Texans @ Jaguars
Final Score: Texans 23, Jaguars 20
Writer: Brett Ford (@FadeThatMan)
Divisional games always get heated, and Sunday’s tilt between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans was no exception. Tempers flared even higher when Azeez Al-Shaair popped Trevor Lawrence in the middle of his slide – an objectively bad hit – that resulted in Al-Shaair’s ejection from the game. The play seemed to energize the Jaguars, though, as they battled back from a 23-6 deficit to make it a close game in the end. The Texans’ usual suspects put up big numbers while Mac Jones kept the Jags competitive. Let’s dig in.
Four Up
- Nico Collins – Collins seems to be all the way back from his injury, and back to producing like an elite WR1.
- Parker Washington – Washington stepped up and displayed a solid connection with Mac Jones.
- Joe Mixon – Another day, another 100-yard game with a touchdown.
- Dalton Schultz – Left in the care of Jaguars’ linebackers on a lot of his routes, Schultz took advantage of the mismatch.
Three Down
- Evan Engram – High volume in short-yardage areas but not much to show for it.
- Tank Dell – Pulled in just one catch on four targets, he’s just not producing the way he did last season.
- Trevor Lawrence – Lawrence left with what appeared to be a severe concussion, but even before that, he didn’t look sharp.
Houston Texans
Quarterback
C.J. Stroud: 22/34, 242 yards, TD | 5 carries, 18 yards
Stroud and the Texans’ offense were kept uncharacteristically quiet by this Jaguars defense for most of the game. Throughout the first half, Houston struggled to move the ball, with just two field goals on four offensive drives. The Texans looked more explosive in the second half as their first three drives generated points, including a pair of touchdowns. After two interceptions last week, Stroud was more careful with the ball, and the conservative approach nearly allowed the Jaguars to complete a massive comeback. Hopefully, we’ll see the second-year quarterback be more aggressive throughout next week’s game.
Running Back
Joe Mixon: 20 carries, 101 yards, TD | 6 Targets, 4 Receptions, 18 Yards
Mixon is the most consistently elite running back in fantasy football this season. He continued his excellence with a bounce-back game, rushing for 100 yards and a score for the seventh time this season. There’s not much to say that hasn’t been said about Mixon. He’s a stud.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Nico Collins: 11 Targets, 8 Receptions, 119 Yards
Collins was back to being an elite WR1 again, posting a team-high in targets, catches, and yards. Collins recorded his fourth 100-yard game of the season and continued to show his penchant for big plays with catches of 22 and 40-yard gains.
Tank Dell: 4 Targets, 1 Reception, 23 Yards
Dell has nearly hit rock bottom, catching just one pass for 23 yards on four targets. Despite being on the field for 43 snaps and running a team-high 33 routes, Dell just hasn’t been the focal point of this offense in the same way he was a season ago. Even with Stefon Diggs on the shelf with a season-ending injury, Dell is not factoring into the Texans’ offense in the way fantasy managers hoped.
Dalton Schultz: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 61 Yards, TD
Schultz was consistently left open by the Jaguars’ safeties and linebackers, and Stroud did a good job finding his tight end for sizable gains. Late in the game, Schultz was left wide open on what appeared to be a blown assignment, waltzing into the end zone untouched for his first receiving touchdown of the season.
John Metchie III: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 16 Yards
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Mac Jones: 20/32, 235 Yards, 2 TD | 3 Carries, 6 Yards
Entering the game in relief of Lawrence, Jones led the Jaguars offense on a comeback march, scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Jones and the Jags fell just short of completing the comeback despite the backup quarterback’s best efforts. Jones demonstrated a nothing-to-lose mentality, uncorking the ball into coverage on a handful of occasions and coming away relatively unscathed. With the Jaguars eliminated from playoff contention and without their starting quarterback for the foreseeable future, Jones could become a Jameis-like gunslinger for the rest of the season. Or at least, that’s what fantasy managers might hope for.
Trevor Lawrence: 4/10, 40 Yards, INT | 1 Carry, 6 Yards
Lawrence looked in rough shape in the first quarter as he struggled to connect with his receivers, including an interception on an underthrown deep ball. In the second quarter, Lawrence was on the receiving end of one of the worst hits in recent memory and left the game with what appeared to be a concussion. From the perceived severity of the hit and the injury, it would be surprising to see him play again this season with the Jaguars already out of contention.
Running Back
Travis Etienne: 13 Carries, 46 Yards | 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 12 Yards
A largely disappointing season continued for Etienne as he was held under 50 yards on the ground for the sixth consecutive game. Etienne was also targeted in the passing game three times, but it yielded just 12 yards as he failed to generate any big plays that made him so valuable a season ago.
Tank Bigsby: 7 Carries, 28 Yards | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 7 Yards
Bigsby returned from an injury with seven carries, splitting time with Etienne nearly evenly, but getting five fewer touches. This backfield has clearly become a committee, and neither running back has proven worthy of holding a place in fantasy starting lineups when splitting time and carries.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Evan Engram: 9 Targets, 7 Receptions, 41 Yards
Used primarily in short-yardage areas, Engram pulled in a team-high seven receptions but gained only 41 yards, less than six yards per catch. Engram has been decent in PPR formats but hasn’t been able to generate the YAC or TDs that he did in his career year last season.
Brian Thomas Jr.: 10 Targets, 4 Receptions, 76 Yards, TD
Brian Thomas Jr. showed why fantasy managers are so excited for his future with another solid performance. He high-pointed a ball in the end zone for his fifth touchdown reception of the game, snatching it off the back of a defender and making sure to get two feet down. BTJ continues to be a bright spot in this otherwise dim Jacksonville offense.
Parker Washington: 12 Targets, 6 Receptions, 103 Yards, TD
Washington showed some chemistry with backup quarterback Mac Jones, connecting for four of his six receptions with Jones. His touchdown came on a deep pass where Washington had to sky for the catch and was able to come down, gather himself, and get to the end zone before his defender could recover. Washington looked every bit the part of a solid wide receiver and could get more looks in a beleaguered Jaguars receiving corps.
Devin Duvernay: 4 Targets, 2 Receptions, 23 Yards
Brenton Strange: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Luke Farrell: 1 Target