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The Jacksonville Jaguars are heading to Houston with momentum and opportunity. Sitting at 5-3 and currently holding the seventh seed in the AFC playoff race, the Jaguars have a golden chance to bury their divisional rivals and potentially turn the AFC South into a two-team race with Indianapolis. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans are desperately trying to salvage their season at 3-5, now forced to turn to backup quarterback Davis Mills after C.J. Stroud was ruled out with a concussion.
This matchup carries enormous implications for both franchises. For Jacksonville, a victory would give them a commanding four-game lead over Houston with the head-to-head tiebreaker, essentially eliminating the Texans from serious division contention. The Jaguars have already proven they can beat Houston this season, taking a 17-10 victory in Week 3. For the Texans, this is about survival—another loss would drop them to 3-6 and make their playoff hopes nearly impossible to salvage.
With the stakes this high and both teams fighting for their postseason lives, here are three bold predictions for Sunday’s critical AFC South showdown.
The newly-acquired receiver will make an immediate impact for Jacksonville’s struggling passing attack. Trevor Lawrence has been inconsistent this season, completing just 59.7% of his passes with a pedestrian 79.7 passer rating. The Jaguars desperately needed a reliable possession receiver, and Meyers’ reputation for sure hands—just 11 drops in his entire seven-year career—makes him the perfect solution to Jacksonville’s league-leading drop problem.
Meyers has extensive experience playing against Houston, holding a winning record against the Texans as one of only two teams he’s had success against. Despite joining the team just days ago, offensive coordinator Liam Coen will feature Meyers heavily in slot formations and quick-hitting routes that allow Lawrence to get the ball out fast against Houston’s aggressive defense.
The Texans rank first in total defense but have shown vulnerability against possession receivers working the middle of the field. With Brian Thomas Jr. potentially limited by an ankle injury and Travis Hunter on injured reserve, Meyers becomes Lawrence’s most dependable target immediately. Houston’s defense will key on stopping the run and deep shots to Thomas, leaving Meyers open underneath repeatedly. His chemistry with Lawrence will develop quickly through simple, high-percentage throws that move the chains and keep drives alive.
The Texans’ offensive line has been under siege all season, and with Davis Mills making his first start since 2021, Josh Hines-Allen is poised to have a field day. The Jacksonville pass rusher terrorized Houston in their first meeting, recording one sack and three quarterback hits while making Stroud’s afternoon miserable. Now facing a backup quarterback who completed just 17 of 30 passes for 137 yards in relief against Denver, Hines-Allen should feast.
According the NFL Pro, #Jaguars DE Josh Hines Allen had the second-most pressures (8) and second-highest pressure rate (28.6%) of any pre-MNF defender pic.twitter.com/pXZ7UMEbt8
— John...
