The Jacksonville Jaguars finally shook off years of frustration against the Houston Texans at home, grinding out a 17-10 victory Sunday in a heated AFC South battle that wasn’t decided until the final seconds.
The win snapped a six-game home losing streak to the Texans, marking Jacksonville’s first victory at EverBank Stadium against their division rival since 2017. It also pushed the Jaguars to 2-1 on the season, while Houston dropped to 0-3.
For wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr., it was a game of extremes. Early on, boos rained down after his third dropped pass, and his frustration boiled over as he slammed his helmet to the turf near the bench. A few minutes later, Thomas provided the spark Jacksonville desperately needed. With Houston sending an all-out blitz, Trevor Lawrence found Thomas deep down the sideline for a 46-yard gain. On the very next play, Travis Etienne punched in a 10-yard touchdown run to give the Jaguars the lead they would never relinquish.
“That’s the kind of play we’ve been waiting for,” Lawrence said. “Brian responded the right way. He didn’t shut down — he made a game-changing play when we needed it most.”
The Texans nearly had the last word. After seemingly allowing Etienne to score with 1:48 remaining to preserve time for a comeback, C.J. Stroud guided Houston into Jaguars territory. But on 3rd-and-long, Josh Hines-Allen swatted Stroud’s arm as he threw, and Antonio Johnson came down with the fluttering interception to seal the win.
It was the kind of defensive finish that has eluded Jacksonville in past years. “We’ve been talking about closing games out all offseason,” Hines-Allen said. “That’s how you do it — everybody making a play when it counts.”
Houston will look back at Nico Collins’ fumble with 3:58 left as the game’s turning point. After a catch and run, cornerback Tyson Campbell stripped the ball, and linebacker Devin Lloyd recovered, setting up the Jaguars’ decisive scoring drive.
Stroud, who entered the day with seven touchdowns and no interceptions in four career starts against Jacksonville, threw his first two picks against the Jags. He finished 25 of 38 for 204 yards with a touchdown, the two turnovers, and two sacks.
Meanwhile, Jacksonville’s defense continued its early-season trend, forcing three takeaways for the third straight week — a franchise first to open a season.
The spotlight also shined on Hines-Allen, who dominated his matchup against rookie left tackle Aireontae Ersery. The veteran edge rusher tallied three quarterback hits, shared a sack with Arik Armstead, and was a constant presence in Stroud’s pocket. Ersery, a second-round pick from Minnesota, struggled throughout, allowing multiple pressures and drawing two costly penalties, including a 15-yard facemask on Campbell.
With his performance, Hines-Allen now sits at 53½ career sacks, just two shy of breaking Tony Brackens’ franchise record of 55, set in 2003.
“This one means something,” Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said. “We had to fight for it, we had to earn it, and now we’ve got some momentum heading into a tough road trip.”
The Texans will try to regroup at home next Sunday against the Tennessee Titans, while the Jaguars travel west to face the San Francisco 49ers, where they’re winless in two trips.
