Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 49-yard field goal as time expired capped a tense finish at Wembley Stadium, where the Houston Texans edged the Jacksonville Jaguars 34-31 on Sunday. C.J. Stroud threw three touchdown passes in the win, while Cam Little’s 60-yard field goal had pulled Jacksonville even at 31-31 with just under two minutes left.
The closing sequence came after Travis Hunter picked off Stroud in the end zone, then quickly swung the game the other way by making a 7-yard touchdown catch. Hunter became just the fifth player in the Super Bowl era, including the playoffs, to both score a touchdown and intercept a pass in the same game.
Stroud finished 24 of 34 for 312 yards, three touchdowns and one interception, with the pick his first of the season. He connected twice with tight end Foster Moreau, who scored on a 6-yard pass in the first quarter and again on a 1-yarder just before halftime. Stroud also found Jaylin Noel on a 13-yard score in the third quarter, stretching Houston’s lead to 24-14.
The Texans’ newest addition, Marvin Harrison Jr., made his debut after arriving this week in a trade with Arizona. He caught three passes for 34 yards as Houston moved to 2-4 and picked up back-to-back wins to gain ground on the AFC South-leading Jaguars, now 4-2.
Jacksonville kept answering. Trevor Lawrence threw four touchdown passes, including two to Bhayshul Tuten, and his 1-yard pass to rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher trimmed the Texans’ lead to 24-21. Houston pushed back with Jawhar Jordan’s 25-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to make it 31-21.
Hunter, who scored his first NFL touchdown at Wembley a year ago, struck again in the fourth quarter when he caught a pass over the middle to bring Jacksonville within 31-28. Then came his interception of Stroud, which set up Little’s game-tying kick before Fairbairn answered at the horn.
The Jaguars were also hurt by penalties for a third straight week. A too many men on the field call on a Houston punt extended a Texans drive that ended with Noel’s touchdown.
The slick field played a role throughout the day after early rain left the Wembley grass slippery. Umpire Larry Smith slipped and hurt his knee in the first quarter and departed on a cart. Houston receiver Nico Collins switched to longer spikes in the first half, and tight end Dalton Schultz slipped before reaching the first-down marker on a red-zone catch, leading the Texans to settle for Fairbairn’s 25-yard field goal and a 10-7 lead.
Woody Marks rushed 15 times for 56 yards, making him the first running back to top 40 yards in a game this season against Jacksonville.
Lawrence finished 24 of 41 for 306 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Harrison’s 34 yards came on his three catches, and the Texans had a pair of injury updates as linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was evaluated for a concussion in the second quarter before returning in the third, while safety Reed Blankenship also exited in the first half. For Jacksonville, running back Ameer Abdullah was helped off after a kickoff return before coming back in, and All-Pro long snapper Ross Matiscik had already been ruled out Friday because of a shoulder injury, with Jacob Bobenmoyer taking his place.
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Jaguars Still Lead The South But This Loss Exposed A Bigger Problem
The Jaguars still sit atop the AFC South, but the narrow Week 6 loss to Houston felt bigger than a one-game setback. Jacksonville got a spark from Travis Hunter, who made his presence felt on both sides of the ball with a touchdown catch and an interception, yet it still wasnt enough to offset a Texans team that kept finding answers all afternoon.
Houston piled up more than 400 yards and ultimately won it with a last-second field goal, exposing how much pressure the Jaguars are under to clean up their defensive play. In a division race where every slip can matter later, Jacksonville can point to the standings for comfort, but the performance against the Texans offered a reminder that leading the South does not mean the roster is playing like a finished product. [Read more 🡒]
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Marvin Harrison Jr. Gives Texans Fans A Reason To Watch Sunday Closely
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Harrison also reunites with quarterback C.J. Stroud, his former Ohio State teammate, which gives the Texans another storyline to monitor beyond the usual international-game backdrop. Kickoff is set for Sunday, Oct. 18, at 9:30 a.m. ET on NFL Network, and while Jacksonville has its own business to handle, there will be plenty of eyes on how quickly Houston can fold its newest playmaker into the offense. [Read more 🡒]