The last time the Houston Texans faced off against their AFC counterparts in Week 2, the Jacksonville Jaguars looked considerably different on the defensive side of the ball. All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey was still a part of the team and produced a solid game in the Jaguars’ 13-12 loss to the Texans.
In the loss, Ramsey shut down DeAndre Hopkins, as the All-Pro receiver recorded a season-low 40 yards on five catches. As the Texans prepare for their second meeting of the season against the Jaguars, Hopkins will not have to worry about playing against his kryptonite, as Jacksonville parted ways with Ramsey in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams.
With the tough assignment of who will cover Hopkins, the Jaguars have several corners who can step up to the challenge, quarterback Deshaun Watson is assuming that A.J. Bouye will cover Hopkins, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN via Twitter.
While CB Tre Herndon, an All-Pro corner in his own right, would have been an ideal fit, it is understandable why Watson is expecting Bouye to cover Hopkins. Bouye, 28, is a former Texans who played four seasons with the franchise (2013-2016) and Jacksonville’s defensive coordinator, Todd Wash, may use this to his advantage in his new attempt to defend Hopkins.
Regardless of who defends Hopkins, the Texans’ receiving corps should have a field day against a weakened Jaguars’ secondary that no longer features top flight talent in Ramsey.
The Jaguars and Texans are the second instance of an AFC South battle across the pond. The last time two AFC South teams played each other was in 2016 when the Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts 30-27 in overtime. Jacksonville at 4-4 seeks to take second place from the Texans, who are 5-3 on the season and a half-game out of first with the Colts holding the top spot with a 5-2 record.
