With the 1st 4 team playoff selection on the collegiate level dominating talk on Sunday, the Texans kept their own playoff hopes alive on the professional level with a win over the Jaguars. Fortunately, there are no committees selecting the teams who will play for the NFL championship.
In a game that the Texans could not lose or else be all but eliminated in the AFC playoff chase, they started off slowly with a halftime deficit before shutting out Jacksonville in the 2nd half & finishing with a 27-13 victory.
That puts the Texans at 7-6 & positions them for an all-important battle with their AFC South division rival Colts next week in Indianapolis, where the Texans have never won.
As happens weekly following every Texans game, here are the 6 takeaways that are collectively known as the Pick 6:
Foster surpasses the 1000 yard mark for the season
Accolades must go to the Texans’ RB Arian Foster, who not only had 127 yards rushing on the day, but also eclipsed that magical 1000 yard mark for the season.
Foster also had a pivotal 4th & goal TD run from the one-yard line in the 2nd half, where he looked like he was stopped, but was able to switch direction & find the end zone. He also had a big 51 yard run in the 1st half to set up a FG, showing that big playmaking ability & why when he is not available the offense loses a big piece.
As long as Foster is healthy, he is one of the best running backs in the league. The one thing he may need to continue to work on is his British accent, which he debuted to the media earlier in the week.
Fitzpatrick falls back to earth
No one was expecting Texans QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to duplicate his record setting 6 TD performance from a week ago against the Titans, but he had a very pedestrian effort vs. the Jaguars to finish 13 of 19 
for 135 yards with a rushing TD. While he led the team to a win & that in the end is all that matters, Fitzpatrick will have to step up his game in Indianapolis for the Texans to have a chance to upset the Colts. Fitzpatrick cannot have the accuracy issues he showed against the Jaguars, and will need to keep the Indy defense honest by stretching the field.
Andre Johnson will have to go through the NFL concussion protocol for his availability in the next game, which is key. Not only is he a favorite target of Fitzpatrick, there is a significant dropoff in the Texans’ wide receiver ranks without #80 on the field.
The typical J.J. Watt is on his way to Canton show
It almost is ridiculous how great J.J. Watt has been this season, and his performance against the Jags reiterated his Superman status. He finished with 3 
sacks, 4 tackles for a loss, and 5 QB hits, or as it has become in this defensive MVP year, a typical day at the office.
Blake Bortles is the Jaguars’ rookie QB, and he learned what it is like to face #99, which will probably cause him nightmares. Although J.J. did not end up with a touchdown on Sunday (he did line up as tight end at the goal line), it’s about the only thing he did not do, as he still managed to make his mark defensively by causing his usual chaos.
As Texans head coach Bill O’Brien told the media after the game, “The guy is really a factor on every single play.” That is what an MVP is.
Texans the king of takeaways
The Texans took their NFL leading takeaway number to 29 for the season Sunday, and it was a momentum changer in the game.
Safety D.J. Swearinger picked off a pass from Jacksonville’s rookie QB Blake Bortles when the Texans were only leading 17-13 & the game still in the balance. It led to the ensuing TD from Foster, & put the Texans up comfortably at 24-13. The Texans defense got out of their 1st half malaise & really put the pressure on Bortles , who finished 20 of 39 for 205 yards with 1 TD & 1 INT, and the D ended up blanking the Jaguars in the 2nd half.
The opportunistic defense under Romeo Crennel continues to create turnovers & has been a big reason why they are still in the playoff race.
Contributions on special teams help in the victory
The Texans special teams have not been stellar this season, but they have been much improved over previous years & Sunday’s game had some positive signs.
Keshawn Martin’s 21 yard punt return was his longest of the season & helped set up the Texans 1st touchdown. Randy Bullock hit both of his field goals from 44 yards out, and having a consistent leg down the stretch will be key for any playoff push.
The Texans coverage on kickoff returns still needs work, as the Jaguars’ Jordan Todman averaged 27.8 yards on his 4 returns. Punter Shane Lechler seems to be back in a groove again, as he had a 58 yard punt & averaged 47.6 yards for the game.
All set up for a showdown in Indy
The Texans had to beat the 2 win Jaguars, and it was mission accomplished with a 27-13 win. Credit the Texans for not letting their 1st half doldrums carry into the 2nd half, as they made adjustments on both sides of the ball & got a much 
needed win.
Now attention can be turned to the 1st place Indianapolis Colts, who squeezed out a victory over the Cleveland Browns with a come-from-behind 25-24 win. The Texans are going to be big underdogs & will have to play a near perfect game to beat elite QB Andrew Luck & the Colts at home, but at least this matchup is a lot more interesting than it was just a couple of weeks ago.
-R.G. Seal
