Jaguars look to avoid 0-4 start in visit to Texans, who try to bounce back from first loss

Jacksonville (0-3) at Houston (2-1)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Texans by 7.

Against the spread: Jacksonville 1-2; Houston 0-2-1.

Series record: Texans lead 29-15.

Last meeting: Jacksonville won 24-21 on Nov. 26, 2023, in Houston.

Last week: Jaguars lost to Bills 47-10; Texans lost to Vikings 34-7.

Jaguars offense: overall (27), rush (16), pass (27), scoring (30).

Jaguars defense: overall (26), rush (11), pass (30), scoring (28).

Texans offense: overall (11), rush (17), pass (8), scoring (21).

Texans defense: overall (4), rush (7), pass (6), scoring (23).

Turnover differential: Jaguars minus-3, Texans 0.

Jaguars player to watch

DE Josh Hines-Allen needs to make more of an impact on opposing quarterbacks. Hines-Allen, who made his second Pro Bowl last season because of 17½ sacks, has just nine tackles and a sack in three games. Hines-Allen added roughly 20 pounds in the offseason as he switched positions amid the team’s transition to a 4-3 scheme. It was supposed to benefit the sixth-year pro, but he’s been mostly a nonfactor in three straight losses.

Texans player to watch

QB C.J. Stroud looks to rebound after throwing his first two interceptions of the season last week. He was great in two games against the Jaguars last season, throwing for 584 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions and running for another score.

Key matchup

Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence against Houston’s pass defense. Lawrence has lost eight consecutive starts, with his most recent win coming in a 24-21 victory at Houston on Nov. 26. He threw for 364 yards and totaled two TDs in that game. But the first overall pick in the 2021 draft has thrown just two touchdown passes this season and will face a defense Sunday that is allowing just 163 yards passing a game and has three interceptions.

Key injuries

Jaguars: LB Foye Oluokun (foot) will miss his first game in four seasons. Oluokun hadn’t missed a start since Week 3 of the 2020 season while he played for Atlanta. He had started 67 in a row since. … The Jaguars hope to get TE Evan Engram (hamstring) back after he missed the past two games. … Jacksonville is thin in the secondary, with CB Tyson Campbell (hamstring) on injured reserve and S Darnell Savage (quadricep), CB Jarrian Jones (shoulder) and Montaric Brown (chest) limited in practice Wednesday. … Houston RB Joe Mixon missed practice this week with an ankle injury and could be out for a second straight game. … RB Dameon Pierce is still dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him out the past two games. … WR Tank Dell has a chest injury and coach DeMeco Ryan said he’s day to day this week.

Series notes

Jacksonville has won two of the past three meetings and both wins were in Houston. … The Texans won nine in a row before that stretch. … The Jaguars haven’t won consecutive games in the series since winning both meetings in the 2017 season.

Stats and stuff

Jacksonville WR Brian Thomas is one of two rookies, along with Malik Nabers, with 45 or more yards receiving in each of the first three weeks. Thomas also has the longest reception (66 yards) by a rookie this season. … DE Travon Walker has at least one tackle for loss in six of his past seven games. … CB Ronald Darby is the NFL’s only defensive back with a tackle for loss in each of the first three weeks of the season. … Travis Etienne is closing in on fourth place on the franchise’s career rushing list. He trails Leonard Fournette by 334 yards. … Houston’s Mixon had two rushing touchdowns in his most recent game against the Jaguars last season while with Cincinnati. He has six rushing touchdowns and two TD catches in five games against the Jaguars. … RB Cam Akers had his second career touchdown reception last week. … WR Stefon Diggs led the team with 10 receptions for 94 yards last week. He had 121 yards receiving and a TD in his previous game against Jacksonville last season with the Bills. … Dell had five catches for 62 yards against the Vikings. … DE Will Anderson has 5½ sacks in his past three home games. … DT Tim Settle had a career-high two sacks last week. … LB Azeez Al-Shaair has had at least 10 tackles in the past two games.

Fantasy tip

Houston WR Nico Collins leads the NFL with 338 yards receiving and is the only player this season to have at least 85 yards receiving in each of the first three games. He had seven receptions for 104 yards in the previous meeting with Jacksonville.

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