Marvin Harrison Jr., the former No. 4 overall pick, is officially making his Houston Texans debut this week, and it’s a huge storyline. This is a massive talent heading to a new team, even as the Texans roll into London with a tough 1-4 record.
Harrison’s Fresh Start and the Texans’ Grind
Harrison’s time with the Arizona Cardinals didn’t exactly pan out as expected, so this is a crucial fresh start for him. What should really help him hit the ground running is the reunion with quarterback C.J. Stroud. These two had crazy success together back at Ohio State, so the chemistry should be there. Stroud has actually played well this season despite the Texans’ losing record, and adding Harrison could be absolutely huge for their offense. Houston snagged their first win last week against the Tennessee Titans, who are struggling hard at 0-5. Can Harrison help them build some momentum? It’s a tall task for their offense to keep up with a solid Jaguars’ attack.
The Jags Are London Royalty, But They’ve Got Holes Too
Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Jaguars are sitting pretty at 4-1. That record ties them for the second-best in the entire AFC, which is serious business. They’re coming off a last-second win against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, showing they can gut out tough games. London is practically their home away from home, too. They’ve been playing across the pond at least once a year since 2013 (except 2020, obviously), and they’ve got an 8-7 record there. Their first international win came in 2015 against the Bills. So yeah, they know how to handle the international stage. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows for the Jags. They’re heading into this game without left tackle Anton Harrison, who needs surgery. That’s a major problem, especially because he would have been going up against Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. This dude is a beast, leading the league with 7.5 sacks this season, plus 27 total tackles and a forced fumble and recovery. The Jags HAVE to protect Trevor Lawrence, especially if he’s going to keep improving his game-time decisions.
Wembley Showdown: Who’s Got the Edge?
This AFC South clash goes down Sunday, October 18, at 9:30 a.m. ET at Wembley Stadium, with NFL Network carrying the broadcast. The oddsmakers have the Jaguars as 2.5-point favorites, and honestly, it’s tough to argue with that. They’ve clearly proven to be one of the top AFC teams so far this season. The prediction leans heavily toward the Jags, 30-13. They did struggle a bit against the Eagles last week, so they’ll need to shake that off and get back to how dominant they looked at the start of the season. But hey, divisional games are always interesting.
This game is set to be a classic divisional battle across the pond. Can Marvin Harrison Jr. spark an upset for the Texans in his debut, or will the Jags continue their dominance and cement their spot as a top AFC contender? We’ll find out Sunday.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply