2023 Jaguars’ Week Three: Righting the Ship

The 2023 Jacksonville Jaguars have started the season 1 and 1, after falling to the Chiefs in a Divisional round rematch in week two. Starting the season with a roller coaster win and an ugly loss, it’s time for the Jaguars to right the ship in the Jaguars’ week three matchup against the Houston Texans.

The Jaguars’ second home game of the 2023 season is against a foe that’s given the Jaguars plenty of issues in recent years. The last time the Jaguars beat the Texans in Jacksonville was back in 2017, and that’s not all. Against the Texans since 2014, the Jaguars have gone 3 and 15. The Jaguars’ week three matchup presents an opportunity to right the ship on the 2023 season and begin to do so on a historical level.

Before the Jaguars face the Texans, let’s take a look at a couple of important topics heading into the Jaguars’ week three matchup.

Jaguars’ Week Three: Fixing the Offense

It’s no secret that the Jaguars offense has been terrible so far through two weeks of the 2023 season. The most frustrating part? Trevor Lawrence hasn’t been an issue and has played fairly well. Between multiple passes into the end zone just being incomplete by way of the receivers not getting their feet in bounds and the offensive line struggling to hold up, it’s been tough sledding for the Jaguars offense.

The Jaguars’ week three matchup sets up to be a pivotal one for the offense. With a banged-up and vulnerable Texans defense coming to Jacksonville, it’s going to be a true test for the Jaguars offense. There’s one aspect of the Jaguars offense that needs to get going against the Texans: the run game.

Travis Etienne Jr. hasn’t had much of a chance to get going, but the Jaguars’ week three matchup provides an opportunity to right the ship for Etienne and the run game after being a non-factor in week two. The matchup is a prime opportunity for the Jaguars to run the ball, as the Texans have struggled to stop the run.

In week two, the Texans faced the Colts and subsequently let Zach Moss run for 88 yards and Anthony Richardson for 35 yards. Both also scored on the ground. While Trevor Lawrence doesn’t run the same way that Anthony Richardson does, Travis Etienne should more than be capable of matching those numbers from Moss.

To put those numbers into perspective, the Houston Texans received a 29.7 run defense grade from PFF. A number that low makes the game plan for the Jaguars evident: they need to run the ball. The Jaguars’ week three player spotlight will be on Travis Etienne Jr.

Another facet of the game that the Jaguars offense has struggled with is turnovers and just getting in their way. Between the turnovers and the overall lack of offensive cohesion, the season has started rough for the Jaguars. But with the Texans coming to town, the Jaguars have the opportunity to right the ship and make things work for the offense going forward.

Limiting the turnovers and continuing to get turnovers will always be a key to winning the game. But, with the Jaguars struggling to retain possession, the turnovers they are generating don’t have much of an impact as they should. The key for the Jaguars will be to stop getting in their way and continue to help themselves out.

Offensive Matchup to Watch: Anton Harrison vs. Will Anderson

One of the toughest matchups from a week ago was going to be the offensive line against Chris Jones. Unfortunately for Anton Harrison, Jones had a good time picking on him. Harrison struggled and gave up multiple sacks, having by far the worst game of his young career. But Harrison is a rookie in his third game and should be fine going forward. Nearly every offensive lineman has a bad game here and there, and Harrison has a chance to regain some confidence against a tough opponent.

Will Anderson Jr. lines up against offensive tackles, and with Walker Little showing out so far, the notable tackle issue for the Jaguars is Harrison on the right side. The two rookies going head-to-head will be one of the most interesting matchups to watch in the Jaguars’ week three game against the Texans.

The Jaguars’ Week Three Defensive Matchup

On the other side of the ball, the Jaguars’ week three opponent has a very young and intriguing offense. Of the rookie quarterbacks, C.J. Stroud has looked the part of a franchise player. Through two weeks, Stroud has thrown for 626 yards and two touchdowns on 58 completions with 91 attempts. Those numbers are great through two weeks, and to add to the impressive start, Stroud has yet to throw an interception. His passer rating is 91.2, which is encouraging for the Texans.

This week will be a great test for the Jaguars defense. After holding the Colts and the Chiefs to limited offensive production, it will be interesting to see how the Jaguars defense fares in week three. Were the first two weeks a fluke, or is this Jaguars defense for real? If the Jaguars’ week three matchup goes the way it has been going for the defense, it’s going to be a long day for C.J. Stroud.

Defensive Matchup of the Week: Jaguars Corners vs. Texans Receivers

While C.J. Stroud has been a positive revelation for the Texans, the receiving core being as good as it has been has been eye-opening. Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Robert Woods, and Dalton Schultz are the starters and provide a more than competent receiving core for the Texans and Stroud.

The Jaguars’ week three matchup between the Jaguars corners and the Texans receivers is one to watch and should dictate the outcome of the game. If the Jaguars corners Tyson Campbell, Darious Williams, and Tre Herndon can hold the Texans receivers, the Jaguars will be set up to succeed in week three.

Injuries for the Jaguars’ Week Three Matchup

Jaguars Injuries

• Zay Jones – (Knee) – DNP
• Antonio Johnson – (Hamstring) – DNP
• Josh Allen – (Shoulder) – LP
• Andrew Wingard – (Shoulder) – LP
• Brandon Scherff – (Personal Matter) – DNP
• Foley Faukasi – (Shoulder) – DNP

The most impactful injuries for the Jaguars’ week three matchup against the Texans are outside linebacker Josh Allen and wide receiver Zay Jones. Both players have gotten off to a strong start in 2023, but of the two, Josh Allen is far and away the most important player the Jaguars can’t afford to miss. Allen suffered a shoulder injury in week two and is in jeopardy of missing week three.

If Josh Allen were to miss time, it’s going to most likely be Yasir Abdullah, amongst others, getting the pass-rushing reps that Josh Allen has been making a big impact through. Zay Jones isn’t quite as valuable to the Jaguars, but he’s still an important cog in the Jaguars offense.

If Zay Jones were to miss time, it would be Tim Jones, a special teams standout, getting more wide receiver reps. But fortunately, Calvin Ridley and Christian Kirk are a solid duo on their own and should more than make up for the absence of Zay Jones if he were to miss the Jaguars’ week three matchup.

With Zay Jones missing practice two days in a row, it seems like he’s likely to miss the Jaguars’ week three matchup against the Houston Texans. Antonio Johnson will most likely continue to be out as well. There is some good news, with both Foley Fatukasi and Brandon Scherff returning to practice on Thursday. Having both available, especially Scherff, will be incredibly important to the Jaguars’ success in week three.

Texans Injuries

• Derek Stingley Jr. (Hamstring) – DNP
• Denzel Perryman (Hand/Wrist) – DNP
• Jalen Pitre (Chest) – DNP
• Tavierre Thomas (Hand) – DNP
• Tank Dell (Thigh) – LP
• George Fant (Ankle/Knee) – LP
• Jonathan Greenard (Knee) – LP
• Eric Murray (Concussion) – LP
• C.J. Stroud (Right Shoulder) – LP
• Laremy Tunsil (Knee) – LP
• Jimmie Ward (Hip) – LP

The most noteworthy injury the Texans are suffering from is the loss of Derek Stingley Jr. The star second-year cornerback for the Texans hurt his hamstring in practice and is set to miss the Jaguars’ week three matchup and potentially more games.

The Jaguars receiving core is the best the Texans will have faced through week three, making the loss of Stingley hurt a lot more. An already challenging matchup for the Texans defense just got a lot more difficult, thanks to an injury to Stingley that this defense couldn’t afford to have.

Even without including this week’s injury report, the Texans have had some terrible injury luck in 2023 so far. It’s hard to maintain a high-quality team when dealing with so many injuries to key pieces on both sides of the ball, and the Texans might be down more players in week three.

Jaguars’ Week Three Predictions

The Jaguars’ week three matchup is a fun one between divisional opponents, and the Jaguars are fortunately dealing with better health than the Texans. Between the Jaguars having a better roster than they’ve had in the last six years, there’s no time like the present for the Jaguars to get their first win against the Texans in Jacksonville since 2017.

After a disappointing loss in week two, I think the Jaguars right the ship and beat the Texans at home. Continuing to stay on track with my preseason predictions, the Jaguars’ week three matchup results in a win en route to a two-and-one record through three weeks.