Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars took their first second-half lead since effectively fumbling one way to the Dolphins in Week 1, with the quarterback finding wide receiver Christian Kirk for an eight-yard touchdown to go up 20-17 over the Texans with 6:21 left in the third quarter.
Yet Jacksonville gave Houston every chance to claim its lead back Sunday, offering the Texans’ offense four drives to operate after Kirk’s touchdown.
Houston capitalized on its fourth and final try: Quarterback C.J. Stroud connected with former Jaguars running back Dare Ogunbowale on a one-yard score, putting the Texans up 24-20 with 18 seconds remaining in the contest.
A short ensuing kickoff forced a six-second Jacksonville return, which ended in an illegal block in the back penalty by Jaguars linebacker Yasir Abdullah, setting up a 90-yard must-score drive that the offense instead lost nine yards by lateralling on the final play.
The Jaguars had a chance to extend their lead to two possessions one series following their lead-taking touchdown. Powered by a 58-yard Tank Bigsby scamper, Jacksonville exited the third quarter looking at 4th and goal at Houston’s one-yard line.
Jacksonville called a QB Draw play out of an empty set, turning 4th and 1 into 4th and 7 by choice before Lawrence worked downfield. Guards Ezra Cleveland and Brandon Scherff were blown off the line, leading Lawrence to be stuffed at the line of scrimmage by former Jaguars defensive tackle Folorunso Fatukasi, who signed with the Texans this offseason.
The Texans created some chunk plays but struggled to take advantage of the Jaguars’ offense stalling in the fourth quarter, at one point pushing into field goal territory only for Jacksonville defensive tackle Roy Robertson-Harris to produce a 10-yard third-down sack that forced a punt.
But after Houston began its final drive at its own 31-yard line, with 2:54 left in regulation, Stroud rushed for 11 yards, connected with star receiver Nico Collins for chunk gains of 26 and 15 yards and ultimately tossed the touchdown to Ogunbowale that sealed Jacksonville’s fate, now winless four weeks into its 2024 campaign.
Lawrence went three-of-nine passing for 20 yards after his third-quarter touchdown throw to Kirk, awarded three yards for his completion to Kirk on the final play, which the receiver lateralled to Gabe Davis, who pitched it to Lawrence, who threw it backward to running back Travis Etienne Jr. before Houston made a final tackle for loss.
Jacksonville is 0-4 to begin a season for the sixth time in franchise history (1995, 2003, 2013-14 and 2021).
The Jaguars return to Jacksonville for Week 5, set to host the Colts on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. ET. Indianapolis (2-2) is one game behind Houston (3-1) for the No. 1 spot in the AFC South.
