The Houston Texans kept themselves in the AFC South hunt on Sunday, and they had to sweat all the way to the final seconds to do it.
Houston edged the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 in London, with Ka'imi Fairbairn drilling the game-winning 49-yard field goal to seal the result. It was a back-and-forth game from start to finish, and the Texans made the most of their last chance to avoid heading to halftime empty-handed.
The win gives Houston two straight victories, a notable turn after the rough opening stretch of the season. Even with Jacksonville putting up 31 points, the Texans found a way to make enough plays late to stay in the thick of the division race.
C.J. Stroud delivered one of his best performances of the season in Week 6.
The Texans quarterback threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns, while also posting one interception and completing 70.5% of his passes. He spread the ball around to 10 different targets, with Nico Collins, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Jaylin Noel leading Houston’s passing attack.
At 2-4, the Texans are still looking up in the standings, but they are far from buried. They now sit two games behind the Jaguars in the AFC South, and depending on the outcome of the Tennessee Titans-Indianapolis Colts game in Week 6, Houston could head into Week 7 tied for second place with Indianapolis.
The record may not look pretty, but the results have been tighter than the standings show. Three of Houston’s four losses have come by five points or fewer, and the team has been in just about every game. Next up is a home matchup against the New York Giants in Week 7, where the Texans will try to make it three wins in a row.
In Other News...
Texans Have A Bigger Halftime Concern Than Their London Lead
The Texans reached halftime in London with a 17-14 edge over Jacksonville, and C.J. Stroud helped get them there by completing 66.6% of his passes and throwing two touchdown passes to Foster Moreau. Houston also got a boost from Henry To'oTo'o, who returned from injured reserve and contributed on defense, giving the club a few reasons to feel good about the way the first half unfolded.
The bigger concern, though, may be what happened on the back end. Safety Reed Blankenship struggled before leaving the game with an injury, and his status could matter as much as the scoreboard if Houston is going to protect its lead after the break. A narrow advantage is one thing, but losing a key defensive piece in a game that still feels very much up for grabs would be a far more pressing issue. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Special Teams Mistake Nearly Cost Them Before Halftime
Special teams often fade into the background until one decision changes the feel of a game, and the Texans were reminded of that in London. In a situation where eight seconds remained before halftime, the choice to put a kickoff into play against the Jaguars carried real risk because of how the clock, the timeouts and the field position could all work against a team in a hurry.
Cam Little also loomed as part of the calculation, with the potential for a long field goal attempt hanging over the end of the half. A single completed pass could have tied things up, which is exactly why the sequence stood out as the kind of special teams moment that can swing momentum without ever showing up in a conventional highlight reel. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Inactive List For London Includes One Surprise Fans Didn't Expect
The Texans Week 6 trip to London comes with a familiar kind of pregame churn, as both Houston and Jacksonville released their inactive lists ahead of the overseas matchup. Houston will be without seven players, including starters Jalen Pitre and David Montgomery, along with offensive tackle Braden Smith, who had just been activated but will not suit up for the game.
For a Texans team already managing injuries, the loss of Smith on top of those other absences adds another wrinkle to a week that has already been anything but routine. Jacksonville has its own issues to sort through, with starting left tackle Anton Harrison and cornerback Jaylon Jones among the Jaguars inactives, leaving both sides to adjust before kickoff in London. [Read more 🡒]