Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans: 9/12/21 NFL Picks and Predictions

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans face off on Sunday in a Week 1 NFL showdown at NRG Stadium. When these two teams faced off last November it was the Texans that won 27-25. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a terrible 2020 season finishing with a 1-15 record but they hope the changes they made can bring them more success. Urban Meyer was brought in to coach the team, and they also selected quarterback Trevor Lawrence with the first overall pick. Lawrence did have some struggles during the preseason, but there is still a great deal of hype about what he can bring to the team. The Jaguars also drafted running back Travis Etienne but he suffered a Lisfranc injury and will miss the season. On defense, this is a squad that lacks talent and it will probably be a weakness the entire season. 

On the other side of this matchup is the Houston Texans who had a lot of turmoil this offseason. Deshaun Watson is still on the roster, but the Texans have made it clear that he won’t be playing this year. The Texans brought in Tyrod Taylor this offseason and he will get the start under center. This is a veteran-led team, but it might include players who are past their prime like Mark Ingram and Brandon Cooks. On defense, the Texans decided to not bring J.J. Watt and that is a big loss after being such a leader for so many years. The Texans are a team that could surprise people, but they have so many question marks.