Game Report, 2024 Week 4: Texans 24, Jaguars 20

HOUSTON, Texas – This was better. At least a bit. It just wasn't enough.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence threw two touchdown passes and the Jaguars led early and late, but the division-leading Houston Texans rallied twice – once in the first half and again in the second – for a 24-20 victory at NRG Stadium Sunday afternoon.

"I just tell them we have to keep working, keep fighting," Head Coach Doug Pederson said. "We have a lot of football ahead of us. It's not the time to start pointing fingers."

Running back Dare Ogunbowale's one-yard touchdown reception from quarterback C.J. Stroud gave the Texans the lead with :18 remaining. That capped a nine-play, 69-yard drive.

"A lot of missed opportunities," Lawrence said. "It's what's been happening the past few weeks. We weren't able to overcome it today. The guys fought hard. We gave it everything we had and had a chance at the end. Offensively, the last few possessions we didn't do enough."

The Jaguars' defense held the Texans scoreless on their first five second-half possessions.

"Credit to our defense in the second half," Lawrence said. "They came out, played really well and gave us the ball back a lot. We have to capitalize."

The Jaguars are 0-4. The Texans lead the AFC South at 3-1.

"Everyone's frustrated," running back Travis Etienne Jr. said. "It's getting repetitive. Talking about it won't help us. We just have to keep working. We just have to finish and be a little more mentally tough."

Lawrence completed 18 of 33 passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, with his short first-quarter touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. giving the Jaguars their first lead since Week 1. The Jaguars had trailed 34-3 at halftime of a 47-10 loss to Buffalo six days earlier.

"I thought we did some good things and we had some good opportunities," Lawrence said. "We had a good plan. We were prepared for a lot of stuff. We had a lot of opportunities. We didn't capitalize on all of them, unfortunately – and that's kind of why we're here now and didn't win the game. We didn't take advantage of some of those opportunities."

Lawrence's second touchdown pass – to wide receiver Christian Kirk – gave the Jaguars a 17-13 lead in the third quarter and was the only score of the second half until the Texans' game-winning touchdown. The Texans stopped the Jaguars on downs after Jacksonville faced first-and-goal at the Texans 4-yard line late in the third quarter.

Rookie kicker Cam Little converted first-half field goals of 41 and 52 yards, with the second pulling the Jaguars to within one point – 14-13 – late in the second quarter.

"We're that close to flipping the switch, making real plays during the game," Pederson said. "We're not making them now and that's what's holding us back."

Stroud completed 27 of 40 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.

The Jaguars registered two sacks and no takeaways defensively Sunday, with defensive lineman Jeremiah Ledbetter registering a second-quarter sack and defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris registering one in the fourth quarter. They also had a special-teams takeaway early in the first quarter when safety Daniel Thomas recovered a muffed punt at the Texans 2-yard line to set up the game's first touchdown.

"We just have to keep playing," Lawrence said. "This is some adversity. It's been tough. We're not having the success we wanted and there are a lot of guys who put a lot of time, coaches and players and everyone who works for the team. It's frustrating and it's hard, but you have adversity and you have to get through it and get to the other side of it.

"It will help you in the long run. That's what we're preaching as a team."