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Off to best start, Texans welcome Jaguars

Oct 14, 2007 - 10:35 AM Jacksonville (3-1) at Houston (3-2), Sunday 1:00 p.m. EST

HOUSTON (Ticker) - The Houston Texans welcome their favorite opponent Sunday.

The Texans play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team against which they have enjoyed their greatest success since the franchise's inaugural season in 2002.

Despite a miserable 18-46 record in its first five seasons, Houston has won a third of those contests against Jacksonville, capturing six of the 10 overall meetings.

That includes a series sweep in 2006, when the Texans allowed the Jaguars just 17 points in posting two victories during a four-week span.

Matt Schaub, in his first year at quarterback for Houston, gets his first crack at Jacksonville after leading a late drive that culminated with Kris Brown's 57-yard field goal with one second remaining in Sunday's 22-19 victory over the winless Miami Dolphins.

The thrilling win snapped a two-game skid for Houston, which dropped a 24-14 decision to the lowly Atlanta Falcons the previous week. It marks the first time in franchise history that the Texans have had a winning record five games into a season.

Brown also kicked field goals of 54, 43, 54 and 20 yards. He became just the third kicker in NFL history to convert three field goals of at least 50 yards in the same contest.

Houston has been plagued by injuries, going without star wide receiver Andre Johnson for the past three games and starting running back Ahman Green the last two.

Green's replacement, Ron Dayne, managed just 40 yards on 16 carries against Miami, which was ranked last against the run.

The Jaguars, who ranked among the league's rushing leaders last season, could not solve the Texans' defense.

Maurice Jones-Drew struggled mightily against Houston last season, managing just 21 yards on 11 carries. However, Jones-Drew showed signs of breaking out of a season-long slump last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, rushing for 82 yards on nine carries, including a 52-yard TD run.

Quarterback David Garrard, who started last season as a backup, had an awful performance in the second loss to the Texans, throwing four interceptions.

Now entrenched as the starter, Garrard has been steely efficient this season, completing 68-of-102 passes for 848 yards with four touchdown passes and no interceptions.

In the 17-7 win over the Chiefs, Garrard completed 10 of his first 11 passes and finished 19-of-25 for 200 yards and a touchdown.

The Jaguars' defense also excelled, holding Kansas City's Larry Johnson to 12 yards on nine carries.