JACKSONVILLE – The importance is obvious and real.
Travis Etienne Jr. this week said that's why motivation shouldn't be an issue for the Jaguars as they prepare to play the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, Sunday.
The game matters for many reasons – and those reasons matter.
"Everyone should be locked in," the Jaguars' veteran running back said.
The Jaguars (0-3), after back-to-back 9-8 seasons, enter the game six days removed from a 47-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. The Texans, who rallied past the Jaguars late last season to win the AFC South, enter it 2-1 and in first place in the South.
"This is the most important game of the season – because it's a division game and also because of what we have displayed throughout the season," Etienne said. "Everyone should attack this with a little more urgency understanding all we have at stake and understanding it's an opportunity to go 1-0 in the division."
The Jaguars indeed can move to 1-0 in the South with a victory. A victory also would move them to within a game of first place in the division – with a road victory over the team many observers considered the preseason division favorites. A loss would drop the Jaguars to 0-4 for the first time since 2021 – and move them three games behind in the division.
A victory will give the Jaguars a better feeling than they have had all season and keep their season goals very much intact. A loss wouldn't end the season, but …
Here are 10 things the Jaguars must do to win Sunday:
- Make.Winning.Plays*.* This figures to remain No. 1 until it's not. The blowout loss to the Bills was something of an outlier during their current stretch of eight losses in nine games. The Jaguars during that stretch usually have lost because they haven't made key plays at key times. That must change.
- Get star performances from star players. Said Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk, "Our good players need to play better. We all need to step up and be able to lead."
- Protect the passer. The Jaguars' protection issues this season haven't been all about the offensive line. They've been enough about the offensive line that the group needs to play better, particularly the tackles.
- Get a lead. The Jaguars trailed the Cleveland Browns 13-3 at halftime in Week 2 and the Bills 34-3 at halftime in Week 3. The offense has picked up one first down on three opening possessions this season. That also must change.
- Contain C.J. Stroud. This is partially about a controlled rush on the Texans' quarterback and partially about defending the Texans' receivers. The Minnesota Vikings in a 34-7 victory over the Texans last week limited Stroud's deep passes by keeping the receivers in front of defenders. This has become how teams have attempted to slow a potent Texans offense.
- Run. If the Jaguars have done anything well offensively this season, it's this. They have run well at times, and you still must run effectively to win. Expect the Jaguars to keep working to establish this. If they can get a little more consistent here, everything else is easier.
- Get better quarterback play. There has been much more wrong with the Jaguars' offense early in the season than quarterback Trevor Lawrence. But Lawrence still must raise his game – and raise the level of those around him – more than has been the case so far this season.
- Next men, step up. The Jaguars on Sunday figure to be without tight end Evan Engram and linebacker Foye Oluokun, two of the team's most prominent leaders – and two of its most consistent players. Second-year veteran Brenton Strange has filled in capably for Engram the past two weeks. Sunday will be the first game Oluokun has missed since signing with the Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in the 2022 offseason. Second-year veteran Ventrell Miller must play well in his place Sunday.
- Attack. This is Jaguars Defensive Coordinator Ryan Nielsen's defensive philosophy. This is what the Jaguars' do defensively.
- Just win. The season could be at stake. The Jaguars signed multiple veterans in the offseason to provide leadership for just this situation. It doesn't matter how the Jaguars win Sunday. Few will expect them to win. But if they're going to have a victory that means anything this season, it may have to come Sunday.
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