Texans find a way to win keeping Jaguars winless, reeling: Key takeaways

NFL Week 4 live updates: Inactives, schedule, kickoff times, matchups, odds and predictions

Just when you thought the Jacksonville Jaguars might turn a corner, the Houston Texans showed why they’re the reigning AFC South champions … and current division leaders.

Texans star C.J. Stroud ended a textbook two-minute drill sequence hitting Dare Ogunbowale for a touchdown pass with 18 seconds left to push Houston past Jacksonville 24-20 on Sunday at NRG Stadium. Houston (3-1) maintains its lead in the AFC South, while the winless Jaguars’ problems only seem to increase.

Stroud threw for 345 yards and two touchdowns, linking up with Nico Collins on 12 receptions for 151 yards and one TD. Jags quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s still lacked accuracy going 18-of-33 passing for 169 yards and two touchdowns.

The Jaguars’ 0-4 start has brought questions about coach Doug Pederson’s job status. When asked if was concerned about his job after the Texans loss, Pederson said simply, “No.”

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Texans rebound after tough Week 3

Two weeks into the season, the Texans looked the part of a preseason darling, the AFC up-and-comer that was projected to take another step after a surprise division title and playoff win in head coach DeMeco Ryans’ debut season.

But in the seven quarters that followed, the Texans were a confounding disappointment: they were routed 34-7 in Minnesota last week, then found themselves struggling at home against a Jacksonville team that hasn’t won a game with Lawrence at quarterback since last November, trailing 20-17 heading into the final quarter. For most of the day, the Texans were burying themselves, committing 12 penalties — their third straight game with at least 11 penalties.

Then, after punting on five straight possessions, Stroud found the answer Houston needed. The second-year quarterback led the Texans 69 yards in nine plays, then hit Ogunbowale for a 1-yard-touchdown with 18 seconds left. It was enough for the Texans to avoid a second straight defeat, and stay on top of the AFC South. — Zak Keefer, NFL senior enterprise writer

Jags’ playoff hopes only a pipe dream

Who knows how much it’ll matter in the long run, but it was nice to see the Jaguars show up and play a good game after last week’s uninspired blowout in Buffalo. The playoffs are a pipe dream with the 0-4 record, especially with a few opponents who are exceeding expectations coming up on the schedule. But with a team failing to meet playoff aspirations for the second year in a row, the Jaguars are teetering into the territory of a potential regime change.

The effort was better Sunday, so they can attempt to build off that. But once again, the Jaguars left points on the board in the red zone, and that was the difference in their third one-score loss of the season. These offensive failures, along with Lawrence’s inability to take his game to a higher level, will continue to be chief factors when Shad Khan is assessing the direction of the franchise. — Jeff Howe, NFL national insider