By Steve Ovenden
Week 6 is upon us and for the third and final time in 2026, we welcome the NFL back to London. This time it is an all AFC South clash between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans. A short trip for the Jags, as they travel across London from Tottenham to the iconic Wembley Stadium after a hard-fought battle with the Philadelphia Eagles. Meanwhile, the Texans will travel from the U.S after they gained their first win of the season at Tennessee. Which team will carry their Week 5 momentum into this clash?
Jacksonville are coming off a tense encounter against a depleted, yet tough, Philadelphia team. A walk-off field goal earned the Jags a victory in North London putting them on a 4-1 record for the season and they sit top of the AFC South. Their opponents sit third in the same division on a 1-4 record. Houston defeated a poor Titans team who themselves sit bottom of the AFC South without a win. Beating Tennessee does not make Houston favourites here, but Jacksonville should not take anything for granted.
Points do not always mean prizes
A much-needed win for the Texans, but maybe a false dawn. They have stayed in games for the most part this year, but have struggled to produce that little extra needed to win. The 25-3 win over the Titans may look more convincing than it was. Quarterback C.J. Stroud put in a solid performance with 261 yards, a rushing score and a passing touchdown. However, they are now coming up against a very good Jags defence that only allowed 210 passing yards and 22 rush yards against the Eagles. In fact, the Jags have still not let any team score more than 20 points against them.
Passing past the run game
The Eagles being restricted to just 22 yards on the ground does not bode well for the Texans. Although running back Woody Marks rushed for 62 yards against Tennessee, Houston have now lost their other back to injury. David Montgomery has succumbed to a groin injury that could see him out for significant time. Houston are likely to lean on their passing game on Sunday, which has looked stronger than their ground attack. Stroud used seven different targets against the Titans with the best performances coming from Xavier Hutchinson getting 65 yards and Nico Collins getting 56.
The pass game for the Texans looks like the direction they will be taking for the future as it has been announced that wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr will be heading to Houston from the Arizona Cardinals. Harrison cost them second- and seventh-round picks in the 2027 draft. Stroud and Harrison are former Ohio State teammates. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has confirmed Harrison will make his Houston debut in London, giving Stroud another option even with limited time to learn the offence.
Penalty shootout
Penalties could again be a problem. Jacksonville gave up another 100 yards in penalties in Week 5, their second successive game reaching that mark, while Houston conceded 95 penalty yards. Another afternoon like that at Wembley could disrupt the flow and keep either opponent in the game. Jacksonville are winning, but if they want to be considered legitimate contenders, they need to tidy up this part of their game before it costs them.
In conclusion
Unless the Jags are hungover from last Week against Philadelphia, this game should be business as usual for their season. Staying in London will help that but that does not guarantee anything. Houston have been, and are, good enough not to get blown out of this game. They could possibly even nick this one if Jacksonville give them the opportunity to. However, even if they give up penalties like they have, it is unlikely they will lose this one. The Jacksonville Jaguars will go back to the U.S with two victories after this trip and remain leaders of the AFC South.
Continue your Sunday reading with our NFL Week 6 early-slate preview.
Leave a Reply