Starting Davis Mills in a must-win divisional game isn’t just risky - it’s waving the white flag on Houston’s season
The Jacksonville Jaguars are heading to Houston with momentum and opportunity. Sitting at 5-3 and currently holding the seventh seed in the AFC playoff race, the Jaguars have a golden chance to bury their divisional rivals and potentially turn the AFC South into a two-team race with Indianapolis. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans are desperately trying to salvage their season at 3-5, now forced to turn to backup quarterback Davis Mills after C.J. Stroud was ruled out with a concussion.
This matchup carries enormous implications for both franchises. For Jacksonville, a victory would give them a commanding four-game lead over Houston with the head-to-head tiebreaker, essentially eliminating the Texans from serious division contention. The Jaguars have already proven they can beat Houston this season, taking a 17-10 victory in Week 3. For the Texans, this is about survival—another loss would drop them to 3-6 and make their playoff hopes nearly impossible to salvage.
With the stakes this high and both teams fighting for their postseason lives, here are three bold predictions for Sunday’s critical AFC South showdown.
Jakobi Meyers Catches Eight Passes for 95 Yards in Jaguars Debut
The newly-acquired receiver will make an immediate impact for Jacksonville’s struggling passing attack. Trevor Lawrence has been inconsistent this season, completing just 59.7% of his passes with a pedestrian 79.7 passer rating. The Jaguars desperately needed a reliable possession receiver, and Meyers’ reputation for sure hands—just 11 drops in his entire seven-year career—makes him the perfect solution to Jacksonville’s league-leading drop problem.
Meyers has extensive experience playing against Houston, holding a winning record against the Texans as one of only two teams he’s had success against. Despite joining the team just days ago, offensive coordinator Liam Coen will feature Meyers heavily in slot formations and quick-hitting routes that allow Lawrence to get the ball out fast against Houston’s aggressive defense.
The Texans rank first in total defense but have shown vulnerability against possession receivers working the middle of the field. With Brian Thomas Jr. potentially limited by an ankle injury and Travis Hunter on injured reserve, Meyers becomes Lawrence’s most dependable target immediately. Houston’s defense will key on stopping the run and deep shots to Thomas, leaving Meyers open underneath repeatedly. His chemistry with Lawrence will develop quickly through simple, high-percentage throws that move the chains and keep drives alive.
Josh Hines-Allen Records Three Sacks and Forces Two Fumbles
The Texans’ offensive line has been under siege all season, and with Davis Mills making his first start since 2021, Josh Hines-Allen is poised to have a field day. The Jacksonville pass rusher terrorized Houston in their first meeting, recording one sack and three quarterback hits while making Stroud’s afternoon miserable. Now facing a backup quarterback who completed just 17 of 30 passes for 137 yards in relief against Denver, Hines-Allen should feast.
Mills has been sacked multiple times in nearly every game he’s played, and the Texans’ offensive line hasn’t improved since their first meeting with Jacksonville. The Jaguars defensive end has been hunting Houston quarterbacks for years, and this represents his best opportunity to make a game-breaking impact. With the Texans missing key offensive linemen Ed Ingram and potentially Tytus Howard, the protection will be even worse than usual.
Expect Hines-Allen to blow past overmatched tackles and force Mills into quick, panicked decisions that lead to at least two strip-sack opportunities. The Jaguars have struggled to generate consistent pressure this season, ranking last in total sacks through nine weeks. But against a backup quarterback and a depleted offensive line, Hines-Allen will dominate and potentially set a new franchise single-game sack record while forcing critical turnovers.
The Jaguars Win 23-13 Behind a Dominant Defensive Performance
The Houston offense has been utterly abysmal, especially in losses this season. In their five defeats, the Texans have scored just four touchdowns total, and they’ve converted red zone trips into touchdowns at a putrid 10% clip in those games. Now without their franchise quarterback, facing the league’s worst red zone offense gets even uglier with Davis Mills under center.
Jacksonville’s defense will force Mills into at least three turnovers while limiting Houston to field goals instead of touchdowns. The Texans went three-for-17 on third down against Denver with Mills and managed just 160 passing yards in his two appearances this season. Mills has a career record of 5-19-1 as a starter with 35 touchdowns against 25 interceptions, and he’s facing a secondary that ranks second in the NFL with 11 interceptions through eight games.
Travis Etienne will control the clock with over 100 rushing yards, while Lawrence avoids major mistakes and lets the defense and running game dictate the tempo. The Jaguars score on two Lawrence rushing touchdowns and three field goals, while Houston manages just a Mills touchdown pass to Nico Collins and two field goals. Jacksonville’s defense, which held the Texans to 10 points in Week 3, will once again stifle a Houston offense that ranks dead last in red zone touchdown percentage and has averaged just 21 points per game entering this matchup.
The Jaguars leave Houston with a statement victory that announces them as legitimate playoff contenders while effectively ending the Texans’ postseason hopes. Jacksonville moves to 6-3 with complete control over their playoff destiny, while Houston falls to 3-6 and faces an uphill battle just to reach .500.
Marshawn Kneeland’s Parents & Family: Cowboys DE Survived by Father, Siblings
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The Dallas Cowboys announced the tragic death of Marshawn Kneeland.
The sad end of Cowboys defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland is, it turns out, part of a wider tragedy that has weighed down his family for more than a year. Kneeland, according to reports, took his own life this week at age 24, after what was described in a police radio call as a history of mental health issues.
Throughout Kneeland’s short life, though, he always remained firmly tethered to his roots in Western Michigan, where he grew up and attended high school, at Godwin Heights HS in Wyoming, Michigan. He was a star football and basketball player for the Wolverines, and set a school record for sacks and tackles. He was also a track star, winning the regional championship in the 400-meter dash.
Kneeland was considered a 2-star recruit, though, and could not drum up much interest from top-tier programs coming out of high school. He wound up at Western Michigan, one of the few schools to offer him a scholarship. Kneeland nearly left WMU for coach Deion Sanders and Colorado in the transfer portal, but ultimately reneged on that commitment and remained in Kalamazoo.
Marshawn Kneeland’s Girlfriend Reportedly Is an Entrepreneur
Kneeland was known to be in a relationship with his girlfriend, whom the Cowboys referred to as Catalina in a statement announcing his death, and who is reported to be Catalina Mancera, who owns a custom NFL clothing business called, SZN Stitches.
It was his girlfriend who, in police dispatch audio released by TMZ Sports, alerted police (as did a representative of the NFL) that Kneeland was armed and that she was worried about his mental well-being.
During the call, the operator can be heard to say that the subject–Kneeland–was “texting his family goodbye.”
Cowboys Draftee Had Just Lost His Mother
Kneeland was the son of Shawn and Wendy Kneeland. He leaves behind his father, as well as grandparents.
His mother, though, died a year ago of an undisclosed cause. That tragedy stung Kneeland deeply, and came just days before the start of the NFL draft combine, where he would make or break his draft stock. Kneeland described his mother as the one who fueled his desire to play football and ultimately reach the NFL.
After her death, he began wearing a small urn on a necklace, containing some of Wendy’s ashes.
He told the Dallas Morning News: “She helped me a lot in my younger years getting into football. I always had the dream. I always told her, ‘I’m going to the NFL’ and I made it. It’s a hard situation just knowing she got to see me potentially going to the NFL and going through [the process]. She’s still with me. I got this urn of her ashes I carry with me everywhere. I still feel like she’s there watching over me.”
InstagramMarshawn Kneeland at Western Michigan. He lost his mother last year before he was drafted.
Marshawn Kneeland Family Included 3 Siblings
According to Western Michigan, Kneeland also has three siblings: AJ, Shawn Micheal and Yahmya.
A family statement was posted to the Facebook page of digital content creator AJ Kneeland of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Shawn Kneeland and Yahmya Kneeland. On Marshawn Kneeland’s Facebook page, his “Intro” line reads, “Wmu Alum🏈 #94 Making my family proud💯 NFL🏈🤫💯.”
The statement read: “The Kneeland family can confirm the heartbreaking news of the passing of our beloved Marshawn Kneeland.
“We are devastated by this tremendous loss and are still processing the depth of our grief. As Marshawn was making his mark on the football field with the Dallas Cowboys, he held an even more special place off the field — as a devoted son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, grandson, and friend. He was kind, determined, humble, and full of love. His light shone brightly in every life he touched, and his spirit will continue to live on through the countless hearts he inspired.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support from friends, fans, and the community. During this difficult time, we ask for privacy as we come together as a family to honor and remember Marshawn’s life and legacy.
“With love and appreciation,
The Kneeland Family”
