Jaguars vs Texans: 0-4-1

JT: It’s a simple question of pride

Does this Jaguars team have pride? If you want to be the best you have to beat the best, every week. Well, that saying also includes beating the Texans. The Houston Texans are far from the best. They are, in fact, the league's worst team this year. With a record of 0-3-1, Houston remains the lone NFL organization without a single win this season. A win that will not come this week @ Jacksonville. The Jaguars are an organization, finally, on the rise. They have a generational quarterback, a top ten running back and another running back who can spell him without much of a dropoff. They have a handful of really good slot receivers who seem to be able to get open whenever they want. Whether that is due to route running, speed, play calling, or a combination, the point is Lawrence always has an open target. The Jaguars have the best offensive line in the AFC South division and arguably one of the best in the AFC. Though not deep, they are uninjured and up to the task, minus Jawaan Taylor’s hiccup against the Philadelphia Eagles. And that is just the Jaguars offense, which is hands down the worst side of the football for Jacksonville. If their offense is this good and their defense is better then how in the world can Houston win this game. The answer is they can’t. The only way the Texans leave Jacksonville will a dubya and extend their winning streak over the Jags is if the Jaguars beat themselves like they did in Philly and Washington earlier this year. There exist no tropical depressions this coming Sunday and Head Coach Doug Pederson couldn’t possibly run the ball less than last week, so it seems things are looking up for the Jaguars.

Because Jacksonville is losing games to the best teams (Philadelphia) by beating themselves, they are not getting the credit they deserve for completely dominating Super Bowl contenders like the LA Chargers. That game has been looked upon as a fluke. RG3 called the Jaguars pretenders prior to the Eagles game. No doubt the outcome of that contest solidified his stance. If the Jaguars want to be taken seriously then they have to play to their potential. They have shown this potential already, so we know how good they can be. This upcoming game against an inferior Houston Texans team must be nothing short of complete domination on the part of JAX in order to get their collective mind right. Jacksonville needs to assert themselves to the fullest on Sunday to get back on track. Respect in this league is earned. Jacksonville blew it against Philly and Houston must pay the price. Great teams beat the best and destroy the worst. The worst is coming to town to play at The Bank. This game will say everything about the pride of the 2022 Jaguars team. All gas, all game, all good. Whistle to whistle Houston must wish they never showed. JaguarsTalk is expecting a full team effort. Domination on both sides of the ball. Zero turnovers by the Jags offense and several takeaways by the Jags defense. Sacks should be in the double digits, while the Texans rushing attack should be held below 100 yards. I am not suggesting a shutout, as those are nearly impossible to get in the NFL, but if the Texans come within 21 points of the Jags when that final whistle blows then Jacksonville did not play to their potential. This game should be so one sided in Jacksonville’s favor that Logan Cooke shouldn’t even have to dress. Jacksonville has no excuse for needing to punt the ball this coming Sunday, not even one time.

The only part of this matchup that puts a slight bit of fear into the pit of my stomach is the injury to Fatukasi. He is a plug that significantly hinders the opposition's running game. When he was taken out against Philly, the Eagles ran wild. A running game is the only thing the Houston Texans have on offense this year. Dameon Pierce, rookie sensation out of the university of Florida, has 313 yards on 60 attempts with 2 touchdowns this season. He averages 5.2 yards per carry, but don’t let his average stats lull you to sleep. If Pierce were running behind, say, the Eagles O-line, he would lead the league in every existing statistical category. He is very very good, he just has little to no blocking offensively. An injury to Jacksonville’s Fatukasi helps to level the playing field in this situation. If, in fact, the big boy is unable to go on Sunday due to his quad injury, Adam Gotsis will need to play with a chip on his Australian shoulder. People are questioning him by suggesting a need to trade for a D-lineman. This Sunday, Gotsis has gots to show us that he can replace Fatukasi without the Jags defense missing a beat. Especially against such an inferior offense. As we said earlier, this will need to be total team domination. Gotsis should be helped by Oluokun, the tackle machine, as well as Josh Allen and Travon, we haven’t heard your name in awhile, Walker. Those two edge rushers need to record several sacks each this weekend. I guess, what we hear at JaguarsTalk are trying to say is Jacksonville needs to make this game look as if they are playing a high school JV team with severe asthma. The Jaguars are favored, an unusual position to be in for Jacksonville, but good teams are expected to win these games while great teams are expected to dominate. If the Jaguars want in the playoff conversation, let alone contender talks, then they need to show they can blow out the bottom of the barrel and win the games they are supposed to win without question or concern. Make no mistake, Houston is an easy team. JaguarsTalk knows exactly the type of player, mentality and ability that exists on the 2022 Jacksonville Jaguars. Sunday they will display their pride.

This game is over before it even starts. As we’ve said, if Jacksonville beat the Eagles then the Houston game may have had a different outcome, but because the Jags beat themselves so badly in Philly, their pride will not allow them to leave The Bank on Sunday with anything less than a three touchdown victory. Your Jaguars take this game 45 - 17 and some of that 17 will come in trash time when the Jags bench is playing clean up duty. We have never felt more confident about a football game than we do about this upcoming contest. How do you feel about it? Let us know in the comment section below.