A Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans game is never a throwaway on the AFC South calendar. The two franchises play twice every season, and since the Texans joined the league in 2002 they have met forty-eight times. This one comes with a twist, though. Sunday, October 18, 2026, Week 6 of the NFL season, takes the divisional rivalry to Wembley Stadium in London, with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. BST (9:30 a.m. ET) on NFL Network.
Jacksonville walks in at 4-1 after escaping Philadelphia 19-17 on a walk-off field goal, while Houston sits at 1-4 after finally breaking through with a 26-3 win at Tennessee. On paper the Jaguars are the favorite, laying 2.5 points, and the total sits at 42.5. But the line tells a stranger story than the standings do. The Texans were favored by 1.5 points when the spread opened, and a run of injuries in Houston flipped the number by four points.
So here is everything that matters before kickoff: where each team stands, the full head-to-head history, a breakdown of the last meeting, the best players to watch, injury news, the betting angle, and a final score prediction. Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans matches have produced one-score finishes more often than not lately, so if you can’t watch live, Jaguars vs Texans highlights will be easy to find right after the final whistle.
Jacksonville Jaguars: A Fast Start Built on Defense and Takeaways
Nobody saw the 2025 Jaguars coming, and the 2026 version looks like the real thing. Under second-year head coach Liam Coen, Jacksonville went 13-4 last season, won eight straight to close the year, and captured the AFC South before losing a 27-24 wild-card game to Buffalo. The early results this fall follow the same script. The Jaguars crushed Cleveland 34-10 in Week 1, lost 20-13 at Denver, then ran past New England 35-6 and beat Cincinnati 22-17 on the road.
Last Sunday’s win over the Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was the messy one. Jacksonville was flagged thirteen times for 100 yards and went 0-for-3 in the red zone. Philadelphia took the lead with eight seconds left, but Ameer Abdullah returned the kickoff 53 yards in seven seconds, and Cam Little hit a 57-yard field goal as time expired. The defense is the backbone, allowing only 70 points through five games, the second-best mark in the league, with six interceptions.
What Makes Jacksonville’s Offense Tick
- Trevor Lawrence has thrown for 1,174 yards, ten touchdowns, and three interceptions with a 106.8 passer rating, and he has been sacked just ten times
- Parker Washington is the top target, with 22 catches for 352 yards and four touchdowns
- Bhayshul Tuten leads the backfield with 82 carries for 349 yards and two touchdowns
- Brenton Strange and Jakobi Meyers give Lawrence reliable options over the middle, with Strange adding 21 catches for 235 yards
Jacksonville Jaguars Snapshot
| Detail | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Division | AFC South |
| Head coach | Liam Coen (2nd season) |
| Starting QB | Trevor Lawrence |
| Home field | EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville (Sunday is played at Wembley) |
| Recent form | 4-1 to start 2026, three straight wins |
| 2026 results | Beat Browns 34-10 (Wk 1), lost at Broncos 20-13 (Wk 2), beat Patriots 35-6 (Wk 3), won at Bengals 22-17 (Wk 4), beat Eagles 19-17 (Wk 5) |
| Key injuries | LT Anton Harrison (IR, knee), CB Montaric Brown, CB Jourdan Lewis, LG Emmanuel Pregnon (questionable) |
Looking at the Jacksonville Jaguars standings, a 4-1 record is even better than it sounds. The Jaguars lead the division by two games over Indianapolis and three over Houston. The big concern is the offensive line. Harrison went on injured reserve after a non-contact knee injury against Philadelphia and faces arthroscopic surgery, so Walker Little steps in at left tackle against one of the league’s best pass rushes.
Houston Texans: Stuck at 1-4 but Finally Showing a Pulse
Houston arrived in 2026 as a preseason favorite for many people to contend for a Super Bowl. After finishing 12-5 last year on a nine-game winning streak, the Texans reached the divisional round before losing to New England. This season has been different. They lost 36-31 to Buffalo, 20-6 to Cincinnati, 19-17 at Indianapolis, and 34-30 to Dallas, and three of those four losses came by less than a touchdown.
Then came Nashville. In a 26-3 win over Tennessee, C.J. Stroud completed 26 of 34 passes for 261 yards, found seven different receivers, and added a rushing touchdown, while Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked four first-half field goals. The defense held the Titans to 187 total yards, and Will Anderson Jr. piled up three sacks. Head coach DeMeco Ryans then closed his postgame press conference by announcing a trade for Marvin Harrison Jr., the former fourth overall pick.
What Makes Houston’s Offense Tick
- C.J. Stroud has thrown for 1,402 yards, six touchdowns, and zero interceptions, though he has been sacked fourteen times
- Nico Collins has 19 catches for 249 yards and three touchdowns in only three games
- Marvin Harrison Jr. reunites with Stroud, his Ohio State teammate, after Houston sent Arizona 2027 second- and sixth-round picks and got a seventh-rounder back
- Woody Marks takes over the backfield with 149 yards and two touchdowns on 43 carries, while Dalton Schultz has 24 catches for 244 yards
Houston Texans Snapshot
| Detail | Houston Texans |
| Division | AFC South |
| Head coach | DeMeco Ryans (4th season) |
| Starting QB | C.J. Stroud |
| Home field | NRG Stadium, Houston |
| Recent form | 1-4 to start 2026, first win last week |
| 2026 results | Lost to Bills 36-31 (Wk 1), lost to Bengals 20-6 (Wk 2), lost at Colts 19-17 (Wk 3), lost to Cowboys 34-30 (Wk 4), won at Titans 26-3 (Wk 5) |
| Key injuries | RB David Montgomery (out), S Jalen Pitre (out), WR Tank Dell (out), OT Trent Brown, LB Azeez Al-Shaair, DE Jadeveon Clowney (questionable as of Thursday) |
The Houston Texans standings look ugly, yet the underlying numbers are friendlier. Houston owns a point differential of just minus two and ranks 11th in DVOA. Still, the Texans sit three games behind Jacksonville. The offense has a lopsided look, ranking fourth in passing yards but 31st in rushing yards, with only eleven touchdowns scored all year.
NFL Schedule This Week
Sunday’s game is the Week 6 divisional meeting in the NFL’s London series, and it is the second straight week the Jaguars have played overseas. Houston is making its second trip to London, the first since a 2019 date with the same Jaguars. For Jacksonville Jaguars games, the next few weeks bring a bye and a home date with the Colts. The Houston Texans schedule gets easier after London, and the next Houston Texans games start at home against the Giants.
| Team | Next Matchup | Date | Location |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | Bye week | Week 7 | N/A |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | vs Indianapolis Colts | Sunday, Nov. 1 (1:00 p.m. ET) | Jacksonville, FL |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | at Baltimore Ravens | Thursday, Nov. 5 (8:15 p.m. ET) | Baltimore, MD |
| Houston Texans | vs New York Giants | Sunday, Oct. 25 (12:00 p.m. CT) | Houston, TX |
| Houston Texans | at Los Angeles Chargers | Sunday, Nov. 8 (4:05 p.m. ET) | Inglewood, CA |
Head-to-Head History: The Full Timeline
Houston holds a clear edge in the all-time series, and the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans matches since 2002 have gone the Texans’ way thirty-two times in forty-eight tries. The Texans are 15-9 in games played at Jacksonville, including a 26-3 win at Wembley in 2019, and 17-7 in Houston.
| Season | Winner | Location | Score | Notes |
| 2025 | Texans | Houston | 36-29 | Houston erased a 29-10 deficit, the largest blown lead in Jaguars history |
| 2025 | Jaguars | Jacksonville | 17-10 | Jaguars win a Week 3 defensive battle |
| 2024 | Texans | Jacksonville | 23-20 | Hit on Trevor Lawrence sparks a brawl |
| 2024 | Texans | Houston | 24-20 | Texans take a four-point Week 4 win |
| 2023 | Jaguars | Houston | 24-21 | Texans miss a game-tying field goal |
| 2023 | Texans | Jacksonville | 37-17 | First career win for C.J. Stroud |
| 2022 | Jaguars | Houston | 31-3 | Jaguars snap a nine-game losing streak in the series |
| 2022 | Texans | Jacksonville | 13-6 | Houston’s first win of that season |
| 2021 | Texans | Jacksonville | 30-16 | Texans control the second half |
| 2021 | Texans | Houston | 37-21 | Houston sweeps the season series |
| 2020 | Texans | Jacksonville | 27-25 | Two-point Houston win |
| 2020 | Texans | Houston | 30-14 | Texans cruise at home |
The Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans stats across the series favor Houston 32-16, but the recent games have been far tighter than the all-time record suggests.
A Few Things Worth Pointing Out
- The two teams have never met in the playoffs, so all forty-eight games have been regular season contests
- Six of the last eight meetings were decided by one score
- The biggest Jaguars win is 45-7 in 2017, while the biggest Texans win is 30-6 in 2015
- Both teams made the playoffs in 2025, a first in the history of the rivalry
Texans vs Jaguars Mythology: A Big Cat and a Bull With Ancient Roots
There is a fun side note buried in this matchup that has nothing to do with the standings. Texans vs Jaguars mythology goes back thousands of years, because both mascots were powerful symbols in ancient storytelling. The Maya tied the jaguar to night, the underworld, and royal power, while the Aztecs honored elite warriors dressed as jaguars and linked the animal to the god Tezcatlipoca.
The Texans’ bull has deep roots of its own. In Greek myth, Zeus took the shape of a bull to carry off Europa, and the Minotaur of Crete was half man, half bull. Nobody in the league office was thinking about any of that when they sent these teams to London, but in the end this series has always been decided by far more ordinary things, like a Hail Mary in 2010, a 31-3 blowout on New Year’s Day 2023, and a fumble returned for a touchdown on the final play of last November’s game.
Three Eras of the Rivalry
Era 1: An Even Start (2002-2009) The Texans won the first meeting 21-19 in Jacksonville on a late field goal, and the teams traded wins for the rest of the decade. Jacksonville handed Houston the first shutout in franchise history in 2003, and the series stood tied 8-8 after 2009.
Era 2: Houston Takes Over (2010-2019) The Texans won fifteen of twenty games behind J.J. Watt and a string of strong defenses. The Jaguars did sweep the series in 2013 and 2017, and a 2012 overtime shootout, 43-37 for Houston, remains the wildest game in the series.
Era 3: The Lawrence and Stroud Years (2020-Present) Houston won nine straight from 2018 through 2022 before Jacksonville broke the streak with a 31-3 win. With Lawrence and Stroud under center, the rivalry has grown sharper, and last year the teams split.
The Last Time These Two Teams Met: Texans 36, Jaguars 29 (Nov. 9, 2025)
Sunday’s game is still unplayed, so the November 2025 chapter of the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans matches remains the best snapshot of how this series has gone lately. Houston played without Stroud, who was out with a concussion, so Davis Mills started. The Jaguars grabbed a 20-10 halftime lead, and a six-yard Travis Etienne touchdown late in the third quarter made it 29-10.
Then the game flipped. Mills threw touchdown passes to Jayden Higgins and Dalton Schultz, the defense forced three-and-outs after both drives, and Mills ran in a 14-yard score to give Houston a 30-29 lead. Jacksonville got the ball back with 31 seconds left, and a Chuma Edoga penalty for hands to the face pushed the Jaguars back to their own 35 with seven seconds to go.
Key Moments That Decided It
- Will Anderson Jr. stripped Trevor Lawrence on the final play, and Sheldon Rankins returned the fumble 32 yards for the winning touchdown
- Danielle Hunter matched a career high with three and a half sacks
- Derek Stingley Jr. made a one-handed interception during the comeback
Jacksonville had won the first meeting of 2025 by a 17-10 score in Week 3, when Bhayshul Tuten scored on a one-yard run in the first quarter.
Where Both Teams Stand Entering Sunday’s Game
Five weeks into the season, the numbers show two offenses with the same big weakness. Both teams average exactly 79.0 rushing yards per game, and both rank near the bottom of the league on the ground. Before looking at the numbers below, it’s worth framing this Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans match player stats snapshot simply: the team that protects its quarterback and wins the turnover battle probably wins the game.
| Stat | Jacksonville Jaguars | Houston Texans |
| Record | 4-1 | 1-4 |
| Points per game | 24.6 (12th) | 22.0 (19th) |
| Points allowed per game | 14.0 (2nd) | 22.4 |
| Yards per game | 349.0 (14th) | 359.4 (11th) |
| Rushing yards per game | 79.0 (31st) | 79.0 (31st) |
| Interceptions (defense) | 6 | 2 |
| Starting QB | Trevor Lawrence: 1,174 yds, 10 TD, 3 INT | C.J. Stroud: 1,402 yds, 6 TD, 0 INT |
| Betting line | Jaguars -2.5 | Texans +2.5 |
The Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans stats tell an interesting story about two different ways to win. Jacksonville survives on takeaways, even though it gives up 288.2 passing yards per game, which ranks 30th. Houston has the reverse profile, a defense that ranks third against the run at 78.4 yards per game and an offense that moves the ball through the air but struggles to finish drives.
Best Top Players to Watch
Both rosters have difference-makers, so Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans matches always come down to which stars show up. The Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans match player stats through five weeks point to these names as the ones worth circling.
Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville. Ten touchdowns, a 106.8 passer rating, and only ten sacks taken. Lawrence lost a fumble to Anderson on the final play of the last meeting and will face the same rush again, this time without his starting left tackle.
C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston. Zero interceptions, 1,402 passing yards, and his best game of the year last week. Stroud has been sacked fourteen times, but he is playing with rhythm and has a new weapon in Harrison.
Will Anderson Jr., DE, Houston. The league leader with 7.5 sacks and twelve tackles for loss. He faces a Jacksonville line that just lost its left tackle, and few matchups in this game matter more.
Parker Washington, WR, Jacksonville. Four touchdowns and 352 receiving yards, plus a two-touchdown day against Houston last year. He will draw attention from a Texans secondary missing Jalen Pitre.
Nico Collins, WR, Houston. Nineteen catches, 249 yards, and three touchdowns in just three games. Collins faces a Jaguars secondary with several cornerbacks listed as questionable.
Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Houston. He had five catches for 85 yards in four games with Arizona, but he gets a fresh start with his old Ohio State quarterback. Expect Houston to use his size in contested-catch situations.
Woody Marks, RB, Houston. With David Montgomery out, Marks becomes the lead back. He is averaging 3.5 yards per carry to Montgomery’s 2.7, and he is a reliable checkdown option for Stroud.
Cam Little, K, Jacksonville. The owner of the NFL record 68-yard field goal and the hero of last week’s 57-yarder. In a game with a 42.5 total, a kicker with this range can swing the result.
Coaching Matchup: Coen vs. Ryans
Liam Coen and DeMeco Ryans split last season’s two games. Coen has built Jacksonville’s identity around takeaways and a flexible passing game, while Ryans, a former linebacker, wants a defense that wins up front.
| Factor | Jacksonville (Coen) | Houston (Ryans) |
| Experience level | 2nd season, 13-4 in 2025 | 4th season, 12-5 in 2025 |
| Quarterback situation | Trevor Lawrence, 10 touchdowns | C.J. Stroud, zero interceptions |
| Offensive identity | Takeaways and short-field kicking | Pass-first with a new No. 2 receiver |
| Defensive concern | 30th in passing yards allowed | Missing S Jalen Pitre |
| Program status | Division leader trying to repeat | Former champion fighting to survive |
Neither coach has much room for error, and Ryans in particular needs a win to avoid falling four games back.
Betting Angle: What the Odds Say
The line opened with Houston favored by 1.5 points, but it has flipped to Jacksonville -2.5 at DraftKings as the injuries piled up on the Texans’ side. The total has risen by a point since it opened and now sits at 42.5. On the moneyline, the Jaguars are -142 and the Texans are +120. Sportradar’s model gives Jacksonville a 56.8 percent chance to win.
The Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans stats on trends point in a few directions. Houston is 1-4 against the spread this season, while Jacksonville is 3-2. The Texans are 2-3 to the over, and the Jaguars are only 1-4 to the over. NBC Sports’ model leans toward Houston on the moneyline and at +2.5, pointing to Houston’s third-ranked run defense and a Jacksonville offense that ranks 31st on the ground.
Anyone leaning on Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans match player stats before making a pick should weight the injury news heavily. Houston is without its starting running back, a starting safety, and a receiver, while Jacksonville is down its left tackle and has a cluster of cornerbacks on the questionable list.
Prediction: Jaguars 24, Texans 20
This one has a tight, physical AFC South finish written all over it. The Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans match player stats from the first five weeks back that up, and so does the history, with six of the last eight meetings decided by one score.
Houston’s injuries are the biggest factor. The Texans will be without Montgomery, Pitre, and Tank Dell, and rookie safety Kamari Ramsey steps into the lineup against a Jaguars passing attack with Washington on the rise. Houston’s offense also has a built-in issue, scoring only eleven touchdowns through five games.
But Jacksonville is far from perfect. The Jaguars have no left tackle, rank 31st in rushing, and were penalized thirteen times last week. Anderson and Hunter can ruin an offense with that profile, and Stroud’s ability to avoid interceptions keeps Houston within a field goal late.
The edge belongs to Jacksonville because of Lawrence, Washington, a defense that takes the ball away, and a kicker who has been automatic from long range. Expert opinion is split, with the NBC Sports model backing Houston and DAZN projecting a 31-17 Jaguars win, so a final score around 24-20 fits the middle of that range.
Where to Watch Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans
- TV: NFL Network, with ABC-13 carrying the game locally in Houston
- Streaming: NFL+ in the United States, and DAZN for NFL Game Pass subscribers outside the U.S.
- Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. BST, 9:30 a.m. ET, 8:30 a.m. CT, and 7:00 p.m. IST at Wembley Stadium in London
- Texans radio: 95.7 The Fan and the Texans app
The short answer on where to watch Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans is NFL Network, and a full set of Jaguars vs Texans highlights will be posted on NFL.com and the league’s social channels shortly after the game ends.
What’s Next for Both Teams
Jacksonville’s season hinges on whether it can clean up the penalties and protect Lawrence without Harrison. The Jacksonville Jaguars standings will look very different at 5-1 than at 4-2, and a win would send the Jaguars into the Week 7 bye with a three-game lead over Houston. After the break, the next Jacksonville Jaguars games bring Indianapolis at home and a short-week trip to Baltimore.
Houston needs to prove the Tennessee game wasn’t a one-week fluke. The Houston Texans standings can still be rescued, but a loss in London would put the team at 1-5 and four games back. The Houston Texans schedule offers a soft landing with the Giants on October 25, and the Houston Texans games after that include trips to Los Angeles and Cleveland. The two teams meet again on December 20 in Houston, and the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans stats from Sunday will shape how much that rematch is worth.
Check Also: Denver Broncos vs Seattle Seahawks Match Player Stats | Puka Nacua | Geno Smith
Quick FAQs
Houston leads 32-16 across forty-eight meetings since 2002.
No. All forty-eight games have been regular season contests.
November 9, 2025. Houston won 36-29 after trailing 29-10 in the second half.
Wembley Stadium in London, England, at 2:30 p.m. BST on October 18, 2026.
The game is on NFL Network, with streaming on NFL+ and DAZN for NFL Game Pass subscribers.
The player numbers in this article cover the key names, and complete box score numbers will be available once the game ends.
Jacksonville is a 2.5-point favorite at DraftKings, with the total set at 42.5.
Trevor Lawrence, Parker Washington, and Cam Little for Jacksonville, plus C.J. Stroud, Will Anderson Jr., and Nico Collins for Houston.
Source: NFL
