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The owners of the AFC South's last three division championships squared off in London, with the Houston Texans (2-4) facing the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2). Each of the last five matchups has been a one-score game, and Sunday was no different with the Texans escaping with a 34-31 win on a 49-yard field goal as time expired.
Houston jumped out to an early 7-0 lead thanks to a diving, 42-yard catch from Pro Bowl No. 1 wide receiver Nico Collins that got the Texans deep into the red zone. Two plays later, tight end Foster Moreau found himself wide open, and Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud hit him with ease for a 7-0 lead. Houston kicked a 25-yard field goal inside the Jacksonville 10-yard line to take a 10-7 lead with 4:16 left in the first half. Collins also set up a second Moreau touchdown late in the first half.
Jacksonville running back Bhayshul Tuten had a walk-in touchdown on an outside run to the right on the ensuing drive, but the officials nullified the three-yard touchdown run because of a controversial holding call on tight end Brenton Strange. Two plays later, quarterback Trevor Lawrence tossed an end zone interception to Texans safety Calen Bullock on third-and-goal from the five. Tuten ended up getting the last laugh with two receiving touchdowns in the half, a 27-yard catch-and-run on a checkdown, and a 2-yarder on a floater from Lawrence. Houston led Jacksonville 17-14 at the break.
A penalty extended the Texans' opening drive of the second half, and they capitalized with seven points thanks to a 13-yard touchdown from Stroud to wide receiver Jaylin Noel on a hitch-and-go route. Lawrence eventually clapped back with a one-yard touchdown to toss to second-round rookie tight end Nate Boerkircher, who made an outstanding one-handed grab to trim the deficit back to three, 24-21.
Houston jumped out to a 10-point lead before Travis Hunter took over. He caught a seven-yard touchdown and then intercepted Stroud in the end zone in successive drives. Hunter is now the fourth player with a receiving touchdown and an interception in the same game, including the playoffs, since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. That allowed kicker Cam Little to tie the game on a 60-yard field goal with 1:55 left to play. However, Houston drove downfield quickly, setting up Ka'imi Fairbairn's game-winner at the buzzer.
Jaguars' Liam Coen may regret end-of-game decision-making
With his 60-yard made field goal with 1:55 left to play, Jacksonville kicker Cam Little made his third career kick from 60 yards or longer, which is now tied for the third most such makes in NFL history. However, kicking the field goal in that spot heavily contributed to the Jaguars losing the game in regulation.
Jacksonville had a fourth-and-four at the Texans' 42 when they kicked the field goal to tie the game at 31. Having 1:55 left on the clock was all a dialed-in Stroud needed to march Houston 36 yards in 7 plays to set up the game-winning 49-yard field goal. Had Coen decided to go for it on fourth down with Jacksonville converting, the Jaguars would have been able to control how regulation ended – either with a game-tying field goal or a game-winning touchdown. Instead, the Jaguars trudge back home to the United States as last-second losers
Sunday's AFC South London showcase starred two of the NFL's top quarterbacks
Stroud (312 passing yards for 3 touchdowns and an interception on 24 of 34 passing) vs. Lawrence (306 yards passing, 4 touchdowns and an interception on 24 of 41 passing) ended up being a battle between two of the league's top quarterbacks. They combined for seven passing touchdowns on Sunday, the most combined passing touchdowns in any international game ever, per CBS Sports Research. It's very clear that these two quarterbacks will decide who wins the AFC South for years to come.
Travis Hunter breaks out
The former Heisman Trophy winner is a full-time starter at cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, but he did a strong job moonlighting as a wide receiver in Week 6 as well. Hunter turned a catch up the seam into a 26-yard gain thanks to multiple jukes and broken tackles. He finished Sunday with 59 yards receiving and a touchdown while catching all four of his targets, the last of which went for a seven-yard score.
Hunter is the first player with a receiving touchdown and an interception in the same game since Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins did so in 2022 against the Texans. Hunter is also just the fourth player to accomplish the feat since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger.
| Receiving TD and INT in same game including playoffs, Since 1970 AFL/NFL merger | Opponent |
|---|---|
JAX Travis Hunter (2026) | HOU |
PHI Brian Dawkins (2002) | HOU |
NYJ Keyshawn Johnson (1998)* | JAX |
STL Roy Green (1981) | WAS |
* Occurred in the playoffs
