Getty ImagesBy late November, a handful of NFL teams have accepted the fact that their playoff hopes are finished, and that what they’re really playing for is a high pick in next year’s NFL draft. Two of those teams are the Jaguars and Texans, who play each other twice in the next two weeks.
The 1-9 Jaguars have been widely regarded all season as the worst team in the league and the most likely owners of the first pick in the 2014 NFL draft. And if the draft order were determined today, the Jaguars would, in fact, have the first overall pick.
But the Texans are one of four 2-8 teams (along with the Vikings, Falcons and Buccaneers) that are hot on the Jaguars’ heels. And the Texans, who host the Jaguars on Sunday and then visit Jacksonville on Thursday, December 5, have an opportunity to move themselves ahead of Jacksonville in the draft order by choking twice against their division rivals.
It will be fascinating to see how NFL Network presents that Week 14 Texans-Jags game, which might be the worst prime time game in NFL history. Will they try to spin it as quality football, or just have color commentator Mike Mayock put on his draft analyst hat and spend most of the night discussing the possibilities for the first overall pick?
The Texans are 10-point favorites on Sunday (think about how bad the Jaguars are that they’re the biggest underdogs in the NFL this week, and they’re playing a 2-8 team), so the most likely outcome is that Houston will win and take a step away from the first overall pick, and the Jaguars will take a step toward clinching it. But if the Jaguars pull an upset, the race for the first overall pick will be wide open. And that may be the only reason to watch the Jaguars-Texans rematch in two weeks.
In this one, the point spread is based on which team is better at losing; not winning. Jags are better and will cover. Jags 3 Texans 16
Its pretty clear, would you rather have a complete team or a franchise QB? A Franchise QB always wins out.
Texans have solid, special teams and weapons on O, but nothing to put them over the top. Vikes look good w/ 3 1st round picks, AP & LT. TB has shown a good ground game and improving D.
But all the Pats have is Brady & really all the Broncos have is Peyton (his WR’s are good b/c of him). Seattle is stout as long as Russell is the driver.
Call me crazy but I like the Jags to win. They have a lot less talent then Houston but they’re starting to play better for their coach the last few weeks.
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Of the 5 teams currently in the top draft spots, Jacksonville, Houston, and Minnesota will most likely be looking for help at QB. Tampa with young Mike Glennon is an unknown. Atlanta would probably trade out in a heartbeat.
It appears that the QB’s will come off the board quickly as the draft order at the top is unlikely to change dramatically.
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They can throw deep and we can’t stop anyone from passing. Texans win. That point spread is not indicative of the difference between these two teams. It’s simply reflects the public’s low opinion of the Jaguars. Just like they covered against Denver, they will cover this too. It is a division game. Don’t lay double digits in a division game.
The Texans are bad, but they aren’t Jaguars bad.
“Jaguars-Texans a battle for the top of the draft”
Something about reading that headline … just … wow … The Texans … who came into this season as the pride of the AFC South and one of the top Super Bowl contenders.
The NFL Network could call these two games the “Tank for Teddy Bowl I and II”.
I wonder what Teddy Bridgewater is thinking about all this.
This is still planet Earth. JJ Watt is still a better player than most of the Jaguars combined. Still a no brainer.
They should dangle Teddy Bridgewater above midfield like a Money In The Bank match.
I think this might be the year that ten qb’s get drafted in the first round
Everything about this article is so sad for Houston, but now I don’t even want them to win anymore.
Wherever the Jags end up drafting, just please don’t take Teddy Tombstone.
What QB wears 2 gloves…in September…in Kentucky?
The really funny thing is that Bridgewater is Geno Smith 2.0 and whichever team drafts him will be set back another 5 years.
With the exceptions of Watt and AJ the Texans aren’t know for their draft expertise. Truth is I doubt they expected Watt to be this good. I just they don’t draft Johnny Football. He won’t last half a season.
Jacksonville somehow have gone backwards from last year. They aren’t even competitive most games. Gus Bradley should have stayed in Seattle one more year. He was so desperate to be a head coach that he joined an embarrassingly awful team. It won’t be so easy to get another head coach position after he’s fired from Jacksonville.
Teddy Bridgewater’s favorite two words right now are “trade” and “down”. Probably Mariota’s too.
Money is great but you go to one of those top 2-3 teams, you are probably looking at a long first 3-4 years of your career.
I think when both teams are equally bad, it actually makes for good football because relatively speaking it’s actually competitive.
Texans are a product of BS and Hype…. 4-12 in their last 16 games going back to the 11-1 record last year.
Everyone keeps saying they have all that talent…
Where…???
Linebacking corps is so bad they started a street FA last week just two weeks with the team…No safeties Keo and Swearinger(Guin, Manning and Reed are gone) one good corner Joseph and he is not living up to his contract….but of course there is that one trick pony JJWatt push his way with the aid of a hand in the facemask to get to the QB…all he can do
On offense they have 3/5 of an offense line 1 RB, backup TE, wshed up FB and one nearly washed up selfish captian of a WR Johnson…Hopkins touted as a Johnson clone makes way too many mistakes in he pick assignments and blocking.
SO I ASK WHERE IS ALL OF THIS DAMN TALENT!!!!
Dolphin reject chad Henne should help the Jags keep that first pick!
I really think this year could be a blessing in disguise for Houston, assuming common sense wins out and they fire Kubiak and cut Schaub at the end of the year. You’ve found a QB with legitimate potential who fits your offense in Keenum and you’ll have the chance to add a stud in the draft. Imagine a D-line with both Clowney and Watt? Good night.
@dmcmp
SO I ASK WHERE IS ALL OF THIS DAMN TALENT!!!!
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You’re mistaking a lack of DEEP depth as lack of talent.
This is a wildly talented team.
Andre Johnson
JJ Watt
Brian Cushing
Arian Foster
Antonio Smith
Duane Brown
Chris Meyers
Johnathan Joseph
Wade Smith
Owen Daniels
10/22 starters have been probowlers for this team.
You can’t have 22 probowlers and very few teams have probowlers sitting on the bench.
Now they’ve had A LOT of injuries and unfortunately the “Next Man Up” philosophy from 2011 isn’t as prevalent on this team. I mean hell, they even lost the coach for a game and a half. But to say this isn’t a talented team is just uninformed.
Mariota is the best college quarterback period. Keep pumping up teddy he doesn’t have the arm accuracy, leadership and speed Mariota has, what he does have is all the hype and NC Mariota is a silent leader he doesn’t see it as much. Teddy is a flashy guy, Mariota simply balls… U can’t watch this guy and not be shared if he joins your division. He’s a pocket Passer who will run out of necessity.. Most Oregon qbs were run first guys.. Not this guy he is a baller period.. Better hope your team drafts him expect him to put up crazy combine numbers especially speed and agility. And arm strength.
8to80texansblog says: Nov 21, 2013 1:48 PM
@dmcmp
SO I ASK WHERE IS ALL OF THIS DAMN TALENT!!!!
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You’re mistaking a lack of DEEP depth as lack of talent.
This is a wildly talented team.
Andre Johnson
JJ Watt
Brian Cushing
Arian Foster
Antonio Smith
Duane Brown
Chris Meyers
Johnathan Joseph
Wade Smith
Owen Daniels
10/22 starters have been probowlers for this team.
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Putting Antonio Smith and Joseph on your list devalues your argument. Joseph has regressed each of the last 2 seasons and as for Smith…the guy is average AT BEST.
Also Cushing,Foster,and Daniels are all out injured, but when they were playing they weren’t very effective. Cushing hasn’t been the same since he got caught juicing, Foster hasn’t been the same since he got paid and/or stopped eating meat, and even Duane Brown(an excellent LT) has missed games due to injury this year. There IS a lack of talent on this team. They have 1 good WR and a bunch of young guys with upside. 2 good backs(when healthy), but only half an OL. 1 good DL, 1 good(oft-injured) LB, and you can trade their entire secondary with almost any team except the Vikings and it’d be an improvement. I haven’t even talked about the uneven QB play and archaic play-calling yet.
You are correct. Too talented to be blown out by the Rams at home regardless of who the QB was.
Besides, you don’t go from a division-winning playoff team to a two win team the following year with basically the same players.
damcmp says:
SO I ASK WHERE IS ALL OF THIS DAMN TALENT!!!!
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Cut all these guys and see how fast everybody else scoobers them up.
jjbo: “Seattle is stout as long as Russell is the driver.”
I’m not going to sit here and argue that the Seattle Seahawks are the same team with T-Jack at the helm.
But I will say this, Tarvaris Jackson has improved greatly this year. He played better than ever in limited action in the preseason. And he will probably get to see plenty of action in garbage time as the season rounds out. I will just say this: Russell Wilson is an excellent leader and without him Seattle does not have much chance at winning the Superbowl (or getting to the Superbowl). But I would also argue that T-Jack adds to the depth that has made this Seahawk team more dangerous than any in Seahawks history. The depth of this roster and the talent that is there is the reason the Seahawks are on top of the NFC right now. And with any luck they will continue to pick up W’s.
It’s not wise to rule out MRSA.
Imagine Clowney and Watt on the same team. Yikes.
hey if we’re lucky both teams will put their practice squads on the field for the game.
Texans will get a qb . Clowney to the dirty birds I would bet . To say they need a pass rush is a gross understatement .