The Jacksonville Jaguars (6-5) are facing a pretty even opponent this week in the Houston Texans (5-6), and it should be a close game. The Texans don’t have a particularly good defense, especially when it comes to pressuring quarterbacks, so David Garrard should have some opportunities to make some big plays. The Texans do give up 120 rushing yards per game though, so Maurice Jones-Drew should be the first option for the Jags’ offense. In their meeting earlier this year where the Jags won 31-24, Jones-Drew rushed for 119 yards and 3 touchdowns.
The Jaguars defense, specifically their pass defense, is not very strong. They give up close to 250 passing yards per game and in their last game against the Texans, Matt Schaub threw for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Schaub-Andre Johnson connection has been one of the Texans’ strengths all season, so the Jags need to keep Johnson in check. I expect a very close game, but I’m giving the Texans a slight advantage since the Jags’ pass defense is so weak and Schaub has proven he can put up some big numbers against them.
FINAL SCORE PREDICTION: Jacksonville Jaguars 21, Houston Texans 28
