Behind Enemy Lines: 5 Questions on Jaguars vs. Texans Before Sunday’s Game in London

We talk Jaguars-Texans with the State of the Texans and ask the pressing questions for Sunday's game in London.

On Sunday, the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) will look to get a huge AFC South divisional victory as they take on the Houston Texans (5-3) in the team's annual game in London.

In efforts to gather intel on the opposition, we sat down with Patrick D. Starr of State of the Texans, who has joined JaguarMaven to discuss how he perceives the matchup, his prediction and more.

1. With JJ Watt now out for the season, who steps up in his absence, and how do you see that matchup playing out on Sunday?

Starr: I have two ways of looking at this.

a.) the Texans are in trouble from a dependable source of the pass rush from Watt. Watt leads the league with 20 quarterback hits, and the past couple weeks, he has had his way getting to the quarterback. He is a one-person wrecking crew, and now Watt puts a lot of pressure on others to step up. Losing Watt will hurt the pass rush tremendously.

b.) no Watt means edge players like Whitney Mercilus, Brennan Scarlett, Jacob Martin, and Barkevious Mingo will all get more run on the field as pass rushers. The Texans will need Scarlett, Martin, or Mingo to make the biggest jump.

Also, I am interested in how offenses block the Texans, knowing Watt is no longer in the game plan. The Texans might have a "slight" advantage due to having new faces and no real film on a game plan without Watt. It is going to be interesting to see how it plays out.

2. Deshaun Watson is playing outstanding football this season, putting himself in the MVP conversation. Specifically, what kind of changes to his game do you attribute to his 2019 dominance?

Starr: Patience. Deshaun Watson has dialed down his aggressiveness on always going for the deep ball. That aggressiveness is good when it is called for, but it has led to many sack issues over the seasons since he has become the Texans quarterback. He has done a much better job of working underneath and letting his playmakers work with the football in their hands.

He is growing as a quarterback and realizing he doesn't have to do it all in one throw. Watson is accurate as a passer to pick apart defenses, and it is starting to show over the past month.

3. The Jaguars have gone through the London routine before. Do you feel that gives them a distinct advantage on Sunday, or is that overblown?

Starr: I think the Jaguars have an advantage, no doubt. The Jaguars know what to expect, how things are set up, and whatever else comes with a trip like this. Especially how to prepare for the travel, sleep, and nutrition part of the trip.

Advantage, Jaguars in this department.

4. What matchup do you feel will have the biggest impact on the outcome?

Starr: No Jalen Ramsey for the Jaguars. Deshaun Watson had five games in his career where he has completed 55% or less of his passes in a game. Three of those games have come against the Jaguars, and Ramsey was the biggest reason why since he was taking away DeAndre Hopkins.

Ramsey was a game-changer for the Jaguars defense, and it allowed them to play different coverages on the backside to confuse Watson. Sunday's game will be the first matchup for the Texans without Ramsey on the field, and I expect the Texans to take advantage of the Jaguars' defense through the air.

5. With Will Fuller in and out of the lineup and a lack of a consistent second option in the passing game, what has Kenny Stills brought to the Texans offense?

Starr: Kenny Stills is not as fast as Will Fuller, but he is a complete receiver. He can play the short game or get vertical when needed in the passing game. Stills missed a few games with a hamstring injury of his own, but he is averaging 17.5 yards a catch on the season.

Stills is a perfect compliment to Hopkins, and the offense is more consistent with him on the field. The attack is more explosive with Fuller on the field, but Stills is more than capable of having a big game when needed.