HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) -- If the Texans' offense is due for a spark, it could not come at a better time than Sunday against the Jaguars.
Jacksonville brings to Houston the lowest-ranked defense in efficiency through the first four games of the season, according to Football Outsiders.
This is a far cry from the Jaguars defense which helped take them to an AFC Championship game just three seasons ago, when they ranked second in defensive DVOA.
Meanwhile, the Texans' offense ranks 20th in efficiency, largely because of their inability to run the ball and partly because of the inconsistency in the passing game.
Even with the Texans firing head coach Bill O'Brien, expect the same playbook he installed and the play-calling from the offensive coordinator he promoted.
The question is whether they'll be more effective on first and second down, where the change play-calling will be critical.
Jaguars defensive end Josh Allen did not participate in practice Wednesday and Thursday due to a knee injury. If Allen is able to play Sunday, he could be a game-wrecker. Allen has 12.5 sacks through his first 20 games, the most of anyone who's entered the league since 2019.
Jaguars safety Josh Jones leads NFL in tackles among safeties.
Rookie edge rusher K'Lavon Chaisson, a product of North Shore High School, is another player to watch for the Jags.
"They do a really good job rushing the passer," Kelly said Thursday. "They've done that since we've really been here for seven years now. Obviously with Allen and Chaisson, they've got guys that can rush off the edge, they're big, they're long, they're athletic. Then, you look inside at (Taven) Bryan, 90, he's as explosive as an interior lineman as we've seen. Myles Jack is a physical player. You've got a multitude of guys that can get after the passer and we've got to make sure we're doing a great job protecting for Deshaun (Watson), do a better job protecting for Deshaun.
"Then as far as the run game, yeah, we've just got to continue to work and keep ourselves in situations where we can continue to run the ball. A lot of those inside runs, there are times where it may be a three-yard gain or a four-yard gain or a three-yard gain and then it's a 27-yard gain, so being able to stay with it and being able to continue to pound the rock and make sure that we're allowing our guys up front and our backs to get into a rhythm and start to see a gain and be able to go and do what they do best."
