Trevor Lawrence looks to rewrite Jaguars struggles against Texans

If last year's loss to the Houston Texans was a wake-up call for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Sunday's rematch offers a chance to show how much they've learned.

Jacksonville blew a 19-point fourth-quarter lead to lose 36-19 in stunning fashion last November, then responded by winning its final eight regular-season games.

But for quarterback Trevor Lawrence

, his struggles against Houston go beyond one game.

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Lawrence-led Jaguars teams are 3-7 in 10 meetings. He's completed just 57.8% of his passes, throwing eight touchdowns and 11 interceptions against the Texans. His record against them has been well documented, but he'll have another chance to reverse that trend when the AFC

South rivals meet Sunday at Wembley Stadium in London.

Of course, Lawrence's history against Houston also includes the December 2024 concussion he sustained after taking an illegal hit by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. Since then, the two have made amends, with Al-Shaair telling the Houston Chronicle the conversation was freeing.

Still, the Jaguars and Lawrence have unfinished business.

Last year's loss might be in the past, but the sting hasn't entirely faded.

Jaguars, Trevor Lawrence haven't forgotten last meeting with Texans

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen didn't shy away from the disappointment lingering after Jacksonville's last meeting with Houston.

"We had two really tight games against them," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said ahead of the game. "Obviously have a tough feeling in our stomachs from the last time we played against these guys."

For Lawrence, the loss ultimately proved to be beneficial in the long run.

"We felt like that really kind of spurred us on in a good direction last year after that game," Lawrence said. "It was kind of a wake-up call for us."

The historic turnaround spurred the team's AFC South title run, a 13-4 record, Coach of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and Comeback Player of the Year finalist nods, and a clear path to the Super Bowl if the right pieces fall into place.

But the former first-overall pick isn't dwelling on the past.

"I think we're pretty far past that now and this is a new year, new teams on both sides, and we just got to put together a good plan to go try to beat these guys this year," he said.

Coen acknowledged that while familiarity plays a role in the AFC South matchup, both teams will try to learn more about each other's new tendencies as the game goes on.

"That's the cat-and-mouse game; that's the game within the game that you have to play," Coen said

Lawrence faces familiar challenge against Texans defense

The Texans have consistently made life harder for Lawrence, typically deploying sticky man coverage led by All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley in the defensive backfield.

Coen explained Houston's coverage methods as a way to "not give as much free access and challenge us a little bit on the perimeter."

Houston's pass rush has had even more success.

The Texans sacked Lawrence five times in the teams' last meeting, and Houston defensive end Will Anderson Jr. has recorded 7.5 sacks this season, including three against Tennessee last week.

Adding to the trouble is the absence of starting left tackle Anton Harrison, who will miss Sunday's game with a knee injury. Harrison is set to undergo exploratory surgery after returning to Jacksonville from London. In the meantime, 2021 second-round pick OL Walker Little is set to make his first start at the position he's manned plenty of times.

Little was benched this season as the team started Harrison and right tackle Cole Van Lanen on the offensive edges.

Lawrence, though, is confident in Little.

"I've played a lot of football with him. I trust him," Lawrence said. "I don't have any hesitations about him."

Coen emphasized that protecting Lawrence will require more than just solid tackle play, pointing to the importance of chips, getting the ball out on time and making accurate decisions.

"It takes all 11," he said.

Lawrence has been sacked 13 times against Houston in his career. He's felt the pressure and understands how to combat it.

The issue has been putting everything together. And, now more than ever, there's reason for optimism.

Lawrence enters Sunday's matchup with a 106.8 passer rating, 67.22% completion percentage, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions through five games.

Coen also noted improvement in Lawrence's pocket movement and ability to make throws on the run, though he acknowledged there are still instances where the QB needs to step up rather than linger at the top of his drop.

Despite Houston's defensive talent, Lawrence isn't approaching the matchup with confidence.

"We're a good offense too, and we can make plays and we have to have confidence, and we do," Lawrence said.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @Demetrius82 or on BlueskyatDemetrius.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Trevor Lawrence looks to rewrite Jaguars struggles against Texans