Houston, We Have a Problem: Jaguars Blow Lead to Drop to 0-4
HOUSTON — With the Jacksonville Jaguars' backs firmly against the wall after an 0-3 start, they needed to find a way to revive their season in Houston.
The Jaguars threw punch after punch, fighting until the final minutes to find a way to turn their season around. But it was all for naught, with the Jaguars falling 24-20 after allowing the game-winning touchdown with just 18 seconds left in the game.
After the Jaguars failed to score on multiple second-half drives, the Texans picked up a game-winning one-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud to Dare Ogunbowale to officially put the Jaguars down and out.
Daniel Thomas made the first big play of the game, recovering a muffed punt by Texans receiver Steven Sims at the two-yard line. This set up the Jaguars' first first-half touchdown since Week 1, a two-yard touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr. from Trevor Lawrence.
Thomas had a chance for a second touchdown on the Jaguars' second drive of the game after a 22-yard Tank Bigsby run set the Jaguars up in the red-zone, but Lawrence made his first off play of the afternoon by overthrowing him and forcing to Jaguars to settle for a field goal.
After the Jaguars picked up their first lead since Week 1, the Texans easily marched it down the field with three big passes to Nico Collins for 49 yards before Stefon Diggs ran it in for a touchdown on a trick play.
Penalties and missed tackles began to creep up for the Jaguars and their undermanned defense, with Antonio Johnson being called for a holding flag on Collins after the Jaguars forced an incomplete pass on 3rd-and-12 in the red-zone.
A few plays later, Stroud found Collins for a three-yard touchdown to make it a 14-10 game.
After decent gains to Thomas and Travis Etienne in the passing game, the Jaguars then found themselves with 3rd-and-1 from Texans territory.
Instead of sticking with the running game, though, the Jaguars went for a play-action pass to Etienne that fell incomplete in large part due to the Texans selling out on a blitz. This left the Jaguars settling for a field goal for a second time, this time a 52-yard field goal from Little to make it 14-13.
After a first half where the Jaguars got out-gained 261-120, the Jaguars' defense stiffened and forced a three-and-out on the first drive of the second half.
The Jaguars' offense failed to take advantage, though, with back-breaking mistakes such as a Lawrence overthrow of Kirk, a dropped pass from Brenton Strange, and an unsportsmanlike penalty on Thomas after a gain of 19.
Jacksonville's offense fired back on the next drive, with Thomas leading the charge thanks to a 32-yard catch and a 13-yard run. This set up Christian Kirk's first touchdown of the year on an eight-yard pass to make it 20-17 and to give the Jaguars their highest point total of the season thus far.
Jacksonville's offense kept rolling on the following drive after another defensive stand, with Bigsby rattling off a 58-yard run to get to the Texans four-yard line.
After two Bigsby runs were tackled short and a third-down pass to Gabe Davis fell incomplete, the Jaguars elected to go for it from the one.
The call ultimately came back to harm them, as Lawrence's quarterback draw was stuffed by former Jaguars defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi, resulting in turnover on downs.
Houston quickly got out of their own territory, with gains of 15, 10, and 15 from Collins, Diggs, and Cam Akers.
A string of penalties from Houston's offense and a timely third-down sack from Roy Robertson-Harris got the Jaguars the ball back with around eight minutes left, creating a must-score drive for the offense.
Despite more penalty mishaps from the Texans, the Jaguars failed to move the ball and a 3rd-and-10 pass from Lawrence to Thomas fell incomplete. Luckily for Jacksonville, Simms made his second special teams mistake of the day with a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the ensuing punt, giving the Texans the ball at their own 14 with 5:30 left.
Jacksonville's defense once again came up big, forcing their fifth punt in a row after another holding call and strong play from the secondary.
Back-to-back incomplete passes from Lawrence to Davis and Kirk led to a quick three-and-out, giving the Texans the ball back with 3:05 left.
Stroud continued to find his favorite target to move the chains, finding Collins for 26 yards and then again on a six-yard gain to get to the Jaguars 15-yard line to eventually set up the game-winning touchdown.
Collins finished the game with 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown, while Stroud threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns.
The 0-4 Jaguars have now lost nine of their last 10 games dating back to last season.
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