Texans 37, Jaguars 17: Game Balls

The Jaguars fell in disappointing fashion to the then-winless Texans, surrendering 17 unanswered points in the first half to a top-half offense. The Texans would never trail in the game, ultimately settling on a 37-17 victory over the Jaguars.

For quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the rest of the team, the next steps have become ‘watch the film’ and ‘burn the tape.’ It is another tough pill to swallow for a team that is a lowly 1-4 versus Houston since the Clemson product was drafted with the first overall pick.

The defense’s predictable holes were surprisingly stout on Sunday, holding Houston rushers to just 3.3 yards per carry behind some awesome individual efforts from linebackers Foyesade Oluokun and Devin Lloyd II. Where the Texans did the bulk of their damage was through the air; while defensive end Trevon Walker had his name called, the admittedly weak Jaguars secondary sorely needed a bigger impact behind the line of scrimmage from names like Josh Allen and Roy Robertson-Harris.

For the Texans, Sunday was a win that legitimized the culture second-year head coach DeMeco Ryans is attempting to instill; play hungry, eat well. The young Houston defense was flying around all afternoon, while quarterback C.J. Stroud’s phenomenal play–and Anthony Richardson’s crushing concussion–has made him the lone favorite to bring home Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

These are not the same Texans that Duvall faithful have grown accustomed to playing–and with the pieces they have now, they could be contenders in the AFC South for years to come. The Jaguars, however, have much loftier goals than beating the Houston Texans, and will need to quickly right the ship ahead of a trans-Atlantic contest against the Atlanta Falcons on Oct. 1.

In a game where so little went right for Jacksonville, some players still stood out and made plays when all hope seemed lost. Multiple Jaguars had solid performances against the Texans, made all the more impressive when considering the two-plus score lead they faced for a majority of the contest.

Offense: RB Travis Etienne

Running back Travis Etienne Jr. has quickly become one of the most integral parts of the Jaguars offense in his third NFL season. Following a foot injury that sidelined him for the entirety of his rookie year, the former Tiger had a ways to go to establish himself as the team’s top option on the ground.

For Jacksonville, Etinenne has been that and so much more.

Against the Texans Etienne toted the rock 19 times for 88 yards, good for 4.6 yards per attempt. His monster day didn’t stop there, as the shifty rusher was equally as effective through the air; he secured four of five targets for a career-best 50 receiving yards.

It was just the fourth time in his career the former first round pick logged 15 or more carries and 3 or more catches, and his third game of 150+ yards from scrimmage. For a prospect mired with major size concerns, this ‘workhorse’ usage suggests a level of trust and security not commonly found amongst NFL running backs.

Travis Etienne Jr. is one pace to finish the 2023-24 season just shy of 1,200 rushing yards… but well over 1,500 yards from scrimmage. Should this pace continue, his week three game ball will be the least of his year-end accolades.

Defense: LB Foyesade Oluokon

I’ll be the first to say it; this one was tough. When looking across both the defense and special teams it was difficult to make the call that felt right; Foyesade Oluokon’s performance on Sunday left no doubt.

Oluokon was the team’s most reliable and prolific tackler against the Texans–and has been all season. The seven-year veteran paced the Jaguars in both solo tackles with 8 and total tackles with 14, and added two tackles for loss for good measure.

Oluokon played a pivotal role in holding the Texans to just 3.3 yards per attempt on the ground, forcing stops in two crucial moments for the Jaguars’ comeback bid. Once on 2nd down on the Texan’s opening drive of the second half, and another on the ensuing drive; Houston was forced into third and 6 and 7 respectively, failed to convert, and punted on fourth down.

It was the former-Falcon’s 11th game as a Jaguar with at least 14 total tackles, and his third straight with 10 or more. Without Oluokon patrolling the line of scrimmage, it’s hard to imagine just how much more damage the Texans could have done.

Oluokon played his role extremely well, and did his best to try and light a spark on defense.

Special Teams: P Logan Cooke

In one of sport’s more disappointing back-to-back’s, punter Logan Cooke has secured the prestigious honor of being 2023’s first repeat game ball winner. In a game where the Jacksonville offense appeared stuck in the mud, Cooke’s services were only required twice.

Cooke, however, made the very most of them.

Despite only attempting two punts, Cooke served up 94 piping-hot yards of special teams offense and downed the Texans on or behind their 20-yard line on both occasions. Once in the form of the touchback, and the other being downed at the Houston 15-yard line.

Both times the Texans couldn’t overcome the field position, and were forced to punt right back. Cooke’s impact on the game could have been far more imposing should the game script have tilted in his favor.

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