Jaguars @ Texans
Final Score: Jaguars 24, Texans 21
Writer: Mike Miklius (@SIRL0INofBEEF on X/Twitter)
Raise your hand if you had the Jaguars and Texans as a must-see matchup in week 12 before the season started. Jacksonville came into the contest 7-3 while Houston was 6-4 and both have an eye on the playoffs. This one lived up to the hype, and it showcased two of the young, up-and-coming quarterback talents in the league. Jacksonville struck first thanks to a first-drive field goal. The teams traded punts until the Jaguars found the endzone with a Trevor Lawrence plunge from a yard out. Houston answered on the following drive thanks to a pair of long passes from CJ Stroud and a short touchdown to Tank Dell. Jacksonville returned with another field goal and Houston missed one to make it 13-7 at the break. Jacksonville had a nice drive going out of halftime before an interception derailed them. Houston responded with a 46-yard touchdown drive highlighted by a 22-yard pass to Nico Collins and a Stroud sneak for the score. Jacksonville put up the next ten points before Houston answered with a score of their own to make it 24-21. Houston had the ball at the end, but a pair of big sacks and another missed field goal from 58 ultimately sunk them. Here’s what I saw in this AFC South showdown, and I provide a reminder: these are my takes from one contest, not indictments of player careers. Alright, let’s dive in!
Four Up
- CJ Stroud – He has the pocket presence, poise, and intelligence of a seasoned veteran. Stroud looks like he could be one of the best in the league.
- Trevor Lawrence – While Stroud looked better, Lawrence also made a number of big plays and still shows the QB we loved in the 2021 draft.
- Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk – Both Jaguars receivers made big plays and were instrumental in the Jaguars win.
- Nico Collins – He played a great game and was Stroud’s favorite target today.
Two Down
- Both rushing attacks – There were no rushing yards to be had in this one; Jacksonville was more committed to running, but Travis Etienne did not impress. Houston just mostly didn’t try.
- The refs – The refereeing in this contest wasn’t good. It looked like Houston got the worst of it, but there were a number of questionable calls including a number in big moments–third downs and endzone plays.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence: 23/38, 364 yards, TD, INT | 2 carries, 0 yards
Trevor Lawrence played well today and would have been the better QB in most matchups. On the Jaguars’ first drive, he hit everything. Despite a struggling run game, Lawrence was locked in. His only two misses were a play where it looked like his receiver ran the wrong route and a bad drop by Evan Engram. The Jaguars’ first touchdown came on their first drive and was thanks mostly to a 41-yard screen to D’Ernest Johnson. It was a great play call and Houston clearly wasn’t ready for it. The following drive saw a pass to Luke Farrell where Farrell just refused to go down. He fought his way down the sideline and plundered 42 yards on the play. Lawrence made his throw of the day on this drive, firing a bullet to Christian Kirk for a first down. If Lawrence put any less on the ball, he would have missed his window. The drive ended with Calvin Ridley unable to haul in a tough TD catch. The Jaguars had one more first-half drive which included a catch from Chrisitan Kirk–and a monster stiff arm to nearly turn it into a touchdown. Lawrence missed a couple of throws late, but he mostly looked great. His interception was the result of Evan Engram getting held and a defender making an easy interception as a result.
Running Back
Travis Etienne: 20 carries, 56 yards | 6 targets, 4 receptions, 30 yards
Travis Etienne did not impress today. He looked a little slow and I didn’t see much shiftiness. I honestly saw him cut and repeatedly thought he was moving in a foot of snow; everything he did just looked slow compared to most backs I see. Some of this is credited to Houston’s defense, which stuffed Etienne on a handful of plays. Either way, I was not impressed by Etienne and I am not excited based on what I saw today.
D’Ernest Johnson: 7 carries, 19 yards | 2 targets, 1 reception, 42 yards
D’Ernest Johnson was more involved than most would have guessed, and he was solid as a runner. Maybe it was luck of the draw, but Johnson showed me more on his carries than Etienne today. Johnson’s one big reception was a beautiful screen call where he ran behind a convoy of blockers for a huge gain. Johnson is not suddenly a pass-catcher to watch though; it was just one play.
Tank Bigsby: 1 carry, 6 yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Calvin Ridley: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 89 yards, TD
Calvin Ridley took some time to get going, and I only counted one first-half target: a drop on a would-be touchdown. Ridley was open deep and Lawrence let the ball rip. It was maybe a hair long, but Ridley had two hands on it and surely wished for another chance. Ridley was more involved to start the second half, catching a pair of first-down balls on the team’s first drive before the aforementioned interception. Ridley starred on the next drive as well; it started with a 45-yard catch and Ridley tip-toeing the sideline and ended with Ridley catching a wide-open touchdown–followed by a wide-open two-point conversion.
Christian Kirk: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 89 yards
Christian Kirk started strong but was mostly quiet in the second half. Kirk caught an 18-yard pass on a crossing route to start his day. He made a great catch on a bullet from Trevor Lawrence into a tight window; it was the kind of throw you imagine breaks some fingers. Kirk’s play of the day was his third grab:
LA SORPRESA DE JACKSONVILLE
Trevor Lawrence sorprendió a todos y Christian Kirk puso a su equipo en la yarda 1.#MundoNFL #DUUUVAL pic.twitter.com/Rm73XV6hqL
— Mundo NFL (@MundoNFL) November 26, 2023
Kirk caught it around the 28 and then stiff-armed a defender while adding another 27 yards. It was an excellent play ruined only by the Jaguars failing to score on the ensuing play. Kirk had a drop on the day as well, but he was in a patch of sunlight and looked like he lost it in the moment. Kirk and Ridley looked like a 1A and 1B situation today.
Luke Farrell: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 55 yards
Evan Engram: 8 targets, 5 receptions, 49 yards
Evan Engram had a solid day, but one egregious drop early; Trevor Lawrence hit him on the hands and he just duffed it.
Zay Jones: 3 targets, 1 reception, 10 yards
Houston Texans
Quarterback
CJ Stroud: 26/36, 304 yards, 2 TD, 4 sacks | 6 carries, 47 yards, TD
CJ Stroud played an excellent game today and looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the league. This was my first look at Stroud since the preseason, and I came away impressed. Stroud showed excellent pocket presence and the ability to keep his eyes downfield; he always wanted the pass but was willing to run when necessary as seen by his 47 rushing yards. I kept watching Stroud and thinking ‘Man, he has the pocket presence of a Brady, Rodgers, or Manning’. On the first drive, Stroud broke free from a sack and scrambled for a gain. On the next drive, Stroud was flushed from the pocket and made a beautiful throw on the run that was just a bit long. What I saw, though, was an effortless pass and a silky-smooth process from such a young player. Stroud hit a 58-yard pass on the next drive that was called back due to an offensive penalty. The drive after that saw Stroud hit a tight-window throw to Robert Woods for 27 yards and take his time to eventually find Tank Dell open for a score. Stroud manages the pocket so well and I don’t see many young quarterbacks do the same. He also watched the defense and adjusted to them; one specific play saw him recognize a safety blitz and throw to that side–realizing there was no help over the top. Stroud’s biggest fail on the day was a pair of late sacks that ultimately sank his team. Still, he lived up to the hype in my opinion, and I can’t wait to see what the years ahead bring.
Running Back
Devin Singletary: 6 carries, 18 yards | 7 targets, 6 receptions, 54 yards
Devin Singletary was the back to watch in Houston, doing most of his damage through the air. Singletary had one nice carry–a 14-yard gain where he patiently followed his blocking to a 14-yard gain on the outside. Aside from that play, it was all about the passing game. Singletary did most of his damage on a single play. He caught a screen and then patiently followed his blocking for 33 yards. Given how much I love Stroud, I am excited to see more of Singletary as well. Just know that Dameon Pierce has now returned. How did he look?
Dameon Pierce: 5 carries, 14 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 4 yards
Dameon Pierce was mostly a non-factor today, but it’s not all his fault. Houston abandoned the run and was happy to live through the air. Pierce looked strong on his carries, but unspectacular in his return. Perhaps brighter days are ahead once he has more practice and time to prepare.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Nico Collins: 9 targets, 7 receptions, 104 yards, TD
Nico Collins had the biggest day for Houston, but let’s break it down. His first catch was a 14-yard gain on third-and-a-mile. His next long grab–a 21-yarder–came against a Jacksonville blitz and was a great throw. Nico caught a 24-yard pass when he found a hole in the defensive zone. His touchdown came on a scramble play where he ran his route, saw his quarterback still looking, and adjusted to make a catch for the score. Collins and Stroud had a great rapport today and this makes Collins an exciting option.
Tank Dell: 8 targets, 5 receptions, 50 yards, TD
Tank Dell is the other name to watch in Houston. He made the first catch of the game for the Texans on a quick comeback route. His longest catch–and one that was called back–was a 58-yard reception deep. Tank blew passed the defense and stood there waiting for the ball. Tank made the grab despite good defense but it was called back. His touchdown was a scramble play and he found space to help out his quarterback. Tank almost had one more big gain, but it was along the sideline and he could only get one foot in. Like Collins, Dell is a name to watch given his connection with a young, polished quarterback.
Robert Woods: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 40 yards
Robert Woods made a pair of nice catches, but he is no challenger to either Collins or Dell. At this point, he is just a guy. I didn’t see enough to mention from any other pass-catcher on this roster as the work mostly focused on these first three guys.
Xavier Hutchinson: 1 target, 1 reception, 34 yards
Brevin Jordan: 2 targets, 1 reception, 9 yards
John Metchie: 2 targets, 1 reception, 6 yards
Dalton Schultz: 2 target, 1 reception, 2 yards
Andrew Beck: 1 target, 1 reception, 1 yard