The Jacksonville Jaguars are locked in a three-way tie for first place in the AFC South as they take on conference rival, the Houston Texans at TIAA Bank Field.

Houston rolls into Jacksonville on a three-game winning streak. They also beat the Buffalo Bills 20-13. Despite a shaky start from  quarterback Deshaun Watson, a late pick six from cornerback Johnathan Joseph helped sealed the win. Their week six victory placed them just ahead of the Jags in the standings.

The Jags come home after a 40-7 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The loss puts them in a losing skid and third place in the conference behind Houston. The Jags were ultimately beat on both ends of the ball with the defense giving up over 200 yards to the run and letting Quarterback Dak Prescott pick them apart. Offense struggled to stop the Dallas pass rush and maintain possession of the football.

With both teams sharing the same record, a win would possibly push them to the top of the conference depending on the victor of the Tennessee Titans game.

Although the Jags are home and still have one of the top defenses in the league, their recent losses to Dallas and Kansas City has shown opponents that there is a formula to beating them. Losing key players such as Leonard Fournette, Calais Campbell, and others to injuries does not help either. As for the Texans, they are 1-2 on the road and have been narrowly beating teams late in games. The winner of this game might end of being the representative of the AFC South.

The Texans will need to continue to roll on offense and put up points. DeAndre Hopkins and Lamar Miller will be key targets to their success. Defensively, pressuring the quarterback has been beneficial for the Texans. By having JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney on the line, Bortles will be forced to be more methodical about his decisions in the pocket.

For the Jags to win this game, the offense will need to hunker down and give Bortles the protection he needs so he can continue to be a game manager. The defense will have to dig deep and remind themselves why they were selected as one of the top defenses coming into this season.

Final prediction: Jaguars 20-Texans 10

—
For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact editor@unfspinnaker.com.