8 Instant Observations From Jaguars' Shootout Loss to Texans: Travis Hunter's Day Wasted

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars got into a shootout on Sunday, and they came out with a loss.

The Jaguars lost 34-31 to the Houston Texans in Week 6 after a 49-yard field goal from Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn as time expired, and the Jaguars have now dropped down to 4-2. So, what did we see from the Jaguars in the close loss? We break it down below.

The Defense Wasn't Good Enough

The Jaguars had their worst defensive performance of the year on Sunday, and it came at the worst time. It might be time to consider whether the Jaguars simply have issues with Nick Caley and his scheme considering the Jaguars have now allowed big offensive days from the Texans' offense in back-to-back games, including one time to Davis Mills. I saw this coming in a sense considering I predicted a shootout, but it didn't happen exactly how I thought it would.

The Texans had much more rushing success against the Jaguars than I expected them to have in really any scenario. The passing game is ultimately what killed the Jaguars since C.J. Stroud went 24-of-32 for 312 yards and three touchdowns, but the Jaguars also gave up a 25-yard rushing touchdown and allowed the Texans to rush 25 times for 114 yards with a 4.6 average. The Jaguars can't afford to allow explosive plays at a high clip and not shut-down the run.

Jaguars Had Yet Another Self-Inflicted Slow Start

The Jaguars have had some slow starts in recent weeks, and it has been self-inflicted nearly every time. Houston has a good defense, but the Jaguars moved the ball to start the game ... until they started dropping it. The Jaguars' second play from scrimmage was snapped at the Texans' 46 thanks a to a 24-yard catch by Brenton Strange on the first play, but the Jaguars then saw Brian Thomas Jr. drop an easy 2nd-and-7 target that would have been a clear first down in field goal territory. The Jaguars would end up punting.

Then on the second drive, the Jaguars were able to use the field position game to start the ball at their own 45 and move it to the a 2nd-and-3 from the Texans' 37. What should have been an easy conversion was instead followed by three consecutive incompletions to Parker Washington, with at least one drop and one other rep that was iffy. Lawrence then nearly threw an incompletion on fourth-down, turning the ball over and setting the Texans up with a short field.

Then there was the Tuten touchdown. The Jaguars had a great drive set up by the running game that saw Bhayshul Tuten score from three yards out before Brenton Strange was hit with a holding call, negating the score and giving the Jaguars 2nd-and-Goal from the 13. It wasn't a good call, but it was another example of the Jaguars' offense going backward as a result of penalties. Then Lawrence threw an interception to end the drive and take away points.

Coen Needs to Start Taking the Points

I do not think there is reason to fault Liam Coen much with not taking the points a week ago against the Eagles. Coen went for it on fourth-down twice near the goal-line last week instead of kicking field goals and got zero points out of it, but that had a lot more to do with the Jaguars not having a long-snapper than anything else. With that said, Coen had a long-snapper this time and still opted to go for it on fourth-down instead of getting three points from Cam Little, and it ended up costing the Jaguars.

Facing 4th-and-3 from the Texans' 37, Coen opted for a pass play instead of the field goal and saw the play result in an incompletion. Five plays later, the Texans finished a touchdown drive that saw them start with the ball on their own 38, giving them a 7-0 lead directly because of Coen's decision. There are of course times when it makes sense to for it, but early in a divisonal game should have been a field goal and an early 3-0 lead.

The End of Half Scenario Was Brutal

The Jaguars were feeing good on the heels of Tuten's second touchdown. The Texans had just 48 seconds with the ball before halftime, and it felt like the Jaguars were about to enter halftime with a much-needed lead. The Texans quickly ruined those good feelings with a bomb from C.J. Stroud to Jaylin Noel for 50 yards to put the ball on the Jaguars' 13, putting the Texans in the red-zone and easy field goal range. Giving up three points there isn't ideal, but you can live with a 14-3 halftime lead.

Then after a Texans false start made it 1st-and-15 from the Jaguars' 18, Travis Hunter was hit with a defensive pass-interference call against Nico Collins that felt as inexcusable as the holding call on Strange earlier. A few plays later, Stroud dropped a perfect pass to Foster Moreau to give the Texans a 17-14 lead. The Jaguars were the ones who let Stroud get it to their front door, and they have nobody but themselves to blame. Speaking of ...

The Jaguars Committed Their Worst Penalty of the Year

The Jaguars have had a lot of costly penalties this season, taking touchdowns and interceptions off the board and really keeping the Jaguars from being at their best. But the worst penalty of the 2026 season pretty easily was the 12 men on the field penalty thrown on the Jaguars on the first drive of the second-half. The Jaguars' defense held the Texas to a 3-and-out and had them setting up to punt on 4th-and-1 but ... Travis Hunter just never got off the field. He did, eventually, but it was too late and gave Houston a first-down.

Jacksonville's defense then continued to get shredded against Stroud and the Texans' passing game, with Stroud finishing off the half's opening drive with a 13-yard pass to Noel to give him his third touchdown of the game. That was a seven-point penalty by Hunter, and it happened on a play that was completely and utterly preventable.

Brian Thomas Jr.'s Performances Could Tank his Trade Value

One would think that, if the Jaguars really wanted to trade Brian Thomas Jr., they would have no issue doing so. He is clearly set to be the most valuable wide receiver that teams are set to call about with Marvin Harrison Jr. off the market, and the fact that Harrison went for such a solid package of draft picks should only make things easier for the Jaguars. With that in mind, it is tough to say that the recent performances from Thomas are alarming enough that they could start to tank his trade value.

The Jaguars saw Thomas have some serious issues in previous weeks, such as multiple drops against the Denver Broncos in Week 2. In the four games since then, Thomas has caught three passes for 25 yards and a touchdown on eight targets. He saw two targets in the first-half on Sunday, but both hit his hands in critical moments and ended up on the ground. He did not log a second-half snap after that, and it is time to wonder if they are better off benching him to preserve his trade value.

Put That in Your Consensus Board

Nate Boerkircher is not going to have many games where he is just racking up the catches and is toasting secondaries, at least not as a rookie. That is not his game, and it is not the role the Jaguars need him to play this year. For the role the Jaguars need him for and drafted him for, he has done his job very well. It culminated in his first-career touchdown on a one-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence that was simply a grown-man play.

Nate Boerkircher with the INSANE one-handed touchdown catch!

HOUvsJAX on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/oBhAyPowx9
— NFL (@NFL) October 18, 2026

That play, of course, has plenty of people reminding those around the NFL that the Jaguars were absolutely killed for the Boerkircher pick. It is a reminder that draft discourse a lot of times is, well, just that. Nothing really matters until the games have been played and, so far, Boerkircher has been a good pick for the Jaguars.

The Travis Hunter Game

What a special player that Travis Hunter is. He has already made several spectacular plays for the Jaguars this season that have put his skill set on display for all to see. Most of that has come on defense, but on Sunday Hunter got in on the offense too. He had a 19-yard catch in the first-half to set the Jaguars up for a touchdown, but he did much more than that at the start of the fourth-quarter with three catches for 40 yards and a seven-yard touchdown to make it a 31-28 game and give him his second-career touchdown.

On the next drive, Houston drove the ball down Jacksonville's spine and got it all the way to a 2nd-and-Goal from the Jaguars' four. Hunter recorded his second interception of the season in the end-zone to save points, though, and to set up Cam Little for a game-tying 60-yard field goal. Travis Hunter did everything he could to will the Jaguars to a win here.

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