Jaguars vs Texans Week 3 Review
The Jaguars defeated the Texans 17-10 in a rough but gritty game that showcased the team's resilience. A missed field goal from Ka'imi Fairbairn set the Jaguars up with great field position, later leading them to score an easy touchdown. Things looked promising in the first quarter. The offense seemed to be in sync, and the defense was playing lights out.
In the second quarter, things were anything but smooth offensively. The offense totaled 28 yards, had the ball for just 5 minutes, and went 0/4 on third down. Luckily, the defense was able to keep them in the game, allowing just a field goal in the 2nd quarter.
Coming out of halftime, the score was 7-3 Jacksonville. The offense game had been completely shut down and was going to need a spark. It ended up being more of the same. Coming out of the half, the offense managed to get points with a 39-yard field goal. The next drive, Cam Little missed a 47-yard field goal that would have given the team a two-score lead at 13-3. Shortly after this, Jourdan Lewis came up with an interception. This was the Jaguars chance to put this game away.
The offense proceeded to go three-and-out, with Brian Thomas Jr. dropping a crucial third-down pass. The defense held their own once again, forcing a Texans three-and-out. The ensuing drive for the Jaguars could not have gone worse. Parker Washington and Travis Etienne exchanged drops before Trevor Lawrence threw an awful interception that put the Texans at midfield. On the very next play, Nico Collins beat Tyson Campbell for a wide-open touchdown to tie the game at 10.
With all the momentum on the Texans' side, the Jaguars needed a big answer. They had none, with the drive ending in a turnover on downs on just 7 plays for 25 yards. A few minutes later, with the Texans driving down the field looking to end the game, Tyson Campbell redeemed himself, forcing Nico Collins to fumble the football. This was the Jaguars last chance to win the game. Everything came down to this offensive drive.
They came through thanks to a huge play from Brian Thomas. On 1st and 10 at their own 44, Trevor Lawrence hit Brian Thomas Jr. for a 46-yard gain all the way down to the Texans 10-yard line. On the next play Travis Etienne managed to walk in untouched for a touchdown to put the Jaguars up 17-10.
On the final drive, the Texans were driving, getting all the way down to the Jaguars 28-yard line. Things were looking eerily similar to the game-winning drive from the Bengals the week prior. They were determined to not allow this to happen again. Josh Hines-Allen got pressure on C.J. Stroud, batting the ball into the air with Antonio Johnson coming in to get the interception. The Jaguars managed to survive an ugly game, something that has not been said over the past 2 seasons.
The good
The defense was exceptional, allowing only 271 total yards, forcing three turnovers, and forcing the Texans to go 4-15 on third down. Jordan Lewis was the star of the game, allowing 0 yards on three completions, 2 pass deflections, and an interception. Josh Hines-Allen had a big day as well, getting 3 pressures, 0.5 sacks, and the pass deflection to seal the game.
Brenton Strange continues to be the most reliable target on offense, catching 6 of his 7 targets for 61 yards. Travis Hunter saw an increase in snaps once again, with 80 in total. 37 came on offense, and 43 came on defense. The more Hunter gets used to these types of games, the better he will be in the long run. The team's lack of panic at the end of the game was noteworthy, particularly on the final drive. Despite Brian Thomas Jr.'s struggles, Trevor Lawrence checked out of a run play to get him the ball that led to the crucial 46-yard catch and run. This level of trust should only help BTJ's confidence going forward.
The bad
The offense was awful in every facet of the game. The penalties were once again an issue, racking up 9 for 70 yards on the day. The third and 4th-down problems from previous years came back to bite them in this game, going 4-15 on third down and 0-1 on fourth down. The biggest surprise was the lack of a running attack. Coming into the game, the Jaguars ranked number 1 in yards and yards per attempt on the ground but were held to just 86 yards on 3.5 yards per attempt.
Trevor Lawrence's costly turnovers continue to be a problem, throwing a backbreaking interception in the 4th quarter that immediately led to a Texans touchdown. When things begin to go bad, Trevor tends to press and force throws he shouldn't, and that was evident on his interception.
Dropped passes vs. Texans. THERE WERE 7 OF THEM!!!!!🤬🤦🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/xa8v2sRXBg
— Men In Teal Podcast (@menintealpod) September 23, 2025
The biggest story from the offense, however, was the drops, recording 7 in total. Through 3 games the Jaguars have already recorded 13 drops, the most in the NFL. Throughout Trevor Lawrence's career, the team has consistently been at the top of the league in drops. With this level of talent in the skill position, this should not still be happening. If the Jaguars are to reach their full potential, they have to cut down on the drops.
Conclusion
Now sitting in 2nd in the AFC South at 2-1, the Jaguars have shown that they can win the ugly games. In previous years, this game would almost certainly have resulted in a loss, but the team dug deep and found a way to win. This will not always be the case, however, and the key mistakes will have to get fixed, particularly the penalties and drops. With a tough game against San Francisco in week 4, we will see if the Jaguars are able to stay disciplined and reduce the mental errors.