The Jacksonville Jaguars haven’t beaten the Houston Texans since Week 15 of 2017, which was also the last time the Jaguars swept Houston and won the AFC South.
How much of a threat is Jacksonville anyway when it comes to the race for the division?
Adam Schein at NFL.com ranked the Jaguars at the absolute bottom as the eighth-likeliest team to jump from worst to first.
The Jags had a fabulous draft — highlighted by the first three picks of C.J. Henderson, K’Lavon Chaisson and Laviska Shenault Jr. — with portends well for the future. But they are another offseason away from competing in this AFC South. Jacksonville can’t leap a bulldozing Titans team, a well-rounded Colts outfit and Deshaun Watson in a single bound.
Here is where Jacksonville could be dangerous for the Texans: playing the part of spoiler.
The Texans wrap up their season series with the Jaguars in Week 9 on Nov. 8 at TIAA Bank Field. That game won’t immediately decide the Texans or Jaguars’ qualification for the postseason in the way the Texans’ rematch with the Tennessee Titans in Week 17 or series with the Indianapolis Colts in Weeks 13 and 15 could.
How a loss to the Jaguars could affect the Texans is with their division record. In the Bill O’Brien era, the Texans have won the AFC South with division records of 5-1 (2015-16) and 4-2 (2018-19). If the Texans are 1-2 coming out of their series with the Jaguars (the first Titans game is Week 6), then it puts an even greater emphasis on their Colts series and rematch with the Titans as those games could decide the AFC South.
If the Texans continue their dominance of the Jaguars, sweeping them for the third straight year, then it pads Houston’s division record and gives them a margin for error as they finish off the regular season against Indianapolis twice and Tennessee at NRG Stadium.
