Jaguars vs. Texans: ‘It’s going to be a brawl’
Jacksonville put its last duel against Houston in the rear-view mirror, but Sunday pits the divisional rivals against each other again.
The Jaguars remain in London for their second overseas contest while the Texans travel for their first international game since 2019.
Houston (1-4) is fresh off its first win of 2026 when it beat Tennessee 26-3 last Sunday. Three of the Texans’ four losses have come down to one possession.
Jacksonville (4-1) eked out a win against Philadelphia on Cam Little’s walk-off field goal last Sunday. The Jaguars’ 19-17 victory was riddled with penalties and missed opportunities. The club was flagged 13 times and went 0-for-3 from the red zone.
“Every single game’s a learning opportunity,” Jags coach Liam Coen said. “Our guys are mature enough to understand where we could have been better.”
The Jaguars are 13-3 against the Texans since 2018. The last matchup was the most gut-wrenching, though.
Jacksonville blew a 19-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and let Houston march 93 yards on its final drive to take the lead 30-29 with 31 seconds left. The Jaguars had one timeout, but quarterback Trevor Lawrence was strip-sacked and Houston defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins closed out the game with a 32-yard fumble-recovery touchdown.
“[We] have a tough feeling in our stomachs from the last time we played against these guys,” Coen said. “Know that every time that you line up against this team, it’s going to be a fight. It’s going to be a brawl.”
The 36-29 loss ignited Jacksonville’s eight-game win streak to close out the regular season. Lawrence threw for 158 yards in the Week 10 defeat, but averaged 251 yards through the remainder of the year.
Lawrence is 3-7 against Houston in his six-year career, but both franchises look vastly different now compared to the last meeting. The Texans traded Sunday for Marvin Harrison Jr., the former fourth-overall selection in the 2024 draft and Arizona Cardinals wideout, adding a dynamic weapon to their offense.
Harrison posted 885 yards and eight touchdowns in his rookie season and 608 yards with four touchdowns through 12 games the following year. He had just five receptions for 85 yards before the trade.
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and Harrison were teammates at Ohio State in 2021 and 2022. Now, their connection will transfer over to the pros starting Sunday.
“I know Marvin’s smart and he works hard,” Coen said. “So, I would imagine that he’s going to be a part of their game plan and C.J. and him have a lot of chemistry and history together. There’s some unknown to truly how they’ll use him, but their system, they kind of run what they do, and they put the guys in positions to make plays and I think Marvin will probably be no different that way.”
While Harrison will have only a few days to study Houston’s playbook, Jacksonville is preparing for him to make his Texans debut. Sunday will mark the wideout’s first matchup against the Jaguars and first against an AFC South opponent since Oct. 12, 2025, against Indianapolis.
“Any given Sunday, anything can happen,” Coen said.
Sunday’s contest is set to kick off at 9:30 a.m. ET (NFL Network) from Wembley Stadium.
Category: Jacksonville Jaguars, NFL
