This Sunday the Jacksonville Jaguars face off against their first AFC South rivals of 2019: the Houston Texans. While the Texans may be a familiar foe, Jacksonville will still have to make sure they win some key matchups in order to get back to a .500 record.
Here are four matchups to watch this Sunday as the Jaguars and Texans square off:
Jalen Ramsey vs. DeAndre Hopkins
Jalen Ramsey and DeAndre Hopkins have given NFL fans one of the most contested and heated rivalries in football. Both players play with a certain fierceness about them and won’t back down to anyone. Hopkins has become the league’s best receiver and finally has a consistent quarterback to get him the ball.
Ramsey, who many consider to be the league’s best shut down corner, will line up almost exclusively against Hopkins on Sunday. Being in-division rivals, the two have a strong history going against one another. While it may be a matchup that we have seen before, it remains must-see television.
Jaguars offensive line vs. J.J. Watt
The Jaguars had their hands full with Chiefs’ defensive end, Frank Clark, this past weekend, but J.J. Watt is just built differently. The former defensive player of the year has been a thorn in the Jaguars’ side for quite some time. He remains one of the league’s most dominant players and stopping Watt will be a key to this game.
The line will have to keep rookie quarterback Gardner Minshew upright and give the young passer as much time as possible. Minshew looked exceptional in his debut, but it will be up to the Jaguars to protect and support Minshew the best they can in order to win. Keeping Watt at bay would tremendously help the “Mustached Wonder” and the Jags’ chances to win.
Gardner Minshew vs. Nerves
I’m not sure anyone expected Minshew to be the Jaguars’ starting quarterback just seven minutes into the season, not even Minshew himself. The 23-year-old passer handled himself admirably going on to complete his first 13 passes, which hasn’t been done by a quarterback since 1991. Minshew was poised and decisive with the football, making sure not to let the moment get too big for himself. The Jaguars would still fall to the Chiefs, but not to any fault from Minshew.
For Minshew, now comes the hard part, consistency. Minshew is now an NFL starter, and Jacksonville will not know how he will respond to the pressure until he’s in the game. Minshew will have to play at an NFL starting level if the Jaguars hope to remain a playoff contender. The Jaguars have been without consistent quarterback play for a majority of their history. However, if Minshew can keep the ball safe and deliver the ball into the hands of play-making receivers, like DJ Chark and Dede Westbrook, the Jaguars might just have a chance to still win the division.
Myles Jack vs. Duke Johnson Jr.
Myles Jack probably had his worst game as a Jaguar this past Sunday. The recently extended team-captain was ejected after throwing a punch at a Chiefs player. The team will be counting on his return this weekend as they travel to Houston to face off against quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Duke Johnson Jr.
The Texans traded for Johnson last month, looking for an extra weapon on offense to help Watson. Johnson is a lethal weapon out of the backfield and is a pass-catching specialist. While he can hurt you in the run game as well, it will be key for Jack to make sure Johnson doesn’t bust off any large gains. Jacksonville’s defense was susceptible to the big play this past week and need to make sure it doesn’t allow the big play to kill the team’s chances this Sunday.
