Jaguars Must Take Advantage of Incredible Opportunity vs. Texans

The Jacksonville Jaguars are entering one of their most important games of the 2025 NFL season in Week 10. In this upcoming matchup, they have a crucial opportunity to bury a division rival. They took care of business against the Houston Texans at home in Week 3, 17-10. Now, they go down to Texas to try to steal one on the road.

In a surprising twist, Houston is actually favored in this game, despite its 3-5 record compared to Jacksonville's 5-3 mark and its head-to-head loss to the Jaguars earlier this season. There's a strong chance that the line moves before Sunday, though, as it was recently announced that starting quarterback C.J. Stroud will be out in Week 10 due to a concussion he suffered in his last outing versus the Denver Broncos.

Fifth-year backup Davis Mills will take over under center in his stead. He played the majority of the game against the Broncos, finishing with 137 yards on 17-of-30 passing. With their star quarterback out, it'd be pretty surprising to see the Texans remain favored in this one, although the Jaguars haven't exactly had proven success against understudies in the past.

Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL, Houston Texans, C.J. Stroud — Sep 21, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) reacts after an interception in the 4th quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Jaguars have to take advantage of C.J. Stroud's absence

In Week 2, the Jacksonville Jaguars were gifted a golden opportunity, with Joe Burrow exiting their game against the Cincinnati Bengals after just a handful of drives. However, they were unable to capitalize on his absence, allowing Jake Browning to throw for 241 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-32 passing, sacking him just once.

Jake Browning has been absolutely horrendous since walking the Jaguars down 90 yards 🫠 https://t.co/AkevY6DcJ6
— Andy Quach (@NBA_QuachBoy) September 30, 2025

They were able to pick him off three times, but ultimately, it wasn't enough, as Browning went on to lead a 90-yard game-winning drive in the final minute of the contest. The Jaguars would like to say that C.J. Stroud's absence in their upcoming bout with the Houston Texans is a huge advantage, but that didn't prove to be the case in Week 3. Head Coach Liam Coen spoke on how he and his team are preparing for backup Davis Mills:

"Watching Davis Mills throw the football for a while — I remember him coming out of Stanford — he can spin the ball. He is a talent; he can throw the football. I've watched him in preseason games before, where he started games, and their offense was rolling. He gave Nico [Collins], I think on his like second throw of the game, a fade on the right sideline that was right here [motion to hands]. Talented."

"From a game plan, I know they've done a little bit more jumbo and being able to run the football with Woody [Marks] and doing a nice job that way. So, expect a similar plan in ways. It's more so maybe the mobility from C.J. [Stroud] that he can provide at times, extending plays on the boot game, getting him out on the perimeter, and maybe being able to use his legs as a weapon as well."

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