The Jaguars will be riding a four-game winning streak into next weekend’s AFC South title game.
Jacksonville took a lead on their first offensive possession and never looked back against the Texans on Sunday. The 31-3 win moves them to 8-8 on the season and a win or tie against the Titans next weekend will give them their first division title since the 2017 season.
It would also be the first time they’ve made the playoffs since that season and even playing for that opportunity makes Doug Pederson’s first year as their head coach a major success. The season has also been a much better one for quarterback Trevor Lawrence as he has rebounded from a rough rookie year with Urban Meyer on the sideline and looked much more like the future star he was believed to be coming out of Clemson.
Lawrence was 17-of-21 for 152 yards and an interception on Sunday before C.J. Beathard came in to give him some rest in the second half. Running back Travis Etienne ran nine times for 108 yards, including a 62-yard touchdown, and he caught three passes for 32 yards.
The other Jags offensive touchdowns came on runs by JaMycal Hasty and Snoop Conner. Cornerback Tyson Campbell returned a fumble by Texans quarterback Davis Mills for the other touchdown. Defensive end Josh Allen forced that fumble on his sixth sack of the season.
Pederson and the Jags will be looking for more plays like that from the defense next weekend and a little more from Lawrence in the passing game. Should they get those things, playoff football will have a good chance of returning to Jacksonville.