Jacksonville's defense hasn't let anyone run on it, and Houston is riding a one-game win streak into London hoping to build something.

The Houston Texans (1-4, W1) travel to face the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1, W3) at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, October 18, 2026. Houston snapped a three-game skid with a win last week, while Jacksonville has reeled off three straight victories.

Game details

WhenSunday, October 18, 2026 at 9:30 AM ET
WhereWembley Stadium
TVNFL Net
LineJacksonville Jaguars -2.5 | O/U 42.5 (market view)
Houston Texans record1-4
Jacksonville Jaguars record4-1

The matchup

According to NFL game notes, the Jaguars have put together one of the stingier run defenses the league has seen in a while. Jacksonville is just the second team in the Super Bowl era to keep every opposing rusher under 40 yards through the first five games, and one of only three teams in the last 20 seasons to hold back-to-back opponents under 25 rushing yards. That's the number that should scare Houston's offense walking into this one.

Houston's form has been choppy. The Texans beat the Tennessee Titans 26-3 last week, but before that dropped three in a row: 30-34 to the Dallas Cowboys, 17-19 to the Indianapolis Colts, and 6-20 to the Cincinnati Bengals, plus a 31-36 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Jacksonville, meanwhile, has been rolling, with wins of 19-17 over the Philadelphia Eagles, 22-17 over the Bengals and 35-6 over the New England Patriots sandwiched around a 13-20 loss to the Denver Broncos and a 34-10 win over the Cleveland Browns to open the year.

Key matchups

C.J. Stroud has been one of the cleanest quarterbacks in football this year, one of just two passers with 150-plus attempts and zero interceptions in 2026. He'll need that precision against a Jacksonville pass rush led by Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, both of whom have found Houston's quarterback uncomfortable in past meetings.

On the other side, Trevor Lawrence has turned into an international-stage weapon, joining Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks with 10-plus touchdown passes in regular-season international games, and he's 5-3 in those starts. He'll lean on Parker Washington, who torched Houston-caliber coverage last week with six catches for a team-high 124 yards and two touchdowns, and Brenton Strange, who's hauled in seven catches in back-to-back games.

Up front, Houston's Will Anderson leads the NFL with 10 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, and Danielle Hunter has 0.5-plus sacks in four straight games including playoffs. That duo will try to disrupt Lawrence the way Jacksonville's defense has disrupted everyone else's run game. Nico Collins remains Houston's top target and will test a Jacksonville secondary that includes Travis Hunter, who's recorded a pass defensed in four straight games.

Injuries that matter

Houston is banged up on both sides of the ball. Tank Dell (knee) and David Montgomery (groin) are both out, with Woody Marks stepping into the backfield as Houston's starter alongside Montgomery's absence. Jalen Pitre (shoulder) is also out, while Ja'Marcus Ingram (elbow) and Henry To'oTo'o (shoulder) are questionable.

Jacksonville's injury list is lighter. Montaric Brown (hamstring) and Ross Matiscik (shoulder) are out, and Jaylon Jones (hamstring) is questionable.

Fantasy angles

Start Nico Collins with confidence. He's projected for 17.5 DraftKings points and has caught five-plus balls with 55-plus yards in three straight games, a trend he'll look to extend against a Jacksonville defense that's been tougher on the ground than through the air.

Trevor Lawrence is projected for 17.5 points and has history on this stage, five straight Wembley starts with a touchdown pass on the line. Trust him in any format here.

Parker Washington just posted a career day with two touchdowns and should see plenty of goal-line and red-zone work again; he's projected at 13.5 and carries real upside if Jacksonville controls the game script.

Woody Marks, projected for 9.5, has a rushing touchdown in two of his past three games and now steps in as Houston's lead back with Montgomery out, a workload bump worth monitoring for goal-line touches.

Bhayshul Tuten is projected for 13.0 and is chasing his fourth straight game with 90-plus scrimmage yards, making him a solid flex play behind Jacksonville's offensive line.

The pick

The market has Jacksonville as a 2.5-point favorite with a total of 42.5, and the market score sits at Jaguars 23, Texans 20. Jacksonville's defense, especially up front and against the run, gives it the edge here, and a three-game win streak backs that up. Houston's clean-pocket passing with Stroud keeps this one within range, but the Jaguars' run-stopping numbers make them the tougher team to play against on a wet Wembley field.

Injury report

PlayerTeamPosStatus
Tank DellHouston TexansWROut
David MontgomeryHouston TexansRBOut
Ja'Marcus IngramHouston TexansCBQuestionable
Jalen PitreHouston TexansSOut
Henry To'oTo'oHouston TexansLBQuestionable
Montaric BrownJacksonville JaguarsCBOut
Ross MatiscikJacksonville JaguarsLSOut
Jaylon JonesJacksonville JaguarsCBQuestionable

Projected starters

PosHouston TexansJacksonville Jaguars
QBC.J. StroudTrevor Lawrence
RBDavid Montgomery, Woody MarksBhayshul Tuten, Chris Rodriguez Jr.
WRNico Collins, Marvin Harrison Jr., Kayshon BoutteParker Washington, Jakobi Meyers, Brian Thomas Jr.
TEDalton SchultzBrenton Strange

Recent results

TeamLast games
Houston TexansWk5 W 26-3 vs Tennessee Titans, Wk4 L 30-34 vs Dallas Cowboys, Wk3 L 17-19 vs Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville JaguarsWk5 W 19-17 vs Philadelphia Eagles, Wk4 W 22-17 vs Cincinnati Bengals, Wk3 W 35-6 vs New England Patriots

More league notes: Week 6 NFL Preview & Capsules, from the NFL.

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In this story

Written by Rhett Zone, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores, box scores, injuries and depth charts), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.