Official Texans vs. Jaguars Game Thread, 12/18/2016

[Arky]

It's Week 15 and the 2-11 Jacksonville Jaguars come to NRG for a noon Sunday game. The Jags haven't won a game in 2 months but they've been close a number of times this year. Six of their losses have been by 7 or less points. QB Blake Bortles has thrown for 3187 yards and completes 58.7% of his passes. He's thrown for 21 TDs, 15 INTs and has a 77.9 rating. The Jag running game consists of TJ Yeldon (432 yds, 3.6 avg), Chris Ivory (350 yds, 3.8 avg), Denard Robinson (127 yds, 3.4 avg) and Bortles himself (336 yds, 6.7 avg). Leading targets in the passing game are Marqise Lee (728 yds), Allen Robinson (639 yds), Allen Hurns (477 yds), Julius Thomas (281 yds) and Yeldon (278 yds) out of the backfield. The Jags defense has the interesting dichotomy of being a respectable 5th overall allowing 316.4 yds/gm but 27th allowing 26 points/gm. The Jags are coming off a 25-16 home loss to the Vikings.

The Texans won a road game last week beating the Indianapolis Colts 22-17. They need a win to help their chances of winning the AFC South. The Texans won the first meeting this year @Jacksonville, 24-21.

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TV = CBS (channel 11 local), noon CST, Sunday 12-18-2016

Announcers = Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein, Steve Tasker

The Line = Texans by 6

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (late) = New England @ Denver, Jim Nantz, Phil Simms

FOX (late) = New Orleans @ Arizona, Chris Myers, Ronde Barber

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Prime time:

TNF = Los Angeles @ Seattle (NBC; NFLN)

Saturday Night = Miami @ NY Jets (NFLN)

SNF = Tampa Bay @ Dallas (NBC)

MNF = Carolina @ Washington (ESPN)

[Arky]

Pendergast on Texans vs. Jags

If there's one thing Bill O'Brien does well, it's beat the snot out of Jacksonville, 5-0 straight up and 4-1 against the spread in his time here as head coach. Let's look at some wrinkles for this Sunday...

[nunusguy]

We are so beat up I don't know if we can field a complete team for this game ? Fido is turning into a poor mans Gronc but he's out and our best LB Mercilus is also unlikley to play. It doesn't look good.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

We are so beat up I don't know if we can field a complete team for this game ? Fido is turning into a poor mans Gronc but he's out and our best LB Mercilus is also unlikley to play. It doesn't look good.

Which, I surmise is the reason the line has fallen to Texans by 3.5 - I find that disturbing... Not a good sign... I'm sure hoping the Texans show up with their game faces on but the first time they beat Indy, they went up to Denver and laid an egg losing 27-9. Different conditions, of course, on the road, etc. but the game tomorrow/today is a very real let down situation for the Texans.... add in the injuries....

Could be worse, I suppose. Could be playing in KC where the high tomorrow is a balmy 12ºF.....

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by Arky

Which, I surmise is the reason the line has fallen to Texans by 3.5 - I find that disturbing... Not a good sign... I'm sure hoping the Texans show up with their game faces on but the first time they beat Indy, they went up to Denver and laid an egg losing 27-9. Different conditions, of course, on the road, etc. but the game tomorrow/today is a very real let down situation for the Texans.... add in the injuries....

Could be worse, I suppose. Could be playing in KC where the high tomorrow is a balmy 12ºF.....

Temperatures across the Kansas City area at 4 a.m. ranged from minus-2 to minus-12 degrees. Add in the wind chills, and it felt like minus-30 degrees in some areas.
And the temperatures still had a few more degrees to drop before sunrise. By 7 a.m., Kansas City hit minus-9 degrees, tying the third-coldest reading this century.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/local...#storylink=cpy
Mariota, a Hawaiian boy, has surely never experienced those kinds of conditions in his lifetime so if he and his Titans teammates can beat the Chiefs in those weather conditions they deserve to win the AFC South which I think they will do if they win today.

[Arky]

Texan inactives:

5- QB Brandon Weeden
20- S Don Jones
24- CB Johnathan Joseph
51- OLB John Simon
59- OLB Whitney Mercilus
79- G Jeff Allen
87- TE C.J. Fiedorowicz

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Shabazz was cut to make room for Brennan Scarlett (active).

Interesting that Wendall Williams is also active.

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Texans in battle red today. I think it's red tops, white bottoms but heard a rumor it might be blue bottoms.....

[Arky]

Jags win the toss and defer, Texans to receive.

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Opening kickoff is a touchback. Texan's ball at their 25.

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Short pass to Griffin good for about 9.

L Miller for 2 or 3 and the 1st down.

L Miller caught for a loss of 1. Brings up 2nd and 11.

Sweep to Williams goes for a couple. 3rd and 9 coming up.

Pass to Griffin goes for 7. Texans will have to punt on 4th and 2.

Jags fair catch the punt at their 8 yard line. Jag's ball.

11:48 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Yeldon for 3.

Pass to Ellis goes for maybe 1. 3rd and 6 coming up.

Pass to Walters is broken up, inc. Jags will have to punt.

Fuller brings the punt back to the Texan 32. Texan's ball.

10:15 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

L Miller for 5.

Oz rolls out and can't find a receiver and throws it away, inc. 3rd and 5 coming up.

Sideline pass to Fuller good for about 7 and the 1st down.

L Miller carries for 3. Ball at the Texan 47.

L Miller for just 2. 3rd and 5 coming up.

Oz pressured, throws off the mark to Anderson, inc. Texans to punt.

Jags fair catch the punt at their 9 yard line. Jag's ball.

7:36 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Chiefs 7, Titans 0

Ravens 7, Eagles 0

Giants 7, Lions 0

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Ivory gets about 4.

Ivory for 3. Brings up 3rd and 3.

Sack by Clowney! Loss back at the Jag 5 yard line. Jags will have to punt.

Fuller and Williams muff the punt but Williams gets it back to the 18 yard line. Texan's ball.

[Arky]

Ball marked at the Texan 18.

Blue for 1.

Pass to Anderson in the flat off the mark, inc. 3rd and 9 coming up.

Screen to Grimes gets about 7.... Texans will have to punt.

Jags bring the punt back to their 36. Jag's ball.

4:12 left in the 1st qtr.

[Arky]

Pass to Yeldon goes for 3.

Yeldon carries for 5. 3rd and 2 coming up.

Pass to Sterling good for 14 and the 1st down.

Ivory goes left side for 17. Ball at the Texan 25.

Ivory for 1.

Pass to Lee in the end zone goes incomplete. 3rd and 9 coming up.

Pass to Walters good for 17 and the 1st down. Ball at the Texan 13.

Bortles is sacked by Clowney! Loss of 6!

End of the 1st qtr.

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On 2nd and 16, pass to Robinson gets 6.

On 3rd and 10, there are flags presnap...... false start Jags, -5. Makes it 3rd and 15 coming up.

Screen to Yeldon gets about 8. Jags going for the FG.

Myers 26-yarder is good.

Jags 3, Texans 0

13:36 left in the half.

[Arky]

The ensuing kickoff is a touchback. Texan's ball at their 25.

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Dump off over the middle to L Miller goes for 16. A Jag (Colvin) injured on the play. Injury timeout.

Oy, Oz's pass is off the hands of Fuller and INT'ed by the Jags. Jags return it to the Texan 25. Jag's ball.

[Arky]

Ivory for 4.

Bortles pressured, throws off the mark, inc. 3rd and 6 coming up. A Jag (Poutasi) injured on the play....

On 3rd and 6, Bortles pressured again and escapes but still loses a yard. Jags to go for the FG.

Myers 40-yarder is good but a flag is down... holding on the Jags backs it up 10... Rekick.

Myers 50-yarder is good.

Jags 6, Texans 0

11:24 left in the half.

[Arky]

The ensuing kickoff is a touchback. Texan's ball at their 25.

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Hunt carries for 7, fumbles but gets it back.

Blue for 4 or 5 but holding on the Texans backs it up 10. Makes it 2nd and 14 coming up.

Oz starts to scramble but pulls up and throws the INT. Jag's ball.

[Big Texas]

Time to sit him down

[Arky]

Ball at the Texan 38.

Pass to Ivory is inc. 2nd and 10 coming up.

Yeldon carries for 3. 3rd and 7 coming up.

Deep pass to Robinson goes inc but they're going to get Bouye for PI. Places the ball at the Texan 3.

Ivory to the 1 yard line. 2nd and goal coming up.

Bortles rolls out and keeps it for the TD.

Jags 13, Texans 0

8:32 left in the half.

[Arky]

The ensuing kickoff is a touchback. Texan's ball at their 25.

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Savage in at QB.

L Miller for 9.

L Miller for 8.

Savage pressured, rolls out and throws it away, inc. Flag is down...holding on the Jags, 5 yards and an auto 1st down.

L Miller for 4.

Deep pass to Williams good for 32 yards. Ball at the Jag 16.

End around to Fuller gets blown up, loss of 3.

L Miller for 5. 3rd and 8 coming up.

Savage pressured, throws it away, inc. Flag is down! Holding on Jags, 5 yards and an auto 1st down. 1st and goal at the 9.

Hunt takes it to the 2 yard line. 4 minutes left in the half.

Hunt fumbles as he hits paydirt but the refs rule TD.... Replay shows Hunt jumping on the fumble along with a Jag..... Under review......

Refs rule Texans ball at the ½ yard line....OK...

On 3rd and goal, L Miller carries for no gain. Texans going for it.

Jump ball to Hop doesn't work, inc. Jags take over on downs at the 1 yard line.

2:36 left in the half.

[popanot]

WTF! Lamar Miller can't a tough yard if his life depended on it and O'Brien is MFing idiot. Unbelievable.

[Arky]

Yeldon for 3. A Jag down on the play (Parnell).

2 minute warning.

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Deep pass to Lee is caught but out of bounds so inc. 3rd and 7 coming up.

Bortles pass is deflected and falls inc. Jags will have to punt with 1:49 left in the half. Texans should get good field position....

Fuller brings the punt back to the Jag 42 but flags are down. I think it's going to be roughing the kicker on the Texans..... Nope! Holding on the offense results in a safety! 2 pts for the Texans and they will get the kickoff....

Jaguars 13, Texans 2

1:35 left in the half.