The Texans won the AFC South with a 20-3 victory over the Jaguars, but their quarterback paid a price.
The Jaguars sacked Deshaun Watson five times and hit him 11 times, not to mention the 13 carries Watson had. He entered the game as the most sacked quarterback in the NFL with 56.
Malik Jackson, Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue each had 1.5 sacks as the Jaguars had no trouble penetrating the Texans’ porous offensive line.
The Texans remain without a running game even after getting Lamar Miller back. He had 17 carries for 56 yards and a touchdown. Watson was the team’s leading rusher with 13 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown.
Watson completed 25 of 35 passes for 234 yards, with DeAndre Hopkins catching 12 for 147.
The Texans defense won the game, though, in holding the Jaguars to 119 total yards. Jacksonville’s only scoring drive was a four-play, 3-yard field-goal drive following a muffed punt by DeAndre Carter.
Blake Bortles, playing in what he has conceded could be his final game for the Jaguars, completed 15 of 28 passes for 107 yards and an interception. He also led the Jaguars in rushing with 15 yards on four carries.
J.J. Watt had 1.5 sacks, four tackles, a quarterback hit and a forced fumble.
The Texans (11-5) will wait to see if they get a first-round bye but likely will play at home next week in a wild-card game.