JACKSONVILLE – It's November, so this feels right.
The Jaguars on Sunday will play an AFC South rival in what by any measure is an important game. Playoff maneuvering will be one theme. Late-season momentum will be another. Still another is health.
That's what big-game November football is about, and Sunday’s game between the Jaguars and Houston Texans absolutely has that feel – with the Jaguars dealing with multiple injuries around the roster and Texans dealing with one at the most important position.
Texans starting quarterback C.J. Stroud has been ruled out with a concussion sustained in a loss to the Denver Broncos last Sunday. Davis Mills will start at quarterback for the Texans.
The Jaguars enter Sunday with what Head Coach Liam Coen on Monday called a "laundry list" of an injury report, with players such as wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., guard Ezra Cleveland and cornerback Jourdan Lewis not practicing this week because of injuries.
They're limping and contending at the same time.
This is the tough stuff, and the fun stuff.
The Jaguars (5-3) enter Sunday a game and a half behind the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts (7-2), with the two-time defending division champion Texans 3-5. The Jaguars beat the Texans, 17-10, in Jacksonville in Week 3 and haven't swept the Texans since their 2017 AFC South championship season.
A Jaguars victory Sunday wouldn't eliminate the Texans, but it would be a huge step toward the Jaguars contending the rest of the season.
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Here are 10 things the Jaguars must do to win Sunday:
- Run. Keep circling this and running it back, because it remains key for this Jaguars team. The Jaguars are very good when they run effectively and very beatable when they don't.
- Stay patient. This is about No. 1 because the key for the Jaguars running game this season has been patience and perseverance. This was on display in a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday, when the Jaguars ran better in the second half than the first half, then controlled the game with eight consecutive runs on their game-winning drive in overtime. The Jaguars must wear teams down.
- Get physical. When the Jaguars have been the most physical team this season, they usually have won. When they have not, they usually have not.
- Avoid the "Oh nos." Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence in most games this season has had one head-scratching play – often resulting in a momentum-killing turnover. He has been clutch and gutsy at other times, but the "oh no" can be a lot to overcome.
- Take.The.Ball.Away. The Jaguars, after 13 takeaways in their first four games, have two in the last four. Maintaining the early pace wasn't realistic. But maintaining the current pace will make it tough for a defense that is more scrappy and courageous than it is dominant.
- Step up. The Jaguars played through injuries against the Raiders and won because deep-roster reserves such as wide receivers Austin Trammell and Tim Jones made big plays at big moments. Sunday's game could be another for the Great Unknowns.
- Scrap, fight and be the last team standing. The Jaguars right now are injured enough they don't feel like a team that's going to win a lot of one-sided games. The victory over the Raiders – a back-and-forth game through the fourth quarter and overtime – could be this team's template. The good news for the Jaguars on that front? They have been very good winning that way, with a 4-2 record in one-score games.
- Pressure Mills. The Jaguars' secondary is beat up and may allow a big play or two. The way to counter that – and the way to beat a backup quarterback – is to pressure him, and take advantage of mistakes when he makes them.
- Slow Nico. Texans wide receiver Nico Collins is good against most teams. He has been really good against the Jaguars. Mills likely will try to feed him.
- a. Hit the big ones. Yes, the Jaguars must run Sunday. But they also need to hit a big play or two. The Texans almost certainly will try to stop the run and pressure Lawrence, believing they can force him to make mistakes with that strategy. It will be up to Lawrence Sunday to force the Texans out of this approach.
- 10b. Get them blocked. Texans edge rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter form one of the NFL's best pass-rushing duos. They probably can't be stopped completely, but the Jaguars can't let them dominate the game.
