JAGUARS USE 4TH QUARTER TD TO BEAT TEXANS

Maurice Jones-Drew ran for 119 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback David Garrard played an efficient, mistake free game as the Jacksonville Jaguars put their first victory in the win column this NFL season with a 31-24 road victory over the Houston Texans.  The Texans held a 21-17 lead at halftime, but Jacksonville outscored them 14-3 in the second half to earn the victory.  Both teams are now 1-2 on the season.

NFL sports betting enthusiasts who backed the Jaguars as +4 road underdogs were rewarded with the outright victory.  Jacksonville improved their ATS record to 2-1, while Houston dropped to 1-2 against the number.  The 55 points scored went OVER the posted total of 47’.  Both teams have now gone OVER in two of their three NFL regular season games to date.

Jones-Drew talked about his team’s constant improvement in his postgame interview:

"Each play we got better. Each time we got to the sideline we got better. We just kept believing in each other and that was the best thing about it ... they jumped out on us real quick. We just kept fighting back, fighting back. No one blinked."

Jaguars’ coach Jack Del Rio was impressed with his team’s half time adjustments and mindset coming out after the break:

"They had kind of gone into the end of the first half there and taken some momentum. Our team responded well, getting the ball coming out of the half, going down and getting a score there and letting them know that we were here, on a mission and that we had the resolve to be in a dogfight and win this thing."

The Texans have the NFL’s worst run defense, but the team was feeling good following a road win at Tennessee last week.  The home loss to the Jags sent them crashing back down to earth according to Texans’ Mario Williams:

"A loss is devastating regardless [but] especially so after what we did last week.”

The Texans had several chances to tie the game, but they proved fruitless.  Their final drive entered abruptly when Chris Brown’s goal line fumble was recovered by Jacksonville.  Houston challenged the play, but the recovery was upheld and the Jags kept the ball.  Brown took his mistake hard:

"When you let down all your teammates, you can't put it into words."

Houston coach Gary Kubiak gave this assessment of his team’s struggles:

"We're giving up some big, big plays and struggling to stop somebody.”

The Jaguars host the Tennessee Titans this Sunday, with Jacksonville installed as a +3 point home underdog.  The total in the game is set at 41’.  They’ll make the long trip to the Pacific Northwest to play the Seattle Seahawks next Sunday before returning home to take on the St. Louis Rams on October 18th.  The Texans welcome the Oakland Raiders to Houston this Sunday.  Houston is a -9 home favorite with the total set at 42’.  The Texans will then take to the road for their next two games, playing at Arizona next weekend and Cincinnati on October 18th.