statement from Foster who proved on Sunday he was the engine that made the Texans offense go.
