Three Things to Know About Texans Heading Into Week 6 vs. Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars are on a red-hot streak, winning 12 of their last 13 regular-season games, the first time they’ve done this since 1999, going into the 2000 season. The Jaguars are among the league’s elite, firmly atop the AFC South with little competition, except maybe their next opponent. The Houston Texans have started 1-4 for the seventh time in their short 25-year history, but only one of those seven times, 2015, led to a division championship, as they finished 9-7. Nine wins probably won’t be enough this time, but adding Marvin Harrison Jr. might help them grab a wild-card spot, and that journey starts Sunday in London against the Jaguars. Here are three other things to know about the Texans as they head into their Week 6 matchup against the Jaguars, which could decide the game.

Rushing Woes Continue

One of the main critiques of the CJ Stroud era of the Houston Texans has been the offensive infrastructure around him, specifically the running game. Unfortunately, the Texans haven’t gotten much better in that regard. The Texans are the first team since the 2012 Arizona Cardinals to have two rushers with over 40 attempts averaging under 3.5 yards per carry. That Arizona team finished 5-11 with the league’s worst rushing attack, led by Beanie Wells and LaRod Stephens-Howling. The Texans face Jacksonville’s top-ten rush defense on Sunday, which may force CJ Stroud to beat the Jaguars with his arm.

C.J. Stroud is Playing Some of the Best Ball of His Career

Because of the rushing woes, the Texans have relied on Stroud to win games; his 185 attempts to start the 2026 season are the second-most he’s had in a five-game span, only eclipsed by his first five games in his rookie season in 2023, when he took the league by storm. Even with his number-one target, Nico Collins, missing time, Stroud has been able to lift the floor of the Texans’ passing game, putting up a +6.7% Completion Percentage Over Expected (CPOE), and keeping them on track, as the Texans have the 10th-best dropback success rate, according to rbsdm.com.

Anton Harrison’s Injury Couldn’t Have Come at a Worse Time

Despite the offensive inconsistency, the defense remains the driving force of this team, continuing to post a top-ten EPA/play allowed. The duo of Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter immediately became one of the primary areas of concern for the Jaguars. Anderson Jr. ranks second among all defensive linemen in quarterback pressures (32), and Hunter ranks sixth (21). Walker Little will line up across from Hunter, and Cole Van Lanen will line up across from Anderson Jr., both of whom have been inconsistent in pass protection. Trevor Lawrence has been one of the better quarterbacks at getting the ball out quickly, posting the eighth-fastest time to throw at 2.72. That may come in handy, as two of the league’s most ferocious pass rushers may bear down on him at any moment.