(Photo: A to Z Sports)

AFC Game Of The Week 

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans 

Jaguars: After getting embarrassed at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers, they were able to bounce back nicely against a struggling Tennessee Titans team in week 11. Everything just went right for them. The defense put a consistent amount of pressure on Will Levis, made timely stops, but my biggest takeaway was the performance of Trevor Lawrence. If you said this was his best game as an NFL Quarterback, you wouldn’t be wrong and numbers don’t lie. He completed 24 of his 32 pass attempts with 262 yards passing and two touchdown passes. Trevor also scored two more touchdowns running the ball. The biggest difference maker for this offense is Calvin Ridley and he’s built a tremendous chemistry with Trevor to form a nice tandem. It’s having that trust of your Quarterback that he can get you the football in different capacities and you make a play. This Jacksonville team has done well this year and Doug Pederson has done a nice job in keeping his football team focused. I was also proud of the defense they played because each time I’ve talked about the Jaguars on this site, what have I always mentioned? They’ve been great at what? Forcing those turnovers, but as a defense, that’s all you can’t depend and I also asked this question: If they aren’t turning the ball over, then what? They showed against the Titans they can still play a physical brand of defense by rushing the passer, playing back in coverage and swarming back to the football. If they can continue to play some consistent football, they can be a tough out down the stretch and heading into the playoffs. Health of course is also key not just for them, but any other team in our league. On Sunday afternoon, they will make their annual trip to Houston for a showdown with those Texans.

Texans: I saw DeMeco Ryans give Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Cowher an interview the other day and there was one thing that really stood out to me. Bill asked him what’s the one thing you want to implement here as Head Coach and his response was along the lines of “I want to be a leader of men. Even if I have you as a player for a year or past this year, I want you to be a good football player, but a greater man off the field”. That’s the type of coach I would play for today. DeMeco was a leader during his playing days and he’s bringing that same energy to the sidelines as a Head Coach. They have been one of the biggest surprises this year in all of the NFL. After struggling these last few years, the Houston Texans are sitting at 6-4 and in the midst of a playoff race in the AFC which I’m sure everyone expected, right? This is a young football team with a tremendously bright future. Let them continue to build this team up with youth and they’ll continue to trend in the right direction. C.J. Stroud has been phenomenal this year. There’s no question about that and he’s running away with the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. I’ve seen many people say he’s an MVP candidate. Let’s not go that far. Has he been good this year? Without question. I haven’t seen a young Quarterback with his poise in quite some time, but here’s my thing as well: MVP candidates are consistent throughout and he threw three interceptions in that close game against the Arizona Cardinals. Even in the game against the Bengals, C.J. played poor situational football. The Texans had the lead in Cincinnati along with the ball and he threw an interception at his own 30 yard line on third and two when they should’ve ran the ball. Also, I want to see him do this all again next year. That will tell me more. They have another home game on Sunday against the Jaguars.

Jaguars X-Factor: Travon Walker– He hasn’t panned out as most number one overall picks do, but for this defense, Travon is effective. He’s disruptive with a great first step and the burst to power himself to where he wants to get. I’ve also seen him play sideline to sideline when it comes to stopping the run. Travon is a scrappy football player and I noticed that during his college days playing for Kirby Smart at Georgia.

Texans X-Factor: Sheldon Rankins– Sheldon is such a smooth athlete for a man of his size. What I like about his style of play is how he’s still able to navigate through traffic (blockers) and still get home. I noticed this a few times in the game against the Bengals. Sheldon alone had 11 pressures and three sacks and it’s tough to record a sack in a football game, no matter the level you play at. This Texans defense is beginning to come together and he’s been a reason why.

Final Thoughts: When these two teams first met, the Texans went into Jacksonville and dominated the Jaguars. Don’t feel bad Jacksonville, everyone the Texans have played has overlooked them. You aren’t the only ones. Weeks and months later, here we are and these are the top two teams in the AFC South.  Jacksonville is a strong team when rushing for 100 or more yards and limiting their opponent to under 100 yards. Their game plan is very simple. Get after Stroud and don’t allow him to buy any time. It will also be key to get the Texans in many long yardage situations. For Houston, don’t allow this Jags defense to become opportunistic and turn the ball over to them. They will make you pay for it. Who would’ve thought this would be a marquee game in the NFL this week? Both of these Quarterbacks will see each other two times a season for years to come which will be fun to watch. I like Jacksonville to win a tough game on the road here in Houston. It’ll be a dog fight for sure.

Prediction: Jaguars 27, Texans 24