5 Bold Observations on Jaguars' Critical Home Win Over Texans

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars needed that one.

Staring down the barrel of a second loss they let slip through their fingers, the Jaguars rallied late and put the Houston Texans away in an ugly 17-10 win.

So, what do we make of the Jaguars' Week 3 win? We break it down below.

The Jaguars Needed an Ugly Win

Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen reads a play during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Frankly, we learned more about the Jaguars during this game than we did in their Week 1 blowout of the Carolina Panthers and their close loss last week to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Jaguars had to truly stay the course and show their mettle for all 60 minutes on Sunday, and they won in a fashion that the franchise has simply lost over and over again in recent years.

The Jaguars did not make it look pretty. It was far from easy. But the Jaguars proved they can finally win the tough ones, because they got all the evidence they needed from this bar room brawl of a game against a hated rival.

Passing Game Takes a Step Back

Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) prepares to throw the ball during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The Jaguars' passing game was so-so in Week 1. In Week 2, it got better but still needed to be more consistent. In Week 3, it fell off a cliff until Brian Thomas' big redemption catch to set up Travis Etienne's game-winning touchdown. And the biggest issue for the Jaguars is that it seems like they can't really point to just one thing.

From penalties to drops to misfires from Trevor Lawrence, the passing attack failed on multiple levels on Sunday. The Jaguars will need to have all hands on deck to turn this part of their team around quickly, because they can't rely on the defense to continue to generate turnovers at this high of a clip. It is just not sustainable.

Josh Hines-Allen Continues Texans Dominance

Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) looks on during the third quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is hard to think of any team that a single Jaguars player has had more success against in recent years than the success Josh Hines-Allen has had against the Texans. Hines-Allen has been dominating the Texans' offensive line for years now, and he continued the trend on Sunday with one of the most impactful games of his career.

Hines-Allen's 0.5-sack, three-quarterback hit stat line does not even come close to telling the story. There were several drives where he alone got the Jaguars off the field, and the fact he was the one to tip CJ Stroud's final pass into the hands of Antonio Johnson was a poetic ending to his elite showing.

Special Teams Don't Look Special

Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little (39) kicks the ball during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Outside of the passing game, the Jaguars have to be concerned with the state of their special teams unit. It has been arguably the strength of the team for a few years now, but it has had a slow start to 2025 and on Sunday it finally came to a head.

Cam Little missed a very makeable field goal that he normally hits in his sleep, while Logan Cooke had several short punts that put the Jaguars' defense in bad field position. The Jaguars will need to see this unit improve quickly.

Play of the Day

Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Tyson Campbell (3) strips the ball from Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) during the fourth quarter between the Houston Texans and the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday September 21, 2025 at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The play of the day has to be Tyson Campbell's forced fumble on Nico Collins. Without it, the Texans take a late 13-10 lead and a struggling Jaguars offense would have had to put together a drive without any momentum.

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