JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have a big, big week ahead of them.
The Jaguars open their AFC South slate in Week 6 against the Houston Texans, and it gives them a chance to put the Texans four games back entering the bye week. If the Jaguars don't succeed, though, they are opening the door wide open for the Texans to crawl back into the thick of things.
So, what are the most critical questions facing the Jaguars after their latest win? We break it down below.
Can the Jaguars' OTs Slow Down Anderson and Hunter?
The players with the biggest challenges on Sunday are clearly Jaguars offensive tackles Walker Little and Cole Van Lanen. The Texans pose one of the NFL's best pass-rush duos with Will Anderson Jr., who had three sacks a week ago, and Danielle Hunter. The question now is whether the Jaguars will be ready for the challenge of the best edge rushers they have played to date.
According to Next GenStats, "Anderson Jr. has recorded 7.5 sacks this season, the most in the NFL, and is the only edge rusher with at least five pressures in every game this season. Anderson has also recorded 12 run stops this season, tied for the second-most among edge rushers. He is the first edge rusher since Lorenzo Alexander in 2016 with at least seven sacks and 10 run stops through Week 5 .Danielle Hunter has been chipped 49 times this season, the most among edge rushers, yet has generated 21 pressures (10th most) with three resulting in turnovers, also the most in the league."
The Texans' pass-rushing duo is the top reason the Jaguars did not sweep the Texans a year ago. Now, the Jaguars will need to prevent them from setting a tone early and disrupting the Jaguars' passing game and offense in general.
Can the Jaguars Force the Texans to Continue to Be One-Dimensional?
While CJ Stroud's pure numbers may not be eye-popping, it is clear that he is playing good football right now. He is doing it despite the Texans once again having a woeful running game. This should be the type of game that the Jaguars' run defense is able to dominate like they have in recent weeks, forcing the game into Stroud's hands. Stroud and Nico Collins are the Texans' two best players on offense so they would likely have done that anyways, but shutting down the Texans against the run is how the Jaguars can build their advantages against the pass with longer down-and-distances.
According to NextGenStats, "The Texans have averaged 3.2 yards per designed run this season, the fewest in the NFL, and have posted a 30.4% success rate on designed runs, the second lowest. The Jaguars have allowed 2.9 yards per designed run this season, the fewest in the NFL and the fewest by any team through Week 5 since the 2023 Seahawks (2.7), and have allowed a first down on 15.6% of designed runs, the lowest rate."
In short, the Jaguars don't allow anything on the ground, and the Texans can't run the ball worth a lick. The Texans' running game did run the ball for 130 yards in Week 10 last year, though, which amounted to the second-most rushing yards an Anthony Campanile has allowed and the second-highest EPA/Rush. The Jaguars need to make sure this doesn't repeat.
What is the Nico Collins Plan?
If there is one single player in the NFL who has terrorized the Jaguars over the years, it is Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins. In nine career games against the Jaguars, Collins has caught 51 passes for 734 yards and three touchdowns. But over the last two years is when a bulk of that production has happened, with Collins caught 35 passes for 520 yards (14.85 yards per catch) and two of those touchdowns. That averages out to 8.75 catches and 130 yards per game against the Jaguars over the last two seasons.
So, what do the Jaguars do against the Texans and Collins this time? It seems unlikely the Jaguars will be with Montaric Brown against the Texans, which means Travis Hunter and Jarrian Jones will be the two corners tasked with slowing down Collins. The Jaguars do not really follow their cornerbacks, which means Collins will get reps against each. According to NextGenStats, "Travis Hunter has lined up at field cornerback on 75.2% of his 234 defensive snaps this season, while Jarrian Jones has lined up at boundary cornerback on 65.3% of his snaps."
While it is easy to say "Hunter should follow Collins" on paper, that doesn't mean it is quite as easy to execute. I think the Jaguars will simply ask for Hunter and Jones to play their games and match up to Collins with the best of their ability, just like they have against each top receivers they have played this season.
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