The Jaguars kept the Texans in Sunday’s game, but they did what they had to do to end Houston’s winning streak in Jacksonville.
The Jaguars won 17-10, beating the Texans at home for the first time since 2017. The Jaguars are 2-0, while the defending AFC
South champions fell to 0-3 and three games back in the division.
Jacksonville had control the entire game, but a Trevor Lawrence interception, and a play later, a busted coverage, had the Jaguars having to go down to the wire to win.
At the two-minute warning, Lawrence completed a 46-yard pass to Brian Thomas to the Houston 10. Thomas had trouble with drops but had one of the biggest plays of the day. It set up Travis Etienne’s 10-yard run on the next play, a touchdown the Texans appeared to allow on purpose to get the ball back with plenty of time remaining.
Houston had 1:48 left after Etienne’s touchdown and reached the Jacksonville 28 before the Jaguars defense answered the call again. Josh Hines-Allen hit C.J. Stroud’s arm, and a pass intended for Christian Kirk was intercepted by Antonio Johnson at the 4-yard line with 20 seconds left.
All three of the Texans’ turnovers came in the fourth quarter. With 3:47 left, Collins fumbled at the Jacksonville 21 with Tyson Campbell knocking it loose and Devin Lloyd recovering it. The game was tied 10-10 at the time, with Lloyd’s recovery setting up the game-winning, 83-yard touchdown drive.
The Jaguars allowed only 271 and hit Stroud six times, sacked him twice and intercepted him twice. Jourdan Lewis had the team’s other interception. Hines-Allen had three quarterback hits, half a sack and two tackles.
Stroud was 25-of-38 for 204 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, with Collins catching eight passes for 104 yards and a touchdown.
The Jaguars had only 291 yards as the Texans matched their defensive effort. Lawrence was 20-of-40 for 222 yards with an interception.
