JACKSONVILLE – Each week during the 2026 season, Jaguars "experts" – Frank Frangie, Brent Martineau, John Oehser, Brian Sexton, Mark Duffner, Austen Lane, John Shipley and Kainani Stevens – will analyze the following day's Jaguars matchup.

Up this week:

The Houston Texans at Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom.

Frank Frangie, Radio Voice of the Jaguars

• The Jaguars will win if: They protect and find holes against a very good Texans defensive front. Houston won't score much against Jacksonville and will try to keep the score down to shorten the game. The Jaguars must hit a few explosive plays early and make it more of an offensive game.
• The Texans will win if: They harass Lawrence and find offense that has been lacking. They won't run much against the Jaguars, so Stroud must be effective. Houston needs a low-scoring game to have a chance.
• As Frangie sees it: The Jaguars will be better in the red zone than last week. They had been very good there until then. I can't see the Texans doing much against the Jaguars' defense. I think the Jaguars get to 5-1.

Brent Martineau, Action Sports Jax Sports Director

• The Jaguars will win if: They win the turnover battle. This matchup is really hard to call, so I'm going back to the basics in deciding an NFL game: Turnovers. The Jaguars (three) and Texans (two) have only committed five turnovers combined this season through five weeks. If the Jaguars can get the ball from Stroud, that will be the difference.
• The Texans will win if: They stop the Jaguars' run game. The Texans have been weak against the run in recent years, but not this season. They are the NFL's third-best team stopping the run, and we know the Jaguars want balance to open the passing game up. The Jags must run and keep the Houston pass rush honest.
• As Martineau sees it: The Jaguars have a chance to bury the Texans a third of the way through the season. I don't think anyone feels like the Jags have played their best football over the last couple of weeks and they still managed to come away with victories. I think the Jags will play a lot cleaner and showcase they are the better team with a 27-19 victory.

John Oehser, jaguars.com senior writer

• The Jaguars will win if: They protect Trevor Lawrence and take advantage of opportunities. The Texans' pass rush may be the league's best and can devastate opposing offenses enough to take control of the game. The Jaguars scored no points on two possessions that reached the Eagles' 1-yard line last Sunday. That's a hard way to win consistently.
• The Texans will win if: They force the Jaguars' offense into chaos and run enough to allow Stroud to play mistake-free. If Lawrence has time to throw, he has been one of the NFL's best at his position this season. Stroud has yet to throw an interception this season, and he must maintain that trend against a Jaguars defense that's among the NFL's best at forcing turnovers.
• As Oehser sees it: This figures to be a violent, nasty, physical game. Both teams thrive playing that way, and both teams believe they are the tougher team. The Jaguars still remember losing a 19-point lead to the Texans in a loss in Houston last November. The guess here is they will be the grittier, guttier team and win a close game.

Brian Sexton, jaguars.com senior correspondent

• The Jaguars will win if: They can run. Their success rate on the ground is down after last week's victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, when ill-timed penalties crippled a strong effort against a very good defensive front. Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. is the NFL's best defensive player through five weeks. If he doesn't have to defend the run, it's a lot to ask the passing game to hold up. If the offense can create second-and-manageable and third-and-short situations, then the whole playbook is open for Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Co.
• The Texans will win if: They protect C.J. Stroud. The Texans quarterback has flourished since the return of wide receiver Nico Collins – and last week against Tennessee, he played his most complete game of the season. The Jaguars know if they can rattle Stroud, he will throw them the ball but if they don't and he has time, he's going to find Collins, who has a habit of making game-changing plays against them. If the Jaguars can't make Stroud uncomfortable, they're going to be uncomfortable when this game ends.
• As Sexton sees it: This game is an even matchup. Forget the records. This one will go to the team that handles the inevitable moments of adversity and the one that doesn't flinch when the moment is biggest. The Jaguars proved they were that team last week against Philadelphia. I'm going with the Jaguars to get to 5-1 and send the Texans home 1-5.

Mark Duffner, longtime NFL assistant coach and Jaguars analyst

• The Jaguars will win if: They play a clean game and get rid of the penalty bug that has bitten them the past two weeks. They must win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and win on first down. This is important in every game, but especially against the Texans. Offensively, the Jaguars must run against a stout Texans run defense to open up the pass game.
• The Texans will win if: They are the more physical and poised team. The Texans are second in the NFL in sacks, with excellent edge rushers and a talented secondary. If they win the turnover battle, they probably will win.
• As Duffner sees it: This will be a dogfight. Houston played its best game in a victory over the Tennessee Titans last week and the Texans are a talented team that has lost three games by 11 total points. They know where they stand and what this game means. The Jaguars will get the Texans' best shot.

Austen Lane, former NFL defensive end and Jaguars analyst

• The Jaguars will win if: They keep Anderson and Hunter at bay. Utilizing tight ends and chip blocks to slow the pair will be crucial. That added protection will be particularly important for Walker Little, making his first start of the season at left tackle, and Cole Van Lanen – who is still looking to return to pre-injury form. The Jaguars also must clean up penalties. They can't afford to consistently put themselves behind the chains against this defensive front.
• The Texans will win if: They create explosive plays on both sides of the ball. Jacksonville wants to dictate tempo with a solid running game and stout run defense. Houston's best chance is to get home against Lawrence and disrupt the rhythm of Coen's offense. The Texans must attack a vulnerable Jaguars secondary that is tied for sixth in the NFL in explosive passing plays surrendered.
• As Lane sees it: Sorry, Tennessee. THIS is the rivalry game, and rivalry games aren't always pretty. Sometimes they're knock-down, drag-out, physical battles where finesse takes a back seat to toughness. Jacksonville has the personnel to make this game ugly. I'm siding with Coen's offensive prowess in this one with quick passes, play-action and – most importantly – a commitment to running that will help neutralize Houston's pass rush and keep Lawrence upright. Jaguars 24, Texans 20.

John Shipley, Jaguars correspondent

• The Jaguars will win if: They force Stroud into mistakes. The Jaguars have forced a turnover in four of five games this season, and they have done a good job disrupting passers by forcing them into second- and third-and-long situations – and into poor decisions. Stroud has made few mistakes this year, though, going five games without throwing an interception. If the Jaguars force Stroud to finally slip, it will give them their chance to get the Texans off course and put the Jaguars into favorable situations to score with short fields on offense.
• The Texans will win if: They force Lawrence into being the quarterback who makes mistakes. Lawrence has played mostly clean this season, but great defensive lines have been able to force him into a few turnovers and near-turnovers such as two first-half fumbles against the Eagles that the Jaguars recovered. With an elite Texans pass rush facing against a Jaguars offensive line without left tackle Anton Harrison, it will take a strong game from the offense.
• As Shipley sees it: The Jaguars could earn maybe their biggest victory of the season to date with a victory over their AFC South rivals. The Texans are not done yet, even though they are 1-4, and the Jaguars must keep them from climbing back in the AFC South. I think last week's mistake-filled game was a wake-up call and Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen will have his team ready. Jaguars, 23-17.

Kainani Stevens, Jaguars team reporter/producer

• The Jaguars will win if: They don't turn the ball over, and the offensive line protects Lawrence. Through the first five weeks, the Jaguars have not lost a fumble, and Lawrence has only thrown three interceptions. They must be careful with the ball and take advantage of scoring opportunities. Little must be stout in pass protection against a talented Texans defensive front.
• The Texans will win if: They generate explosive plays and control tempo. Jacksonville has been susceptible to big plays and Collins has often had big games against the Jaguars. If Houston can keep its offense on the field and win time of possession, they will have a good chance.
• As Stevens sees it: I don't feel great about this game because division foes are always tough matchups that can go either way. I think the Jags eke out another victory in London. Jags, 20-17.