Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 5 Questions for Week 9
The Houston Texans will be facing the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in London, England, and David Levin of Black and Teal spoke to the Toro Times about the upcoming Week 9 game.
In what will be their second meeting of the 2019 NFL season, the Houston Texans will be the away team in London, England on Sunday as they will face the Jacksonville Jaguars in an AFC South showdown.
The game starts locally in Houston at 8:30 a.m. CT and 9:30 a.m. ET, and there is much on the line as this is the final game before the Texans have their bye week. The Texans are 5-3 overall entering Week 9, and the Jaguars are 4-3 this season.
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Below the Toro Times spoke with David Levin of Black and Teal, the FanSided website of the Jaguars.
1. Which wide receiver do you believe can take advantage of facing the Texans secondary this week?
I hope it is DJ Chark, but seriously, any of the three on the field could go off for a big game because of their speed. Chark, Chris Conley and Dede Westbrook all have 4.3 speed that can spread the field. Conley had the best game of his career last week, and Chark leads the AFC in receiving yards.
Look for Keelan Cole to once again become more active in the passing game with Marqise Lee now on I.R. This is one of the more underrated wide receiver groups in the NFL. He has caught a touchdown in the last two games.
2. Which player on the Jaguars (other than Gardner Minshew) has been the biggest surprise in 2019?
It has to be Chark. There was so much talk this offseason about Westbrook being the only reliable wide receiver on this roster. Chark was a second-round draft pick out of LSU last season who took time to learn the passing offense and was a gunner on special teams. He also dealt with an injury that sidelined him five games in 2018.
When he came to camp, he looked the part. He caught everything in sight and showed that he can be the main target in the passing game. He has a chance to reach 1,200 yards in receptions and may make the Pro Bowl.
3. Do you think the offense of the Jaguars is good enough to take advantage of J.J. Watt being out for the season? If so, who are the players that will have the most success?
I think this unit can. The question is will John DeFilippo, the Jaguars offensive coordinator, take the training wheels off in London? Watt is only one component of the Texans defense. But he is such an imposing figure, he is the focus. That’s what makes Houston so good because they have other talented stars on that side of the ball.
I believe Leonard Fournette will be used heavily this week running the football and in the passing game. The Jaguars are averaging 21.6 points a game, which is six more than last season. The rushing game is fifth in the NFL and the passing game is 14th. This is a team that can score.
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4. Which players from Texans do you see playing better and worse than they did in Week 2 against the Jaguars?
DeAndre Hopkins. No disrespect to A.J. Bouye, but the matchup with Jalen Ramsey was one I loved watching each time they played. Ramsey is gone – good riddance – and Bouye is having a solid season here in Jacksonville. But it could also be a huge game for Hopkins against this secondary.
I’m interested to see if defensive coordinator Todd Wash changes any of his coverage schemes to fill the void Ramsey left. I’m also interested to see if Bouye plays like a Pro Bowler. This is his toughest test to date this season.
The Jaguars secondary has played against the Bengals and Jets the past two weeks. It handled a Saints team without Drew Brees. Deshaun Watson could test this unit all day.
5. Game score and prediction?
The Jaguars take this one 31-17. I know it seems like a big score, but I think the fact this might be the last game we see Gardner Minshew as the starter changes things. The rookie plays his best game of the season.
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Momentum in this league goes a long way. The defense is playing its best football. Everything is lining up for the team at the right time.