Wembley Stadium gets an AFC South matchup Sunday morning, and the Texans arrive with a clear task in front of them: turn a tough road setup into a second win of the 2026 season.
Houston already has one London memory it can point to. In the 2019-2020 season, the Texans blasted the Jaguars 26-3, and they did most of the damage after halftime in a 17-0 second-half surge.
This version of Jacksonville is different. The Jaguars come in at 4-1 with Trevor Lawrence, fresh off a win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Wembley last week that was helped by one of the most egregious special teams failures of the 2026 season (and that's saying something).
The Texans, meanwhile, come in off a 26-3 win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 5, a game that suggested they may have started to find their rhythm again, at least for one Sunday. They may also have a new weapon available in former Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Still, Houston needs this one more than Jacksonville does. Wanting it is one thing. Getting it done means checking four specific boxes.
The first starts up front, where Jacksonville could be without left tackle Anton Harrison for an undetermined amount of time after knee surgery. Harrison was injured in the Eagles game, and his absence matters because the Jaguars are already tied with five other teams for the ninth-fewest sacks allowed with 10. Houston’s front can make that number look a lot worse in a hurry.
That’s where Will Anderson Jr. and the Texans’ pass rush come in. Houston’s defensive line ranks second in the NFL with 18 sacks, and Anderson is playing like an NFL Defensive Player of the Year favorite.
He leads the league with 7.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. If the Texans are going to control this game, it starts with pressure and disruption at the line.
The next target is Parker Washington. Jacksonville’s breakout receiver is fourth in the AFC with 352 receiving yards through five games, and he’s tied for the conference lead with four touchdown catches. For DeMeco Ryans, that makes Washington the top coverage assignment for Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter.
Houston’s secondary just turned in one of its cleanest outings of the year against Tennessee. Cam Ward was held to 170 passing yards, and no Titans receiver topped 60 yards.
Fourth-overall pick Carnell Tate was especially quiet, finishing with one catch for six yards after going over 140 against the Eagles the week before. If the Texans can do that to Washington, it changes the shape of the afternoon.
Then there’s the run game, and this is where Houston has to be careful not to get in its own way. Offensive coordinator Nick Caley has drawn plenty of criticism for his play-calling, especially in short-yardage situations this season. The source of a lot of that frustration has been the same kind of decision-making: forcing run plays into loaded fronts when the situation demands something cleaner.
The Bengals and Colts games showed that problem plainly. On back-to-back weeks, Caley called the same 4th & inches look and sent David Montgomery straight into Dexter Lawrence against Cincinnati and DeForest Buckner against Indianapolis, and both plays were dead before they really started.
Jacksonville’s defense is not the place to keep testing that approach. The Jaguars are allowing just 63.8 rushing yards per game, the best mark in the league.
Houston has to avoid giving them easy wins on the ground.
Finally, the Texans need to let C.J. Stroud keep rolling.
Through five weeks, he has thrown for 1,402 yards, which ranks fourth in the NFL. He’s walking into a matchup against a Jaguars pass defense that ranks third-worst in the league, giving up 266.2 yards per game.
Jacksonville will expect Houston to throw early and often, but that shouldn’t scare the Texans off. With Marvin Harrison Jr. potentially in the mix, Stroud and the offense have a chance to keep leaning on that weakness and force the Jaguars to defend the full field for four quarters.
In Other News...
C.J. Stroud Is Already Sending A Clear Message About Marvin Harrison Jr
C.J. Stroud did not waste much time warming up to Marvin Harrison Jr. after Harrisons arrival in Houston, and the quarterbacks message was as direct as it was encouraging. Stroud pointed back to the chemistry they built in college, then praised Harrisons work ethic and route running, a sign that the Texans believe their new piece can settle in quickly and become part of the offenses rhythm.
Stroud also brushed aside the outside noise that tends to follow a player with Harrisons profile, stressing that what matters most is how the receiver keeps growing once he gets into the building. For Houston, that kind of confidence from the quarterback matters almost as much as the trade itself, because it suggests the transition is being framed less as a headline and more as the start of a partnership the Texans expect to pay off. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Suddenly Look Healthier Ahead Of A Jaguars Test That Just Got Tougher
The Texans got a welcome midweek boost as several players who had been sidelined with injuries were back on the practice field in full. Wide receiver Tank Dell, linebacker Henry To'oTo'o and cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram all returned, giving Houston a healthier look at a time when every available rep matters with a trip to London coming up against Jacksonville.
Braden Smith was also reinstated and is expected to compete for a starting job, adding another layer to a roster that suddenly looks a lot more functional heading into a tricky AFC South test. For a team trying to steady itself before facing the Jaguars, the timing could not be much better, even if the full picture of who is ready to do what on Sunday is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Suddenly Face A Tough David Montgomery Decision
The Texans went into the season looking for a lift on offense, and the addition of Marvin Harrison Jr. was supposed to help open things up around the passing game. Instead, Houston now finds itself sorting through an uneasy backfield situation, with David Montgomery battling both a groin injury and a run of quiet production that has made the ground game harder to trust.
ESPNs Bill Barnwell raised the possibility that the Texans may have to make a tougher call than they expected and move Montgomery out of the starting role. Woody Marks has emerged as the name to watch if Houston decides to change course, with Montgomery potentially remaining in a reduced backup role if the team wants to keep him involved without leaning on him as the lead back. [Read more 🡒]