Jacksonville @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 18, 2012 ) Jacksonville 37, Houston 43

The Houston Texans were gearing up for a Super Bowl run and weren’t expecting to be battling the Jacksonville Jaguars for the worst record in the AFC in late November. The Texans host the Jaguars on Sunday and bring along an eight-game losing streak since opening the campaign with back-to-back victories. Matt Schaub’s implosion began the decline and second-year pro Case Keenum will again draw the start despite being pulled during last Sunday’s loss to Oakland.

Houston’s recent struggles have included coach Gary Kubiak having an in-game mini-stroke, safety Ed Reed being released and star wideout Andre Johnson clashing with Schaub on the sideline during the loss to the Raiders. Jacksonville’s lone victory of the campaign came against Tennessee on Nov. 10, and the Jaguars finally scored their first two home touchdowns of the season in last Sunday’s loss to Arizona. Jacksonville is last in the NFL in scoring (12.9) and total offense (278 yards per game).

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Texans -10. O/U: 43.5.

ABOUT THE JAGUARS (1-9): Leading tackler Paul Posluszny will be back after the middle linebacker missed the Arizona game due to a concussion. Jacksonville held the Cardinals to 14 rushing yards, prompting Posluszny (88 tackles) to joke that perhaps his presence isn’t all that important. The offense’s rushing abilities were just as meager as the Jaguars had a season-worst 32 rushing yards and Maurice Jones-Drew again struggled with just 23, marking the seventh time this season he has rushed for 45 or fewer yards.

ABOUT THE TEXANS (2-8): Keenum tossed three touchdown passes in back-to-back games but Kubiak didn’t like what he was seeing in the third quarter of the Oakland contest and pulled him in favor of Schaub. “I’ve been in this league a long time and dealt with a lot of quarterbacks,” Kubiak said. “I’m trying to develop one right now. Right or wrong, I made that decision because of the situation I thought I was fixing to put a young player in.” Johnson is 10 receptions away from becoming the 15th player in NFL history to reach 900, while defensive end J.J. Watt (8.5 sacks) heads the league’s top defense (286.1 yards per game).

EXTRA POINTS

1. Houston has won the past five meetings, including a 43-37 overtime home victory last season when Schaub passed for 527 yards and five touchdowns and Johnson set career bests with 14 receptions and 273 yards.

2. Jacksonville QB Chad Henne passed for 354 yards and four touchdowns against the Texans in last season’s game.

3. Houston has scored just two rushing touchdowns. Only Cleveland (one) has fewer.

PREDICTION: Texans 23, Jaguars 20