Jaguars vs. Texans: Week 9 Game Day Live Thread
The 4-4 Jacksonville Jaguars will look to get a huge win in London today over AFC South rival Houston Texans, a 5-3 team who has been near the top of the division for each of the past two seasons.
With the AFC South divisional race being as tight as it is, every single game is huge for the Jaguars but divisional games mean even more. A win today would send Jacksonville into the bye with strong positioning in the division before they take on the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11.
Join us here for all of the live updates for Jaguars vs. Texans, and join in the conversation yourself in the comments below:
7:56 a.m.: Texans may be without their star offensive tackle vs. the Jaguars dangerous pass rush.
8:00 a.m.: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network with a Gardner Minshew/Nick Foles update.
9:14 a.m.: The Laremy Tunsil injury appears to have made an impression on oddsmakers.
Inactives:
Analysis: Jacksonville will be missing a few key players today, such as slot wide receiver Dede Westbrook and nickel corner D.J. Hayden. Linebacker Najee Goode will be back at weakside linebacker, with Quincy Williams still out with a hamstring injury. Expect Michael Walker to return punts and Keelan Cole to take Westbrook's spot in three-receiver sets.
As for the Texans, they are missing three of their top four cornerbacks, their No. 2 wide receiver and, now, their stud left tackle in Laremy Tunsil. That is a huge break for a Jaguars pass rush that has flipped a switch over the last few weeks.
First Quarter
15:00: The Jaguars have won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. The Texans get the ball first.
14:46: Deshaun Watson picks up a first down on his first pass, a throw over the middle to DeAndre Carter.
12:03: Watson tests A.J. Bouye deep and tries to get it to DeAndre Hopkins, but Bouye does a nice job of contesting the pass and forcing it out of bounds.
11:11: Watson scrambles on 3rd down as the pocket collapses, picks up the first down with a 5-yard run.
10:34: Watson tried to hit Carlos Hyde deep down the field but Ronnie Harrison made a terrific play to knock it out of his hands. The Texans pick up a blindside block penalty too, making it 1st & 25.
10:13: Watson hits Duke Johnson for a 21-yard gain on 1st & 35, a major gaffe by Jacksonville. They can not bring him down no matter how many hands they get on him.
8:53: Thanks to three penalties in four plays by the Texans, Jaguars get bailed out of a strong opening drive. Texans still hit a 52-yard field goal to give them points.
Texans 3, Jaguars 0.
7:00: DJ Chark bails Gardner Minshew out on two consecutive high passes to move the chains. He has had fantastic ball skills this season.
5:37: Jaguars forced to punt after four plays. Minshew had a running lane but threw an incompletion to Leonard Fournette out of the flat.
4:12: Kenny Stills makes an incredible catch in tight coverage over Tre Herndon on 3rd down to move the chains for Houston.
2:37: Dawuane Smoot gets some interior pressure and forces Watson to break out of the pocket. He tries to get it to the tight end for the 1st but Ronnie Harison gets his second pass breakup of the day.
1:21: Leonard Fournette trucks Johnathan Joseph on an impressive seven-yard run. He has done a much better job of breaking tackles this year, and it showed there.
Second Quarter
14:48: Cam Robinson false starts on 3rd down, and then Minshew's dumpoff to Fournette on 3rd & 15 only gets seven. A ton of short passes for Jacksonville so far, for some reason.
11:32: Watson scrambles all over the field to hit Duke Johnson for a 1st down throw. He just keeps running out of sacks, he made Yannick Ngakoue look silly that time.
9:46: Calais Campbell and Abry Jones get a good run stop to force 4th down, but Texans pick it up on a pass to Jordan Akins.
6:00: Deshaun Watson embarrasses Jacksonville's defenders on several occasions to get Houston to the goal line, then tosses a one-yard touchdown pass to Darren Fells.
5:55: Jaguars block the point after attempt to keep Houston to under 10 points.
Texans 9, Jaguars 0.
4:40: Gardner Minshew throws a 38-yard pass to Ryquell Armstead on 3rd down after Minshew evaded several defenders. Great run in space after catch by the rookie running back.
1:52: Jaguars can't make it happen in the red-zone yet again, have to settle for a 30-yard Josh Lambo field goal following a few incompletions.
Texans 9, Jaguars 3.
0:40: Texans are 4/7 on 3rd down, have 13 first downs already too. Nothing Jacksonville is doing on defense is working because Watson simply has all the answers.
0:06: Texans miss a 59-yard field goal right before the half, Jaguars will get the ball near their 47-yard line.
Third Quarter
13:58: Keelan Cole picks up 19 yards on an impressive catch and run following a screen pass. He needs to step up big in this second half.
11:27: Minshew scrambles and breaks a tackle to get nine-yards and the 1st. Jaguars' offense moving the ball.
9:03: Jaguars forced to a field goal after an OPI and a missed DPI call stall their drive, but get zero points due to a botched snap and hold on the field goal.
8:00: These officials have been terrible. Called a personal foul on Calais Campbell for hitting Watson with his forearm?
6:00: Taven Bryan keeps drawing some holds, but he keeps disrupting the pocket and OL. Nice run stop on 2nd down.
5:44: Calais Campbell finally gets to Deshaun Watson on 3rd down, forcing Texans to settle with a 42-yard field goal. Jacksonville's offense needs points ina big way.
Texans 12, Jaguars 3.
3:47: Minshew scrambles and reaches the ball out to barely pick up a big nine-yard conversion on 3rd down.
2:50: Texans blitz on 3rd down and force a Minshew incompletion. DeFilippo can't scheme anything so far.
1:40: Carlos Hyde with a huge 48-yard run around the right side.. Jaguars reeling right now.
0:31: Duke Johnson takes a stretch run into the end zone, giving Texans a 16-point lead. This one is likely over.
Texans 19, Jaguars 3.
Fourth Quarter
11:40: Minshew hits Chris Conley on an extended play for 20 yards after falling into a 3rd & 15 hole. Nice job stepping in the pocket and finding the open man in the middle of the zone.
11:05: Minshew fails to connect with Chark on 3rd down. Just an inept day on offense.
10:58: Chris Conley drops a 4th down pass inside the five-yard line. His second drop today, but Doug Marrone will challenge it.
10:57: Jaguars lose the challenge, as was always going to be the case.
9:04: Jaguars will get the ball back after forcing a Texans punt due to stingy pass coverage by A.J. Bouye, though it does not matter much.
6:15: Minshew tosses an interception over the middle to effectively end this game for Jacksonville.
4:55: Jarrod Wilson forces a fumble on a big Carlos Hyde run to prevent a touchdown. Game is already
4:50: Minshew throws an INT on very next play. Goodness.
3:30: Watson just threw another touchdown. This game has been over for awhile.
Texans 26, Jaguars 3.
2:45: Gardner Minshew just fumbled and had his third turnover in three plays. Foles time in Week 11, it appears.
0:10: Minshew really just turned it over again on the final play. The horror, the horror.
