Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars survived a wild finish against the Eagles last week, and he finished it with 331 passing yards, his best yardage day of the season. Now the Jaguars stay in London and bring their quarterback back for a Texans defense he knows well.
Lawrence has been the most efficient version of himself through five games. He’s completed 67.1% of his passes for 1,174 yards, 10 touchdown passes and three interceptions, and his 8.2 yards per attempt is a big reason the Jaguars’ first-quarter grades were so strong. Here’s what to expect at Wembley.
He’ll throw more than usual
Houston allows 78.4 rushing yards per game, third-fewest in the league, and Bhayshul Tuten needed 22 carries to get 72 yards against the Eagles. The Jaguars will keep feeding Tuten, who keeps pulling away as the lead back, but this is a week where the plan tilts toward Lawrence.
He threw 39 times against Philadelphia, his high for the season, and a similar workload makes sense here, especially if Houston loads the box early and dares him to beat single coverage outside. Lawrence knows what he’s facing. “It’s a really good defense. There’s no secret about it,” he said, per the Jaguars’ team site.
Brenton Strange will be his chain mover
Parker Washington gets the headlines, and he deserves them with four touchdown catches. But Strange has quietly become Lawrence’s most reliable target, with 14 catches for 163 yards on 16 targets over the last two weeks.
Against a Houston defense that wants to rush four and keep everything in front, the tight end over the middle is where the Jaguars can live on third down. Jacksonville converts 45.9% of its third downs, and Strange is a big part of why.
He’ll get the ball out on time
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Lawrence’s average time to throw is 2.69 seconds, per PFF, and that number matters this week. Walker Little steps in at left tackle with Anton Harrison on injured reserve, and the smaller margin for error up front means quick throws and play-action timing.
He’s been sacked 10 times in five games, four of them in Cincinnati. Keeping that number low is the job against a Texans front with 18 sacks, and Lawrence has the exciting Jaguars rookie Josh Cameron and Jakobi Meyers to work underneath.
He’ll take a shot when Houston sells out
Lawrence’s two touchdown passes to Washington last week went for 51 and 27 yards. He doesn’t need to force it, but when the Texans bring pressure, he’s shown he’ll hit the big one. Coen expects a fight, and Lawrence’s attitude was simple. “We just have to execute. I’m sure they’re saying the same stuff,” he said.
A win would give Jacksonville a 5-1 start for the first time since 1999, and Duval would wake up to good news from London for a second straight week. Any list of truths and one lie about this team starts with its quarterback.
Stat line expectation: 23 of 34 for 255 yards, two touchdown passes and one interception, plus 20 rushing yards.
More on the Jacksonville Jaguars
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- 4 Reasons the Jaguars Will Beat the Texans, and 2 Reasons They Won’t
