Jaguars Hang On to Beat Texans in AFC South Divisional Showdown
The NFL saw a plethora of exciting matchups entering Week 12 of the season, with potential head-to-head tiebreakers being on the line. One of the most thrilling matchups of the week included a divisional matchup between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans. Entering the game, the Texans held the tiebreaker between the teams after beating the Jaguars in their first matchup, 37-17, back in Week 3 of the season. With a win, the Texans would’ve held the upper hand on winning their first AFC South title since 2019. However, the Jaguars (8-3) were able to prevail coming out on top with the 24-21 victory against the Texans (6-5) that came down to the final seconds. Let’s take a look at how the Jaguars came out with the divisional road victory.
The first scoring drive on the day came on the Jaguars' first drive of the afternoon ending in a 40-yard field goal by kicker Brandon McManus giving them an early 3-0 lead in the first quarter. The Jaguars would extend their lead to 10-0 in the second quarter following a Trevor Lawrence one-yard rush up the middle to complete the touchdown drive. The Texans would get on the board with their first touchdown on a 7-yard pass to wide receiver Tank Dell to cut the Jaguars lead to 10-7 midway through the second quarter. The Jaguars would respond with a 48-yard field goal by McManus to extend their lead to 13-7 and would enter halftime that way after a missed 50-yard field goal by Texans’ kicker Matt Ammendola prior to halftime.
Coming out of halftime, Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence would throw an interception to Texans’ cornerback Derek Stingley that would set up shop for C.J. Stroud and the Texans offense in Jaguars territory. The Texans would capitalize on the turnover and take a 14-13 lead following a one-yard touchdown run by Stroud. The Jaguars would get back on track on their subsequent drive with a one-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Calvin Ridley to retake the lead at 21-14 late in the third quarter. The Jaguars would extend their lead to 24-14 with a 53-yard field goal by McManus in the fourth quarter. Following a missed field goal by Jacksonville, the Texans would cut the deficit to 24-21 on a 17-yard pass by Stroud to wide receiver Nico Collins with five minutes left in the game. The Texans’ defense would force the Jaguars to punt on their next drive, setting up the opportunity for Stroud to lead another game-winning drive. On the drive, the Jaguars’ defense would sack Stroud multiple times forcing the Texans to settle for a long game-tying 58-yard field goal attempt by Ammendola. The Jaguars were able to escape Houston with the win after Ammendola’s field goal attempt ended up hitting the crossbar and bouncing out into the end zone.
Trevor Lawrence finished the game for Jacksonville going 23 for 38, with 364 passing yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Jaguars’ wide receivers Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk led the way for Jacksonville’s wide receiving group, with Ridley having five catches for 89 yards and Kirk catching four passes for 89 yards as well. In the game, Texans’ C.J. Stroud went 26 for 36, with 304 passing yards and two touchdowns. The Texans got productivity from wide receiver Nico Collins, who had seven catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Following the thrilling victory, the Jaguars will travel home to face the Bengals on Monday night football next week, while the Texans will face the Broncos in Week 13.
