The AFC South rivalry between the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars returns to Wembley Stadium on Sunday, with Jacksonville trying to protect first place and Houston attempting to turn around a season that opened in damaging fashion. The Jaguars arrive at 4-1 after last week’s dramatic London win over Philadelphia, while the 1-4 Texans need a victory to keep their postseason push from slipping further away.
Houston entered the year with Super Bowl expectations but has lost four of its first five games. A win in London would provide a major boost to a club trying to become the first team since the 1992 Chargers to reach the playoffs after starting 0-4. The Texans have already made an aggressive move to change the direction of their offense, acquiring wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the 2024 No. 4 overall selection, ahead of the trade deadline.
Harrison’s arrival reunites him with Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, his former Ohio State teammate. DeMeco Ryans has said the receiver will play against Jacksonville, though his exact workload remains uncertain after a quiet start in Arizona. Before being inactive in Week 5, Harrison had averaged 1.3 catches and 21.3 receiving yards per game. Across his NFL career, he has caught 53.5% of his targets, the second-lowest rate among wide receivers with at least 200 targets during that span, ahead of only Rome Odunze at 52.3%.
The Texans are hoping a fresh setting, along with Stroud’s strong start to the season, can unlock Harrison alongside Nico Collins and the rest of Houston’s young receiving group, including Jaylin Noel, Xavier Hutchinson and Kayshon Boutte. Jaguars coach Liam Coen said Jacksonville has prepared for the uncertainty created by a newly acquired receiver entering an unfamiliar offensive role.
Houston’s ground game faces a steep test
Even with another receiving threat available, Houston must find a way to avoid becoming one-dimensional against the NFL’s stingiest run defense. Jacksonville has given up only 63.8 rushing yards per game through five weeks and has allowed 80.6 per game dating to 2025, both league-best marks. Opponents are averaging just 2.9 yards per designed rushing attempt against the Jaguars, the best defensive figure through five games since Seattle allowed 2.7 in 2023.
The Texans have struggled badly on the ground, ranking 31st with 79 rushing yards per game. Their 3.2 yards per designed run is the lowest average in the league, and their 30.4% success rate on designed carries also ranks 31st. Houston will be without David Montgomery, who is considered week to week with a groin injury, leaving Woody Marks with a larger opportunity in the backfield.
Montgomery has managed just 2.7 yards per carry, the lowest among qualified running backs, while Marks is averaging 3.5. Houston needs more production from both its run calls and play-action game against a Jacksonville defense allowing only 14 points per game, second in the NFL behind Minnesota.
Jacksonville has become accustomed to the London routine. The franchise is playing its second consecutive game in the United Kingdom for the third time in four years and has won both previous times it remained overseas for an additional week. The Jaguars improved their comfort level with a victory over the Eagles at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, about 21 kilometers from Wembley. Jacksonville is 5-6 in 11 games at England’s national stadium.
Lawrence faces another difficult protection assignment
Trevor Lawrence threw for a season-high 331 yards against Philadelphia, but Jacksonville’s win also exposed concerns that Houston will try to exploit. Jalen Carter strip-sacked Lawrence twice, and the Jaguars committed 13 penalties for the second straight game. Nine of those flags against the Eagles were delay of game, false start or holding violations.
Jacksonville will again be without starting left tackle Anton Harrison, who remains sidelined by a knee injury. Walker Little is expected to protect Lawrence’s blind side against Houston edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
Anderson leads the league with 7.5 sacks through five games and has played at an early Defensive Player of the Year level. Hunter is coming off his best pressure performance of the season, generating seven pressures against Tennessee. His 0.67-second get-off in that game was his fastest recorded in any game since at least 2018.
The Texans have consistently created pressure without heavy blitzing. They have used four or fewer rushers on 78.5% of opposing dropbacks, the third-highest rate in the NFL, yet their 14 sacks with four or fewer pass rushers lead the league. Lawrence’s performance against pressure packages could shape Sunday’s result: his 2026 passer rating is 123.9 when defenses do not blitz but falls to 70.7 against blitzes.
Lawrence has also had particular trouble with Houston during his career, throwing 11 interceptions in 10 games against the Texans, more than he has against any other opponent. A disciplined Jaguars offense and a stronger showing up front would help Jacksonville extend its division lead; a disruptive day from Anderson, Hunter and Houston’s front could give the Texans the jolt they need in Wembley’s second Texans-Jaguars meeting.
The first came in 2019, when Deshaun Watson led Houston to a 26-3 victory over Gardner Minshew and Jacksonville. Only Jaguars defenders Josh Hines-Allen and punter Logan Cooke, along with Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, remain from that game, but the divisional stakes are familiar as the rivals meet again in London.
