Can the Texans make it two in a row this Sunday?
In the last half decade or so, we've seen the AFC South won by teams quarterbacked by Brian Hoyer, Brock Osweiler, Blake Bortles, and Ryan Tannehill. It's not been a great division. In a few of those years, a 9-7 record was good enough to get the job done.
So it is with zero hyperbole when I say that this 2022 edition might be the worst version of the division we've ever seen. The Titans and Jaguars are tied at the top with records of 7-8, although they've arrived there in very different fashions, with the Jags making a late season surge to get to 7-8 and the Titans losing five games in a row. Meanwhile, the Texans and Colts are locks to be picking in the top five of the NFL draft. It's bad, and what's even stranger is that the game on Sunday between the Texans and Jaguars at NRG Stadium really has zero bearing on the divisional race, since the tie breakers essentially make the winner of the Titans-Jaguars game in Week 18 the division winner. It's a weird quirk in the schedule, and yet both the Jaguars and Texans appear motivated to play well on Sunday, the Jags to keep their momentum going, and the Texans for pride.4. The streak The Texans' current nine game winning streak against the Jaguars is one of the stranger anomalies in all of sports. It's one thing for a decent Texans team in 2018 or 2019 to sweep both games against the Jags . It's entirely another for a team to sweep another team amidst a three year run of 10-37-1. Yes, HALF of the Texans' wins over the last three seasons have come against Jacksonville. I would think that is enough motivation, independent of the playoff hunt, for the Jags to want to show up and ball out on Sunday.The year 2021 was a fairly hellacious rookie season for Trevor Lawrence, especially when you consider he'd lost more games by the end of September than he had in his entire collegiate career at Clemson. However, a new head coach in Doug Pederson was just what the doctor ordered, and now Lawrence is beginning to fulfill the promise that he showed coming into the league, when experts said he would be a generational prospect. Since a loss to the Broncos in Week 8 capped a five game losing streak, Lawrence has led the Jags to a 5-2 record with a passer rating of 108, and a TD to interception ratio of 14 to 1. As mentioned above, this division is ripe for the taking, and Lawrence is on the verge of putting it in a stranglehold.One of the most encouraging things to happen in the Week 16 win over the Titans was the rise of several rookies making plays on defense. In fact, the three turnovers generated in the fourth quarter were all at the hands of rookies. Jake Hansen forced the Derrick Henry fumble early in the final quarter, Christian Harris had an interception that nearly sealed the game, and Jalen Pitre had the interception that did seal the game on the final play. Now, if Derek Stingley can come back healthy next season, and Kenyon Green can fulfill his potential at left guard, this rookie class will be dynamite, and I didn't even mention Dameon Pierce!The Texans are in the midst of a very conflicting emotional time for their fans. On the one hand, Texan fans love their team and want to see them do well, even at the end of a lost season. On the other hand, this win over the Titans last week has put the Texans dangerously close to falling out of the top draft slot, and they could wind up picking as low as fourth overall, if they win their final two games. Additionally, more winning theoretically means that there is a better chance Lovie Smith is brought back next season. In short, I will be anxious to see just how invested the NRG Stadium crowd is in seeing a win on Sunday, given that winning is actually detrimental to the long term draft capital prospects for the Texans.Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Nick Bosa, Cameron Heyward Earn NFL Defensive Player of the Week Honors For Week 16Former Buckeyes Nick Bosa and Cameron Heyward earn NFL Defensive Player of the Week honors for their performances in Week 16.
Read more »
Ramifications of Final Two Games on Texans NFL Draft ScenariosWhile watching the Houston Texans do some historically bad things for about a two-month period between Weeks 6 and 13 of the NFL season was painful and infuriating, at least there was clarity in the failure. If the Texans kept giving up 200 yards on the ground, while generating less...
Read more »
Week 17: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Running BacksBack-to-back games with 20+ touches have produced good, but not great point totals for the Week 17 RB Start of the Week Travis Etienne. That changes this week in a nice matchup against the Texans according to Michael_Fabiano
Read more »
Jaguars playing starters at Texans, going ‘full steam ahead’Doug Pederson has his Jacksonville Jaguars going “full steam ahead” as they prepare to play at rival Houston on Sunday,
Read more »
2023 NFL Mock Draft 3.0: Texans, Colts and Panthers Pick QBsAlabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Kentucky’s Will Levis land with QB-needy teams.
Read more »
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence wants to 'keep this momentum' rather than rest for Week 18Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence doesn't want to rest. He wants to keep the good vibes rolling.
Read more »