Official Texans vs. Jaguars Game Thread, 10/11/2020
 

The 1-3 Jacksonville Jaguars visit NRG this Sunday to play the 0-4 Texans in an early game. It will be the Texans first division game while the Jags have already gone 1-1 in the division ( win over Indy, loss to the Titans). The Jags have several people injured and hurting - which should give the Texans a good chance to get their first "W". Still, the Jags always give the Texans a tough time and QB Gardner Minshew II, RB James Robinson and WR DJ Chark will be the Jags offensive players to keep an eye on.

This will be the Texans first game with interim coach Romeo Crennel at the helm. It will be interesting to see how they respond. I see it as:

Texans 28, Jags 23

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), Sunday, noon CST, 10/11/2020

Announcers = Andrew Catalon, James Lofton

The line = Texans by 6 to 7

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (late) = NY Giants @ Dallas, Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX (late) = Miami @ San Francisco, Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth

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Prime time:

TNF = Tampa Bay @ Chicago (FOX/NFLN)

SNF = Minnesota @ Seattle (NBC)

MNF = LA Chargers @ New Orleans (ESPN)

A few changes to the NFL schedule this weekend:

Denver @ New England has been moved from Sunday to Monday @ 4 pm CST on ESPN. Chargers @ Saints is still the regularly scheduled MNF game - also on ESPN. This is essentially, a Monday night doubleheader.

The next day (Tuesday), the Bills visit the Titans on CBS @ 6 pm CST.

Texans get the ball at their 16 with 13:02 to go in the 1st qtr.

No score, yet.

Texans get on the board first. Fairbairn makes a 36-yarder - barely.

Texans 3, Jags 0

14:11 left in the half.

Minshew hits Cole on 3rd and 6 for a 13-yard TD pass. Jags take the lead.

Jags 7, Texans 3

6:33 left in the half.

Texans still looking dysfunctional at times.

Watson hits Fells over the middle wide open for a 44-yard TD.

Texans 10, Jags 7

4:32 left in the half.

Nice!

Haushka misses an easy 24-yard FG.

Just 34 seconds left in the half.

Ugh, Watson throws an INT on the Texans first play.

Jags ball at the Texan 36 with 26 seconds left.

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Jags will go for the 49-yard FG.

Hauschka is short, no good.

Score remains:

Texans 10, Jags 7

Halftime.

Texans take the 2nd half kickoff and drive down for a Fairbairn 33-yard FG.

Texans 13, Jags 7

11:35 left in the 3rd qtr.

Watson hits Fuller on a 19-yard TD pass.

Texans 20, Jags 7

14:16 left in the game.

Nice drive by the Texans. The passing game looks like it can move the ball at will sometimes. Yeah, it's the Jags. The running game... not so much...

Minshew hits C Johnson for a 4-yard TD on 4th down.

Texans 20, Jags 14

10:18 left in the game.

Fairbairn is good from 46-yards.

Texans 23, Jags 14

7:29 left in the game.

Cooks = 7 receptions, 133 yards, 19.0 avg.

28-yard pass to Cooks goes for the TD on 4th and 4!

Texans 30, Jags 14

4:39 left in the game.

Texans stymie the Jags and hang on for the win.

Final score:

Texans 30, Jags 14

Final stats on B Cooks = 8/161, 20.1 avg., 1 TD

Watson = 25/35, 359 yds, 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 109.1 rating

And the Texans get not 1 but 2 turnovers.

Overwhelming excitement in this thread for our Texans :cool:

But seriously, I guess it helps if your team either likes or respects the head coach.

It was good to see Watson developing a rapport with Cooks and Cobb. This team is not totally devoid of talent.... but maybe was suffering from a bit of coaching malpractice. They don't have enough to be a SB champ, IMO, but there is a ton of room for improvement. I think going 8-8 is still a reasonable goal to shoot for - anything better than that would be gravy - They may end up only winning 3, 4 or 5 games but they can start building for the future right now....

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Early line for Texans @ Titans next week is Titans by 4½.

FWIW, I think the Jags are as crappy as we are. It's good to get off the schnied though. Dolphins went out and celebrated, didn't they?

Texans do have enough to win another division title - if they were in the NFC East. Talk about a division with nothing going for it. Dak should be gone for the year (gruesome injury he suffered). Wentz seems to have developed David Carr Disease. The G-Men play hard but they just don't have the weapons. Then there's the Washington Window Washers who have three QBs not good enough to win with.

The NFL reshuffled their schedule and the buzz in Denver is the league did this so the Patriots wouldn't have to lose another game with COVID Newton on the sidelines.

Also, the Colts have a PK now who either is doing a Clark Kent impersonation or he doubles as the team's accountant.

So Titans don't play until tomorrow night which means we get them in Nashville with only 5 days of rest while we've had a full week to prepare and recuperate.

Yep, Titans will have short rest but playing the Texans at home. Oddsmakers have adjusted the line to Titans by 2. So, this should be a very winnable game for the Texans. Whether they can do it will be seen on Sunday.

Their best path forward, IMO, is to beat up on their division opponents. They still face the Colts twice, Titans twice and the Jags one more time. If Sunday is a baseline, they (Texans) should be competitive in all those games...

After the Titan game, Green Bay comes to town. Highly likely the Texans will come out of that with an "L". But what if they didn't? That would sure change the outlook...