Stay in this business long enough and you’ll meet people on the other side. That’s especially true within the AFC South when we have these games twice a season. Gus Logo of Big Cat Country and I do this in all five seasons I do the five questions. The Jaguars have been the main rival for the Texans as it pertains to the playoffs and this year is no different. This time the interdivision battle heads to London. The 4-1 Jaguars stand between the Texans and are back in the playoff conversation. We started with the London angle.
Battle Red Blog: Jacksonville has been the unofficial home team in London for several years. Do you see giving them major advantages on Sunday?
Gus Logo: Not really. Jacksonville was the “home” team in last week’s game against Philadelphia, but apparently Eagles fans outnumbered Jaguars fans 10-to-1.
The familiarity of traveling abroad can be an advantage, but really, the Jaguars’ biggest advantage this week is the simple fact that they’re already in London. Texans still had to cross an ocean and adapt themselves to a new continent.
After the win against the Eagles, Liam Coen said, “We really didn’t practice well last week. It was one of those weird weeks, because we got a bit nicked up, and then you got the travel.” I expect the Jaguars to play a cleaner game against the Texans than they did against the Eagles, even though Houston is the tougher opponent.
BRB: It’s Travis Hunter’s second year of experience. How is that? What does the breakdown between offensive and defensive snaps look like?
GL: Excellent, thanks for asking!
After playing 67% of the offensive snaps and 36% of the defensive snaps as a rookie, Hunter is now being deployed full-time as the starting cornerback while seeing several offensive snaps per game. He had a 1st down catch on an option route last week.
His defensive tape is very encouraging. Through the first two weeks of the season, Hunter has looked really solid, but has been a bit hesitant to return from the knee injury that cut his rookie season short. It didn’t take long for him to regain his swagger, as Hunter has looked like a field-tilting, quarterback-baiting, difference-making CB over the past month.
BRB: Are there any new faces in Jacksonville that will have a big impact on Sunday’s outcome?
GL: All-Pro long snapper Ross Matiscik was injured last week, so the Jaguars will fly someone in to fill his spot (although nose tackle DaVon Hamilton filled in admirably).
I don’t know who will replace Matiscik yet, but beyond that spot, keep an eye on rookie receiver Josh Cameron. He hasn’t out-snapped Brian Thomas Jr., but it’s not bold to say he’s fighting him.
It’s also worth shouting out running backs Bhayshul Tuten and Ventrell Miller, as they’re everything Jacksonville hoped for after letting Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd walk in free agency. PFF graded Tuten and Miller as the top players at their respective positions this season.
BRB: How do you see the AFC South race shaping up? Second, which divisional opponent are Jags fans most excited to beat?
GL: I agree with the popular take that Houston is better than their record and remains a threat to win the division. But it’s hard not to be confident in the Jaguars, as they’ve built a three-game lead over the Texans through the toughest stretch of their season. (The Colts and Titans are dog water.)
I expect Jacksonville to repeat as AFC South champs, and Houston to enter the playoffs as a Wild Card team. It helps that the AFC West isn’t as deep as expected. Even if the Jaguars sweep the Texans in the regular season, I’ll pray to the football gods that Will Anderson Jr. will not make it to the bracket.
We despise the Titans. They were the only team to beat the Jaguars during their incredible 1999 season — and they did it three times! Plus, Derrick Henry (a Jacksonville native) embarrassed us multiple times. We don’t hate that Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck ran the division for so long, and the current rivalry with Houston is legit great, but we’ll always enjoy beating the Titans more than any other team.
BRB: The Jags open as 2.5 point favorites according to Fanduel. Do you see the Jags covering that? Are there any prop bets you feel comfortable recommending?
GL: I think if this game was played 10 times, the Jaguars would win and cover the spread in 6 or 7 of those situations. So I would pick them to cover but without much confidence. A healthy Nico Collins and a rejuvenated Marvin Harrison Jr. could cause serious issues for Jacksonville’s secondary, and we all know the threat Houston’s defense poses against suspect offensive lines.
Woody Marks under 47.5 rushing yards is an easy recommendation, considering Jacksonville has allowed 45 rushing yards. total for the past two weeks. They joined the 1969 Dallas Cowboys as the only teams during the Super Bowl era to not allow an opposing player to rush for 40+ yards in their first five games of a season. We think Mark will be the first? I expect big performances from CJ Stroud and Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (over 37.5 receiving yards looks good).
Score prediction: Jaguars 20, Texans 16.
We would like to thank Gus for his attention time on this feature. These exchanges are always interesting because the people involved are always very nice and helpful even when the games themselves are tense. We want to wish Gus and the Jaguars the best of luck for the rest of the season. As always, we hope the luck starts on Monday morning.