These are strange times in the Texans-Jaguars series, led by Houston 26-13. It's only the second time since the AFC South was born that both organizations could end up in the top three slots of the draft. It's not where the teams wanted to be as neither squad has been able to build a winning streak after their Week 1 matchup.
There are still four games left, with an opportunity to create some positives going into the offseason.
There are numerous differences in this meeting for the Texans. The biggest one is Davis Mills starting for the seventh time in his career, in place of Tyrod Taylor, who threw for two touchdowns in the opener. Several key players who were part of that win are either unavailable or not with the team at all.
It'll be up to the coaches to find a new winning formula in North Florida on Sunday. A 300-yard passing day this past week was an encouraging sign. The last time these squads met, Houston ran for 160 yards. However, three of the ball carriers, including Taylor and the two starting tackles, aren't slated to play this time.
Trevor Lawrence threw for a career-high three touchdowns in the first meeting. He's currently on a TD pass dry spell with only one in his last six games. Lawrence also has 14 picks, tied for the league lead in a category where you obviously don't want a big number. Meanwhile, Mills is now even in the TD to interception ratio after throwing a touchdown pass on the opening drive against Seattle.
This will be the second rookie vs. rookie quarterback matchup for Mills. When he 'faced' Mac Jones, he threw for three touchdowns but the team stopped scoring early in the third quarter in a close loss. He didn't play when the Texans hosted Zac Wilson.
This game will grab national headlines because the winner will possibly play themselves out of the number one overall pick in the 2022 Draft. Fans and media often make a big deal out of such things but the coaches and players are fully committed to getting victories. Expect a hotly contested affair with a coveted 'W' on the line.
Catch the Texans at NRG Stadium on December 26 when they take on the Los Angeles Chargers. Kickoff is set for noon CT. Click here for tickets.
