Jacksonville Jaguars Vs. Houston Texans: What To Look For

The Houston Texans are walking into Week 17 with some swagger!

After undertaking one their best performances of the season against a solid football team, the Baltimore Ravens, they look to close the season out with a win.

They also look to hopefully clinch a playoff berth with the help they need from the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Browns to win their games.

The outlook for that to happen remains dicey as both of their starting quarterbacks are banged up and are using their respective backups in those games.

But the fact that they have a chance and that they’ll likely finish 9-7 — a seven-game win improvement over last season — shows how far they’ve come.

I can’t continue to praise the coachingstaff enough for what they’ve done this season with virtually the same unit from last year.

It will be interesting see how this all plays out Sunday and I’m sure we’ll all be keeping our eyes on the San Diego Chargers/Chiefs and Ravens/Browns games!

Although the Texans were lagging behind early in their last contest Dec. 7th versus the Jacksonville Jaguars, they went to their running game in the 2nd half to defeat them 27-13. They ended with 173 yards on the ground — mostly from the 127 yards that Arian Foster was able rack up when he was needed the most

I expect near-dominance by the Texans as the Jags have absolutely nothing to play for but it should still be a somewhat competitive match up.

Here’s some things to look for position-wise as both teams take the field:

Dec 7, 2014; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback

Blake Bortles

(5) looks for a receiver as Houston Texans defensive end

J.J. Watt

(99) closes in during the fourth quarter of their game at EverBank Field. The Houston Texans won 27-13. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

QUARTERBACK: Case Keenum looked quite solid as he managed the game well enough to help the Texans defeat the Ravens last week. Bill O’Brien seemed to keep him on a short leash with a limited package of plays to run that were quite effective. His first drive down field was a productive one — it was for 63 yards and he went 4-for-6 while doing that. Although the team didn’t score, Randy Bullock was available to bang in a 35-yarder. I expect Bill to loosen the leash a bit for today as he seems a bit more comfortable with his role out there. The Jags are 20th in pass defense, giving up 244 yards per game so Case should have lots of opportunities to throw. This will likely be the best statistical game of his career with the Texans. The Jags lead the league in total sacks (46.0) so he’ll need some help from the offensive line to keep him protected. On the other hand, we will see Blake Bortles for the last time this season. He has had it rough — getting abused left and right but continues to get up and do battle. That guy can certainly take a hit — he has been sacked 50 times this season including three by J.J. Watt and one by Brooks Reed in the last contest. I think he’ll have a tough time against our secondary unit — I’m sure they’re still energized from their admirable performance against the Ravens last week. Bortles has passed for 11 touchdowns to 17 interceptions for 2,791 yards with a 70.8 rating this season — he took over the starting QB role for good Week 4. The Texans are 24th in pass defense giving up 252 yards per game but I think it won’t matter this game — they won’t disappoint.

Dec 21, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans running back Arian Foster (23) rushes during the second quarter as Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker

Terrell Suggs

(55) attempts to make a tackle at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

RUNNING BACK: Foster had an easy time against a weak defensive line in the last contest. His performance was pivotal in the Texans beating the Jags as they had struggled to put points on the board previously. I expect Foster to hit that century mark one last time this season. The Jags are 27th in rush defense giving up 127 yards per game — it will happen. Alfred Blue will be there if needed but likely will not be — Arian’s got this! The Texans defensive line is one of the strongest in the NFL — they held the Jags to 74 yards rushing in the last contest with Denard Robinson being the leading rusher with only 30 yards off 10 carries. The Texans are now 11th in run defense, giving up 104 yards per game. They still will have Toby Gerhart and Bortles using his legs if needed but I don’t see them getting much, if any yards. I see total domination by our D-line!

Dec 21, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver

Andre Johnson

(80) makes a reception during the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

WIDE RECEIVER: There should be plenty of opportunities for our wide outs to be targeted. I don’t see any reason as to why Andre Johnson would not be able to net 75 to 100 yards tomorrow. Keenum loves to target Johnson so expect for him to get a lot of touches. He had 65 yards off six catches last week including a beautiful 35-yard catch. DeAndre Hopkins will be around to help pitch in along with Damaris Johnson as well. With as bad as the Jags are defending the pass, we can bank on it.

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TIGHT END: The Texans are starting to use their tight ends a bit more as the season has progressed. With Garrett Graham out with an ankle injury, it’s up to Ryan Griffin to take the lead as far as targets. Griffin had 25 yards off three catches last week against the Ravens and one 25-yard catch against the Jags in their last meeting. C.J. Fiedorowicz will pick up the rest of the slack — he had two catches for 12 yards last week. The Texans need to continue to keep their eyes peeled for Marcedes Lewis, who is the longest-tenured Jag and still has the ability to catch the deep ball. He was the Jags’ leading receiver in the last meeting with 69 yards off three catches, including an incredible 35-yard catch.

Dec 21, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans cornerback

Kareem Jackson

(25) celebrates after making an interception during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSE (FRONT 7 & SECONDARY): This unit was the reason why the Texans won last week! It was a gritty, all-out effort and they helped keep the momentum shift mostly in the Texans’ favor. I expect another awesome performance out of this group as they look to dominate the lowly 3-12 Jaguars. Watt will get through the thin-as-tissue paper O-line the Jags have and put Bortles on his back. The secondary will work to repeat that performance — Kareem Jackson had two picks along with one by A.J. Bouye as well. The Texans just have to keep an eye on their defense somewhat — they lead the league in sacks with 46.0 and Sen’Derrick Marks has 8.5 of them. They also are 4th in the league in interceptions with 20 of those.

And there you have it — lots to look for as the Texans willattempt to do everything they can n to give themselves a shot to play for another week. The Jags are already thinking about next season.

The Texans take on the Jags in the home/season finale at NRG Stadium today.

Kick-off is scheduled for noon CST.

The game will be televised on FOX and broadcast on 610 SportsRadio AM/100.3 FM (KILT).

Go Texans!

Next: Week 17 Injury Report: Jacksonville Jaguars Vs. Houston Texans

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