Texans Game Day Newsletter 9 Dec 17th Houston_Digital | Page 61

ARS HOST TEXANS JAGUARS WRAP HOME PORTION OF REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE COMING OFF HUGE WIN OVER SEAHAWKS JACKSONVILLE – The playoff chase continues. With three games to play the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) are in fi rst place in the AFC South, leading the second place Tennessee Titans (8-5) by a game in the standings. Entering Week 15 the Jaguars currently hold the No. 3 seed in the AFC Playoffs. The Jaguars’ three games remaining include today’s meeting with the Houston Texans (4-9), next week at the San Francisco 49ers (3-10) and then the regular season fi nale at the Titans. For the Titans, they visit the 49ers today, host the Los Angeles Rams (9-4) next week and then the Jaguars head to Nashville New Year’s Eve. The Jaguars need a division win today to equal Tennessee’s division record heading into the head-to-head battle at the end of the regular season. All that said, do not count on the Jaguars to give much insight to the playoff picture heading into this game. To channel Head Coach Doug Marrone, last week’s win was a win in the fi rst game of the fi nal quarter of the season. “Winning each quarter” is the primary goal. While they might not talk about it publicly, we certainly can. A playoff berth is so close, and soon, maybe very soon, we could all party like it’s 2007. JAGUARS The Jaguars are turning heads nationally with their play, but no win moved the needle nationally more than last week’s 30-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. Russell Wilson entered playing at an MVP level… The Seahawks were 20-5 in December/ January games since 2012… Seattle had been a playoff team in fi ve straight seasons, including two of the last four Super Bowls, winning one and falling a yard short of another victory… The Jaguars were not buying it. “It’s a new year, it’s a new league – everything,” cornerback Jalen Ramsey said leading up to the game. “There are new big dogs around the NFL.” Jalen was right. Maybe we should no longer be surprised with wins like this for the Jaguars. There are new big dogs, and they might just be here in Jacksonville.