JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- For the Jacksonville Jaguars to get past the Houston Texans in Week 6, it will be all about their ability to win matchups.
Matchups are a big reason the Jaguars are 4-1 and leading the AFC South through the first five weeks of the season, and there are several that will decide the result of Sunday's battle with the Texans.
So, which matchups are the most important ahead of the critical AFC South battle with the Texans? We break it down below.
Travis Hunter/Jarrian Jones vs. Nico Collins
Nico Collins has had some absolutely massive games against the Jaguars in the last few years, and this year it will be up to Travis Hunter and Jarrian Jones to try to slow down the Texans' No. 1 receiver. Each of the Jaguars' cornerbacks has made some big plays over the last few weeks, and they will need to do so again this week against Collins, especially with Montaric Brown injured.
“Nico was at Michigan when I was at Michigan so I kind of know him pretty well. He's a really a big-bodied guy as a receiver, but some of those guys kind of come in the package where they're a possession guy. That's not him," Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile said Thursday. "He can run down the field. He can go make plays on nines and eights down the field. He's a guy, they'll hand reverses to him, he's that good with the ball in his hands. And he'll go in there and do the dirty work. He'll block. He’s to me, in every facet, a well-rounded receiver."
Hunter is not bound to travel with Collins, so it will be a team effort to make sure the Jaguars do not see the Texans star make big plays downfield. Collins is going to get his at some point, but the Jaguars' cornerback duo has to provide some resistance.
Walker Little vs. Will Anderson
This one isn't tough to figure out. The Texans are going to rush four and put the onus on the Jaguars to stop Will Anderon, Danielle Hunter and the rest of their pass-rush group. According to NextGenStats, the Texans have sent four or fewer pass rushers on 78.5% of opponent dropbacks this season, the third-highest rate in the NFL, and have recorded 14 sacks with four or fewer rushers, the most. That means pure one-on-ones for the Jaguars' tackles Walker Little and Cole Van Lanen.
“I think how complete their game is as rushers and as run defenders really stands out on tape," Jaguars offensive coordinator Grant Udinski said Thursday. "There are a lot of really good rushers in the league. Now maybe, I don't know if there are as many rushers as good as those two, but there are other good rushers in the league. But it's hard to find two guys who are A, that good at rushing, but B, also that good in the run game, in the screen game. They do all facets of playing defensive end or that position."
The Jaguars' tackles have been up to the Texans' challenge before, but plenty of people probably remember Hunter and Anderson wrecking the Jaguars' offense during the Week 10 loss a year ago. With Anton Harrison out of the lineup, the focus when it comes to stopping the Texans' pass-rush will come down to none other than Little.
Parker Washington vs. Kamari Lassiter
If there is a cornerback the Jaguars are going to want to attack this week, I think it is Kamari Lassiter. Parker Washington does a lot of his damage out of the slot, of course, but I think the Jaguars will look to get Washington lined up on the outside against Lassiter when they need to create a shot play downfield. Lassiter has allowed the third-most receiving yards in the NFL this season with 330 yards allowed through five games and s tied for the second-most receptions allowed at 25. Several of these plays have been on explosive downfield passes, and he is the weak link in the Texans' secondary as of right now.
Washington has proven himself as the Jaguars' No. 1 pass-catcher, and he has made big plays against the Texans in past matchups. This is a week for the Jaguars to look to him to make another game-changing play or two, just like he did last week against the Eagles when he scored two touchdowns to lead the way for the win.
Antonio Johnson vs. Dalton Schultz
Dalton Schultz will not get thrown a million targets like he does in the games Nico Collins misses, but he is still a big piece of the Texans' passing game. I would call him the Texans' No. 2 pass-catcher right now, tying for the team lead in 31 targets while leading the team with 135 routes. The Jaguars will need to make sure they have a good plan for Schultz considering tight ends have had a bit of success against them this year.
Antonio Johnson has been stellar for the Jaguars as a whole this season, but especially in recent weeks. He is the Jaguars' top secondary piece who can effectively stop Schultz from converting first downs and making tough catches for four quarters, and it will be largely up to him and the linebackers to erase Stroud's safety blanket.
“Yeah, we have put a lot on his plate as time has gone by. That started last year, but AJ basically can play a lot of the SAM positions in base. He can do a lot of those things," Campanile said Wednesday. "He does a lot of what the WILL does in base or nickel. He plays the dime position; he plays safety. So, because of that, it kind of lets us do a lot of the same things out of different groupings and hard to tell what position he's actually playing with some of the disguise that those guys have used on the back end.”
Arik Armstead vs. Keylan Rutledge
The Texans spent a first-round pick on Georgia Tech offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge this April to make him a key piece of their offensive line rebuild. So far, though, Rutledge has had the expected struggles of a rookie offensive lineman. He has allowed the second-most pressures of any Texans' offensive lineman with 14, and this is a matchup that could favor veteran Jaguars defensive tackle Arik Armstead.
Armstead has put together a good stretch of play over the last few weeks, and this game should be one in which he is able to get consistent pressue if the Texans stop attempting to stick to the running game and have to lean on the passing game. Armstead is the key to the Jaguars' interior pass-rush, and they will need him at his best to make Rutledge look like a rookie Sunday.
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