Houston fell to a desperate Philadelphia Eagles team led by their December savior, “Saint” Nick Foles, and stayed alive in the playoff race despite Deshaun Watson’s banner day.
With the 4-11 Jaguars coming into town, the Texans can be excused for expecting an easier time of things in Week 17. But that might be a mistake by Bill O’Brien’s troops.
Houston lost Demaryius Thomas to an Achilles injury during the Eagles game. Keke Coutee should be available after coming back from a hamstring issue, but do the Texans want to give him a heavy workload before the playoffs?
This is especially vital after the Patriots knocked the Texans back into the third seed for the postseason. Barring a New England loss and a Texans victory, Houston will have to play a wild-card game next week.
Houston also failed to clinch the AFC South. Another loss would knock the Texans from the third-seed division winner to the sixth-seed wild card, pitting them against either the Chargers or Chiefs on the road.
Jacksonville looked finished after Week 15, but their defense woke up to hand a playoff-hopeful Dolphins team a 17-7 loss. That was after a week when rumors of Doug Marrone’s firing came out. Now that Marrone is rumored to be safe, the defense might relax and put forth an effort similar to their offense, but that is no given.
Injuries and notes:
Thomas was placed on injured reserve. Coutee is still listed as questionable.
Running back Lamar Miller has been upgraded to probable for Week 17. D’Onta Foreman made his 2018 debut last week.
Linebacker Brian Peters and cornerback Kayvon Webster are done for the season.
Kicker Josh Lambo (groin) and receiver DJ Chark (hamstring) are questionable for the Jaguars.
Coaching matchup
Bill O’Brien might be thankful his team failed to clinch the division title. That should make it easier to motivate his team to take the Jaguars seriously. O’Brien finally has a quarterback and that quarterback is playing well as the postseason approaches. Blowing home-field advantage for a game will taint the season, but won’t do much to hurt O’Brien’s status in Houston.
One week after reports of Tom Coughlin’s “amazement” at the lack of player discipline and rumors of the former Jaguars coach returning to the sidelines for 2019 come reports that Marrone will not be blamed for a season affected by injuries to key players. Another victory would help keep pressure off him in 2019.
How to watch the Texans-Jaguars game
Fans can watch the final game of the Jaguars and Texans’ season for free on Fubo TV. Fubo TV, like most internet television companies, offers a free trial period that means you can catch all the live stream NFL action this weekend without paying a dime.
After the game, you can check out what else Fubo TV offers. That includes dozens of sports, movies, and entertainment channels that come standard with a basic monthly subscription.
Fubo TV, like DirecTV Now, Sling, and other providers, does not require any unsightly or expensive equipment and they’ll never ask you to sign a contract. Just pay DirecTV Now, Sling, or Fubo TV as you go and cancel at any time without penalty.
Check out the DirecTV Now, Fubo TV, and Sling websites to see how all your favorite TV shows and specialty networks can be yours for just a fraction of what you pay for cable or satellite services. Then sign up and enjoy the Texans-Jaguars game for free!
Who will win the Texans-Jaguars game?
Jacksonville’s defense came out strong last week, and you know the Jaguars would like nothing better than to spoil the aspirations of a team trying to take the title they were supposed to win this season.
But a Texans team with DeSean Watson is a far cry from the Miami Dolphins and Ryan Tannehill and the Texans’ defense is not impressed. Look for the home team to hold serve this week.
Final score: Texans 23, Jaguars 10
