Texans 30, Jaguars 16: Jaguars Get Blown Out in First Game Without Urban Meyer
Even with the ghost of Urban Meyer removed from TIAA Bank Field this week, the Jacksonville Jaguars still proved unable to remove the hex of bad football that has surrounded the team for most of the last decade.
This time, that hex resulted in a 30-16 blowout loss to a Houston Texans team that is 1-11 against the rest of the NFL and 2-0 against the Jaguars.
Nothing went right for the Jaguars almost from the start of the game. While the Jaguars appeared much looser at the start of the contest compared to past weeks, erasing the weight of the Meyer era didn't lead to a win or an explosion of points for the Jaguars.
The Jaguars' defense certainly started the game off with some momentum. The first three downs resulted in a two-yard run by Houston, an incompletion and a delay of game. After forcing the punt team onto the field after a three-and-out, though, the same old Jaguars returned as Adam Gotsis was flagged for hands to the face on the punt, leading to a new set of downs for the Texans.
Mills would throw six straight completions for 53 yards and three first downs on the rest of the drive as the Jaguars' defense continually allowed the Texans to pick up third-down after third-down, culminating in a 22-yard Brandin Cooks touchdown over Shaquill Griffin.
Jacksonville's offense and a new-look offensive coordinator/interim head coach Darrell Bevell, who called plays from the sidelines as opposed to the box for the first time this season, started out with some big plays of their own. A 30-yard pass to James O'Shaughnessy and a 15-yard facemask on the Texans helped the Jaguars get the ball all the way down to the Texans' fourth-yard line, but the Jaguars ultimately opted to kick on 4th-and-3.
While a 22-yard Matthew Wright field goal was enough to give the Jaguars their first first-quarter score since Week 10 vs. the Colts, the 7-3 score wouldn't last for even a play. On the ensuing kickoff, Wright failed to get the kick into the end zone and Texans' returner Tremon Smith picked it up at the two-yard line, taking it 98 yards for a touchdown after making it through a pile of blockers and defenders.
Jacksonville didn't accept defeat at 14-3 like it potentially would have in past weeks, however. After over a month of the Jaguars being limited to essentially one possession of competent offense a game, the Jaguars found the red-zone for the second time in a row on following the kickoff return touchdown.
Thanks to big runs from James Robinson, including two of over 10 yards, and a 22 yard throw to Laquon Treadwell, the Jaguars were able to get a third-and-short at the Texans' goal line. Add in an offsides and a James Robinson carry from a heavy formation later and the Jaguars found the end zone for the first time in two weeks.
The Jaguars and Texans would trade punts before the Jaguars were forced to punt the ball from their own end zone, resulting in the Texans starting at the Jaguars' 49-yard line. Seven plays and just 15 yards later, the Texans nailed a 52-yard field goal in the middle of a rainstorm to go up 17-10.
The Jaguars would get the ball back with just little over 2:00 remaining in the half, giving them a chance to double-dip possession after winning the toss and differing to the second-half, but that is, unfortunately, the opposite of what took place.
Instead, the Jaguars drove the ball to the middle of the field and simply showed no true awareness or preparation for a two-minute drill. Instead of airing the ball out and attempting to play the clock, the Jaguars continued to rush the ball and bleed the clock, eventually giving them only 0:28 on the board when 4th-and-1 from midfield came up.
The Jasguars attempted to steal a first down with a quarterback sneak, but the Texans stuffed the A-gaps and held Lawrence to a gain of zero, turning the ball over on downs. Two quick slants against soft coverage later and the Texans were able to turn the Jaguars' mismanagement into three points, taking a 20-10 lead into halftime.
Jacksonville didn't see things pick up much in the second-half, again in part due to poor special teams from the Jaguars. Jaydon Mickens returned the kickoff from a yard deep in the end zone but only got the ball out to the 14-yard line.
The Jaguars would lose four yards over the next three plays thanks to a third-down sack, while the subsequent punt failed to push the Jaguars into any better field position, as the Texans returned it to the Jaguars' 47-yard line. Bad return from the Jaguars and then bad defense on the coverage combined to give the Texans a short field, a mistake the Jaguars made over and over again on Sunday.
Houston drove 40 yards in seven plays following the return, including a 33-yard pass to Phillip Dorsett over Griffin again, kicking a field goal to go up 23-10. From the special teams miscues to allowing the Texans to create big plays with role players, it was all bad for the Jaguars at this point.
The Jaguars attempted to fight their way back into the game with a pair of field goals from Matthew Wright (38, 35 yards) to put the Jaguars within a field goal, in large part due to Tyson Campbell single-handedly earning the Jaguars three points after the rookie cornerback picked off Mills at the Jaguars' 20-yard line.
Jacksonville got another big play out of their rookie class on the very next drive as Andre Cisco cut down Rex Burkhead in open space on 3rd-and-8 to force a punt, giving the Jaguars a chance to drive down the field to tie the game.
The Jaguars couldn't make those chances count, though, as the Jaguars punted on back-to-back drives while down seven. Following the second punt, the Texans put the game away with a 44-yard Cooks touchdown, making the blowout loss official.
The Jaguars now hold the worst record in the NFL at 2-12 with the Texans improving to 3-11 and the Lions improving to 2-11-1. As things stand today, the Jaguars will hold the No. 1 overall pick in April's draft, which is only subject to change if the Jaguars pick up a win and a Lions loss over the next three weeks.
The Jaguars will next travel to New York to play the Jets.
