Texans upset Jaguars in another London thriller

The Houston Texans travelled to Wembley Stadium in Week 6 looking to build on their first win of the season, while the Jacksonville Jaguars remained in London riding high after a dramatic victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. With Jacksonville sitting at 4-1 and Houston struggling at 1-4, the AFC South clash presented very different challenges for the two sides, as the Texans looked to reignite their season and the Jaguars aimed to strengthen their position atop the division.

Much of the pregame attention centred on Houston’s defensive front and the debut of wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., acquired to give CJ Stroud another weapon alongside Nico Collins. The Texans had recorded 18 sacks through their first five games, with Will Anderson Jr. leading the league with 7.5. Meanwhile, the Jaguars entered the contest with one of the NFL’s strongest run defences and confidence following last week’s last-second win, setting the stage for a compelling divisional battle on English soil.

Houston wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. After a spectacular 42-yard reception from Nico Collins moved the Texans deep into Jacksonville territory, Stroud found tight end Foster Moreau for a 6-yard touchdown to give Houston a early lead in the first quarter.

The Jaguars responded with an impressive stretch of offensive football, but a costly mistake threatened to halt its progress. Running back Bhayshul Tuten initially appeared to have scored on the ground, only for a holding penalty to wipe the touchdown off the board. Two plays later, Trevor Lawrence threw an interception in the end zone to safety Calen Bullock.

Tuten eventually made his mark through the air, turning a short pass from Lawrence into a 27-yard touchdown to level the contest at 7 apiece. His second receiving touchdown, a two-yard grab late in the half, gave Jacksonville its first lead at 14-10.

However, Stroud responded in style. After connecting with Jaylin Noel on a 50-yard strike to put the Texans in scoring range, Houston capitalised on a pass interference penalty against Travis Hunter to set up Moreau’s second touchdown of the afternoon. The 1-yard connection restored Houston’s lead advantage on the stroke of halftime.

The Texans emerged from the break determined to take control. Stroud found Noel for a 13-yard touchdown to get in on the act, exploiting a defensive breakdown to extend the lead to 24-14.

Jacksonville refused to disappear, with Lawrence producing a clever play-action pass to rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher. The second-round pick made an outstanding one-handed catch for his first career touchdown, bringing the Jaguars back within 3 points in an offensive masterclass from both teams.

Houston continued to have all the answers. After Collins drew another pass interference penalty to advance the Texans downfield, running back Jawhar Jordan broke free for a 25-yard touchdown run, putting Houston in a commanding position heading into the final period.

The Jaguars eventually found the end zone again, with Hunter contributing a late touchdown to reduce the deficit to three points, but their defense needed a stop if they were to complete another comeback.

After a very long drive saw the Texans drain plenty of clock and get themselves on the doorstep of a game-sealing score, Stroud’s first blemish all afternoon came with an interception to Hunter, who continued his standout final term.

With under 4 minutes left to play, Lawrence was able to lead his offense down the field once again, but they had to settle for a 60-yard, game-tying field goal from Cam Little, giving Stroud a chance to right his wrongs as the game entered its final 100 seconds.

Working through Woody Marks, Houston were able to set up a 49-yarder for the ever-reliable Ka’imi Fairbairn, who made no mistake as time expired, sinking the game-winner and giving Jacksonville a taste of their own medicine after winning in similar fashion last week.

The ramifications of this result seem massive. The Texans’ season suddenly has some life after a dire start as they seek to become just the second team in NFL history to make the playoffs after starting 0-4, while the Jaguars will feel they missed a major opportunity to put a stronghold on the AFC South, although a relatively easy November beckons for them.

Touchdowns
Houston: Moreau 2, Jordan, Noel
Jacksonville: Tuten 2, Boerkircher, Hunter

Top Performers
Houston: Moreau, Noel, Stroud, Fairbairn, Bullock
Jacksonville: Lawrence, Tuten, Hunter, Meyers

Injuries
Houston: N/A
Jacksonville: Johnson (ankle)

Crowd: TBC @ Wembley Stadium