New coach, same Jags: Texans claim 30-16 victory at first game without Urban Meyer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Tremon Smith is readying to bash thing bully for his blockers. He doesn’t cognize what. He doesn’t cognize when. He conscionable knows helium needs 10 of immoderate helium decides to bargain successful the adjacent fewer weeks.

Smith returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown, ending the longest drought successful the NFL, and the undermanned Houston Texans bushed woeful Jacksonville 30-16 connected Sunday to extremity a three-game skid and widen their dominance successful the series.

Smith somehow escaped 5 defenders adjacent the 30-yard line – Jaguars information Rayshawn Jenkins broke his close ankle trying to marque the tackle — earlier coasting the remainder of the way. It was Houston’s archetypal kickoff instrumentality for a people since Oct. 4, 2009, and it helped Smith extremity haunting memories of getting tackled astatine the 3-yard enactment arsenic a rookie with Kansas City successful 2018.

“Everybody inactive brings it up," helium said. "I deliberation it’s done for close now. I deliberation they tin permission it successful the past.”

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Texans rookie backmost Davis Mills won for the archetypal clip successful 8 starts. He connected with Brandin Cooks doubly for touchdowns, erstwhile aboriginal and again late. The 2nd 1 was a 43-yarder that sealed yet different Houston triumph against Jacksonville.

“That was the dagger,” Mills said.

The Texans (3-11) won their eighth consecutive against the Jaguars (2-12) and swept the AFC South bid for the ninth clip successful the past 11 years. Houston won contempt playing without 7 starters, including 5 defenders.

The Jags, playing their archetypal crippled since firing manager Urban Meyer, dropped their sixth consecutive crippled and 10th consecutive successful AFC South play. Thanks to Detroit's victory, the Jaguars present are successful enactment to person the No. 1 draught prime for the 2nd consecutive year.

“We conscionable didn’t play a cleanable shot game,” interim Jaguars manager Darrell Bevell said.

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Especially connected peculiar teams, wherever mistakes and missed tackles led to 17 points. Smith's instrumentality was the highlight.

“It was the cleanable kick. It was conscionable similar we practiced it each week,” Smith said. “I decidedly beryllium them each something. I haven’t came up with it yet. But I’m going to get them thing bully for conscionable mounting that up for me. I couldn’t bash it without my blockers.”

“There is ever anticipation but I conscionable deliberation that we’re a mates of receivers distant with the injuries that we have. There is cipher for Trevor to propulsion it to. The violative enactment did beauteous bully but different than that the defence didn’t basal retired astir of the time they conscionable fto plays get distant from them,” said a fan.

Fans person an thought of who they privation to regenerate Meyer. Someone with much acquisition and a antithetic imaginativeness for the game.

NO EXCUSES

The Jaguars refused to blasted their latest lackluster show connected a tumultuous week that included firing Meyer aboriginal Thursday to extremity 1 of the worst coaching tenures successful NFL history.

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Jacksonville had 3 peculiar teams breakdowns, 5 dropped passes and 2 chances successful the 4th fourth successful a one-score game.

“It’s decidedly frustrating,” Jaguars backmost Trevor Lawrence said. “All the guys are frustrated. We privation to beryllium much consistent. We privation to win. ... We each person to play better. That’s the thing: You've conscionable got to look yourself successful the reflector and fig retired however to get better, and I deliberation we’ll bash that, but got to truly bash that this week.”

COOKS COOKS

Cooks continued his occurrence against Jacksonville. He finished with 7 receptions for 102 yards and 2 scores and improved to 6-0 against the Jags, getting wins with New Orleans, New England and Houston. He present has 5 100-yard games successful those six outings.

He has 34 catches for 701 yards and 5 touchdowns against Jacksonville.

FAN ARRESTED

A fan wearing a No. 16 Jaguars jersey and a blond wig ran into the extremity zone conscionable earlier James Robinson scored from 1 gait aboriginal successful the 2nd quarter. The instrumentality was jumping up and down – helium was so wide unfastened – erstwhile the existent No. 16, backmost Trevor Lawrence, snapped the shot and handed it to Robinson.

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The instrumentality was rapidly met by security, taken into a passageway and aboriginal arrested for trespassing.

KEY INJURIES

Jenkins was placed successful an aerial formed and carted disconnected the tract successful the archetypal quarter. His play is apt done. … Jaguars near tackle Cam Robinson (neck) near successful the 2nd fractional and was replaced by rookie Walker Little.

UP NEXT

Texans: big the Los Angeles Chargers adjacent Sunday.

Jaguars: play astatine the New York Jets adjacent Sunday. It’s a matchup of the apical 2 picks successful the 2021 NFL draft: Lawrence and Jets backmost Zach Wilson.

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