jacksonville Rallies in Fourth Quarter to Defeat Houston, 17-10
JACKSONVILLE, FL – The Jacksonville Jaguars secured a 17-10 victory over the Houston Texans Sunday, fueled by a dominant defensive performance and a late-game touchdown drive. The win improves Jacksonville’s record to 2-1, while the Texans fall to 0-3.
This hard-fought contest saw the Jaguars overcome offensive struggles with a staunch defensive stand, forcing three turnovers in the fourth quarter alone – all within the Texans’ 20-yard line. The victory keeps Jacksonville within striking distance of the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts (3-0) and marks a important early-season win for a Jaguars team aiming to establish itself as a contender.
The Texans briefly tied the game in the fourth quarter with a 50-yard pass from C.J. Stroud to Nico Collins, following an interception by jalen Pitre of Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. However, Jacksonville responded with a crucial defensive play as Tyson Campbell forced a fumble from Collins, recovered by Devin Lloyd, giving the Jaguars possession deep in Texans territory.
That turnover set up the game-winning drive, capped by a touchdown run by Travis Etienne Jr.after a seven-play, 83-yard march. earlier in the game, linebacker Josh Allen hit Stroud as he threw, disrupting a potential scoring drive.
“I saw an chance and we ended the game the right way,” Allen said.
The Jaguars’ defense limited the Texans to 271 total yards and 13 first downs, registering two sacks in addition to the three fourth-quarter takeaways.
“the defense kept us in it,” offensive coordinator Eric Coen said. “They played their tails off.”
Coen acknowledged the offense’s struggles, stating, “It was not pretty, and it was not for us offensively, but we should take a ton of confidence from this. We have to play better, but I’m really proud of this group and the way they competed and finished this game.”