Five Good Texans Questions With Big Cat Country

Stay in this business long enough and you get to know the people on the other side. That is particularly true within the AFC South when we have these games twice a season. Gus Logue of Big Cat Country and I have been doing this for all five seasons that I have been doing five questions. The Jaguars have become the chief rival for the Texans as it pertains to the playoffs and this year is no different. This time the interdivision battle goes to London. The 4-1 Jaguars stand between the Texans and getting back into the playoff conversation. We started with the London angle.

Battle Red Blog: Jacksonville has been the unofficial home team in London for several years. Do you see that giving them key advantages on Sunday?

Gus Logue: Not really. Jacksonville was the “home” team in last week’s game against Philadelphia, but it seemed like Eagles fans outnumbered Jaguars fans 10-to-1. 

The familiarity of traveling overseas could be an edge, but really, the Jaguars’ biggest advantage this week is the simple fact that they’re already in London. The Texans still have to cross an ocean and acclimate themselves to a new continent.

After the win against the Eagles, Liam Coen said, “We really didn’t get to practice hard last week. It was one of those weird weeks, because we were a little nicked up, and then you got the travel.” I expect the Jaguars to play a cleaner game against the Texans than they did against the Eagles, even with Houston being the tougher opponent. 

BRB: It’s year two of the Travis Hunter experience. How is that going? How is the breakdown between offensive and defensive snaps looking?

GL: It is going GREAT, thank you for asking!

After playing 67% of offensive snaps and 36% of defensive snaps as a rookie, Hunter is now being deployed full-time as a starting cornerback while seeing a couple of offensive snaps per game. He had a 1st down catch on an option route last week. 

His defensive tape is highly encouraging. In the first two weeks of the season, Hunter looked really solid, but a bit hesitant coming back from the knee injury that cut his rookie season short. It didn’t take long for him to get his swagger back, because Hunter has looked like a field-tilting, quarterback-baiting, difference-making CB over the past month. 

BRB: Are there any new faces in Jacksonville that will have a dramatic impact on the outcome on Sunday?

GL: All-Pro long snapper Ross Matiscik was injured last week, so the Jaguars will be flying someone in to fill his spot (though nose tackle DaVon Hamilton filled in very admirably). 

I don’t know who Matiscik’s replacement is quite yet, but beyond that spot, keep an eye on rookie receiver Josh Cameron. He hasn’t quite out-snapped Brian Thomas Jr., but it wouldn’t be bold to say he is outplaying him. 

It’s also worth shouting out running back Bhayshul Tuten and Ventrell Miller, as they have been everything Jacksonville could’ve hoped for after letting Travis Etienne and Devin Lloyd walk in free agency. PFF has Tuten and Miller graded as the top players at their respective positions this season. 

BRB: How do you see the AFC South race shaping up? Secondarily, which divisional opponent do Jags fans enjoy beating the most?

GL: I agree with the popular take that Houston is better than their record and remains a threat to win the division. But it’s hard not to feel confident about the Jaguars, given they’ve already built a three-game lead over the Texans during the toughest part of their season. (The Colts and Titans are dog water.)

I expect Jacksonville to repeat as AFC South champs, and Houston to sneak into the playoffs as a Wild Card team. It helps that the AFC West isn’t as deep as expected. Even if the Jaguars sweep the Texans in the regular season, I will be praying to the football gods that Will Anderson Jr. does not make it far in the bracket. 

We despise the Titans. They were the only team to defeat the Jaguars during their incredible 1999 season — and they did it three times! Plus, Derrick Henry (a Jacksonville native) embarrassed us plenty of times. We hate that Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck ran the division for so long, and the current rivalry with Houston is legit a great one, but we will always enjoy beating the Titans more than any other team.

BRB: The Jags opened as 2.5 point favorites according to Fanduel. Do you see the Jags covering that? Are there any prop bets you feel comfortable recommending?

GL: I think that if this game were played out 10 times, the Jaguars would win and cover the spread in 6 or 7 of those scenarios. So I’ll pick them to cover but without much confidence. A healthy Nico Collins and a rejuvenated Marvin Harrison Jr. could cause serious issues for Jacksonville’s secondary, and we all know the threat that Houston’s defense poses against suspect offensive lines. 

Woody Marks under 47.5 rushing yards is an easy recommendation, considering Jacksonville has allowed 45 rushing yards total over the past two weeks. They join the 1969 Dallas Cowboys as the only Super Bowl-era teams to not allow an opposing player to rush for 40+ yards in their first five games of a season. We really think Marks is gonna be the first? I do expect big performances from C.J. Stroud and Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange (over 37.5 receiving yards looks nice). 

Score prediction: Jaguars 20, Texans 16.

We want to thank Gus so much for his time an attention to this feature. These interchanges are always interesting because the people involved are always so nice and accommodating even when the games themselves are tense. We want to wish Gus and the Jaguars the best of luck for the rest of the season. As per usual, we hope that the luck begins on Monday morning.