“You’ve got to be sticky at times in coverage,” said Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke about stopping Lawrence.
Every game for the Houston Texans from Week 10 until the end of the regular season is a ‘Must Win.’
With a 3-5 record, Houston has backed itself into a corner, and unless it can catch lightning in a bottle, it will be watching the rest of the AFC pull away from it from that same corner.
The Texans suffered a costly 18-15 loss against the Denver Broncos, not only in the loss column, but in player personnel, as their mid-week injury report looks like a grocery list with as many players as they have on it, led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, offensive lineman Tytus Howard, and defensive back Jalen Pitre, who are all in concussion protocol.
Stroud and Howard have already been ruled out of Sunday’s game, with Pitre’s chances looking bleak. To make matters worse, Houston will also be without kicker Kaimi Fairbairn, who is recovering from a quadricep injury.
Their nearly impossible road begins Sunday against divisional rival, the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are in a position to gain ground in the standings with a win over the Texans. One player that Houston will focus on is Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who helped lead his team to a gut-wrenching 30-29 overtime win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
@Scott Galvin - Imagn Images“You’ve got to be sticky at times in coverage,” said Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke about stopping Lawrence. “If we’re off too far or there’s space in zones or passing game, whatever coverage you’re in, he’ll [ Trevor Lawrence] take it. He’s very good at seeing open space in the field and in zones and getting the ball out there.
“So, when we are in zones, if we’re matching up or we got to be tight in what we’re doing or if it’s a time to be sticky or get man-on-man or body on, then we got to do that and try to take some of those throws away. They’ve [the Jacksonville Jaguars] done a really good job. Again, schematically, they do a good job of trying to create that space.”
Jacksonville acquired wide receiver Jakobi Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders before the NFL trade deadline, adding another offensive weapon alongside dynamic wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for Lawrence. Meyers will have limited time to get acclimated to the Jaguars’ offense on such a short week.
However, the Texans’ defenders will still have their eyes on him, knowing his past productive efforts in 2024, when he had 87 receptions for 1,027 receiving yards with the Raiders.
“You know what type of player Jakobi is,” said Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. “We know he is a reliable guy, and you study him as much as you can and see where he may fit in.”
Houston hopes to finish their three-game homestand with a 2-1 record by beating Jacksonville, keeping some hope alive for a third straight playoff appearance.