NFL Week 13: Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Houston Texans make history with their first-ever Monday Night Football game!

Texans vs. Jaguars Overview:
The AFC South was expected to have several Super Bowl contenders, with the Jacksonville Jaguars being one of them. A series of injuries and roster errors have taken apart the powerful Jacksonville Jaguars machine, and they stand at 4-7 thus far in the season. Less was expected of the Houston Texans, who share the same record, but the team has persevered through injury to put some doubts to rest. Fans with Houston Texans tickets will be a part of history when they are present for the first Monday night game in the short life of the franchise.

Houston Texans Offense:
The Houston Texans offense has carried the team to all its victories, and the unit as a whole is a Top 10 offense. Rookie running back Steve Slaton has been the steal of the 2008 NFL Draft, and his ability to break big gains brings a new dimension to the offense. WR Andre Johnson is possibly the best pure receiver in football and is the favorite player of fans with Houston Texans tickets. QB Sage Rosenfels has been able to get back to his 2007 form, and his oft-frustrating mistakes have been greatly reduced. TE Owen Daniels is quietly having a Pro Bowl season.

Houston Texans Defense:
The Houston Texans defense has been poor the entire year, and fans with Houston Texans tickets are arguing over whether it is a lack of talent, a scheme problem, or both. DE Mario Williams has been great however, and the entire defense is better because of him. MLB DeMeco Ryans is injured but plays through the pain to be the emotional captain of the defense. CB Jacques Reeves is improving and his development has helped the Houston Texans secondary make strides along with the return of CB Dunta Robinson and the play of S Eugene Wilson.

Jacksonville Jaguars Offense:
The Jacksonville Jaguars offense has sputtered thanks to the loss of several key offensive linemen over the season. The entire offense is predicated on the running assault of RBs Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor. A perfect combination of speed and power, the running back duo is nearly unstoppable when given adequate blocking. QB David Garrard usually manages the game well and does not turn the ball over often. The Jacksonville Jaguars do not have many steady weapons in their receiving corps but hope to get WR Matt Jones back before Monday’s game.

Jacksonville Jaguars Defense:
The trading of DT Marcus Stroud has proven to be a mistake, and the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line has fallen a lot since last year when they were the top unit in football. DT John Henderson is still a load in the center of the line and can stuff running lanes. Rookie DEs Derrick Harvey and Quentin Grooves have not been the pass rushers they were projected to be, but both have limitless raw talent. FS Reggie Nelson leads a good secondary that features the likes of aggressive CB Drayton Florence and cover corner Rasheen Mathis.

Houston Texans Keys to Victory:
The Houston Texans easily handled the Cleveland Browns with the passing game, but the Jacksonville Jaguars have much better talent in the secondary, and fans with Houston Texans tickets know this. The beaten-down front seven of the Jacksonville Jaguars is perfect for the running attack however. Steve Slaton had his breakout game against the Jacksonville Jaguars earlier in the season, and he could get over 200 total yards this time. With Houston Texans tickets, fans will see Steve Slaton helping to open up WR Andre Johnson in the later stages of the game, while Sage Rosenfels should be able to find the amazing wideout often for big plays.

Along with thousands of fans with Houston Texans tickets, the defense will be decked out in Battle Red, and it always plays up when the crimson is on the field. With the Jacksonville Jaguars receivers in shambles, the focus will be on derailing the Jaguars’ running attack. Rookie OLB Xavier Adibi and MLB DeMeco Ryans will have the biggest workload since the Houston Texans defensive tackles have been weak against the run. Mario Williams needs another huge game as both a run stopper and pass rusher. CB Jacques Reeves needs to continue playing well.

Jacksonville Keys to Victory:
The Jacksonville Jaguars will not defeat the Houston Texans with the passing game, but they do not want to either. Even fans with Houston Texans tickets in the stands know that the Jacksonville Jaguars are going to run the ball early and often. The Houston Texans defensive tackles are terrible against the run, and the biggest priority will be getting blockers in the face of DeMeco Ryans. If Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor can get it going on the ground, then David Garrard could find a few receivers deep against the banged-up secondary.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have to take away Steve Slaton to be successful against the Houston Texans. In their last meeting, the Jacksonville Jaguars shut him down on the ground only to let him loose in the passing game. Sage Rosenfels under center is a glowing target for the pass rushers, and he is a living turnover machine if he gets pressured. CB Rasheen Mathis and FS Reggie Nelson need to stick to Andre Johnson like glue to keep the playmaker in check. TE Owen Daniels also has to be contained in the flats.

Texans vs. Jaguars Outlook:
Fans with Houston Texans tickets are excited to see their team on Monday Night Football and they will turn out to Reliant Stadium like never before. The Houston Texans may not be making a playoff run, but their fans are always out to cheer them on. “Battle Red Day” always brings out the best in the Houston Texans, and the Jacksonville Jaguars awaken a deep competitive feeling in the Houston Texans, regardless of records.

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans may be at the bottom of the AFC South, but neither team cares as they are focused on destroying the other as they always do. The emergence of Steve Slaton as a franchise running back, and the growing confidence of Sage Rosenfels turn the tide towards the Houston Texans. The injuries along the offensive line are also too much for the suffering Jacksonville Jaguars to overcome. Fans with Houston Texans tickets will be witnesses to a victory for the home team on Monday Night.