The Texans (3-5) complete their three game homestand today against their AFC South counterparts in the Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3). Houston is 1-1 during this stretch, including a 26-15 throttling of the 49ers and an equally as disappointing 18-15 misfire against the Denver Broncos (8-2). 

This is arguably their most pivotal game of the season, as they look to stave off what would be a death blow of another loss to Jacksonville. At 3-5, they can ill afford to drop yet another game when their AFC playoff hopes are on life support at best.

To make matters worse, Houston has already faced head coach Liam Coen and co. in week three and things didn't turn out too well. 

After Round One, Advantage Jaguars

The Texans fell in round one of this series, falling 17-10 to the Jaguars at EverBank Stadium on a last second interception of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud after his arm was hit on a pass attempt by Jaguars Pro-Bowl defensive end Josh Hines-Allen.

The loss dropped them to 0-3 and was instrumental in causing the downward spiral that has led to this flashpoint moment. Questions about the coaching staff and immediate future of the front office now abound, as Houston has been scrambling to find any kind of real answer for how to turn their campaign around since then. 

For competitive context, they are essentially at a 3.0 game disadvantage due to the combination of overall record and the aforementioned tiebreaker scenario. 

However, Houston has an opportunity to at least begin chipping away at Jacksonville's lead by going out in front of a raucous NRG crowd and winning round two of their divisional faceoff. 

Same Teams, New Faces

This time around however, the home team will not have the services of a number of key pieces. Names like Stroud, defensive back Jalen Pitre, kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn and offensive lineman Ed Ingram and Tytus Howard have officially been declared out for Sunday due to varying ailments (Houston signed cornerback Damon Arnette and kicker Matthew Wright for the game). 

They're not alone in that regard, as Jacksonville will also be missing essential pieces like wide receiver/defensive back Travis Hunter and receiver Brian Thomas Jr. Although, the Jaguars did swing a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders to acquire a replacement pass catcher in the form of Jakobi Meyers. 

Mills In The Driver's Seat?

In place of Stroud will be backup quarterback Davis Mills, who is looking for his first NFL victory as a starter since week 18 of 2023 against the Colts in "that game" that had "that drive" with "that two-point conversion" (Texans fans, if you know, you know). 

It will be Mills vs. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence again, with Mills having the all time advantage 2-1 against Jacksonville since his debut in 2021. 

In addition to Mills, Houston will also be fielding the league's #1 overall defense yet again to cause mayhem for Lawrence. As has been the case since week one, their top-ranked unit will provide them the best chance of ending Sunday's afternoon's game with a W. 

Best Vs. Worst Case Scenario

If that were to be the case, ending the day at 4-5 with a chance at .500 against Tennessee next week would be an incredibly impactful swing for the club. If they could somehow manage to escape this homestand at 5-5, all while get key pieces back healthy, the last seven games all of a sudden become a lot more interesting.

On the flip side,  3-6 would spell certain disaster for the final season stretch. They would be closer to a top-10 pick in the 2026 draft, joining the likes of the Raiders, Jets, Dolphins, Browns, Titans and Giants. 

Do you think Mills and the league's top defense stand tall and deliver a season changing victory? Or, will the Jaguars take advantage of a depleted Texans roster and put the final nail in the coffin of what many will perceive to be a failed season? 

Let us know if the comment section below, or on the official Texans Roundtable X account (@Texans_RTB)!

How To Watch

Date/Time: Sunday, November 9th @ 12:00 p.m.

Where: NRG Stadium, Houston, TX- TV

Broadcast: CBS- Stream: NFL+, Paramount+-

Radio: SportsRadio 610 AM, The Bull 100.3 FM, Audacy app, Texans app | Marc Vandermeer, Andre Ware, John Harris-

Spanish Radio: Mega 101 FM, Enrique Vasquez (Play-by-Play) & Gustavo Rangel (Color Analyst)