Jaguars insider: “We’ve got a challenge…”

JACKSONVILLE – The importance of what’s next for the Jaguars is clear.

A home game. A division game. A chance to at least stay tied for the lead in the AFC South. A chance to win for a third time in four games.

All are Jaguars storylines this week. All matter a lot.

“We’re at the top of the AFC South now; we’re looking to stay there,” Jaguars wide receiver Jamal Agnew said Monday.

Agnew spoke a day after a loss at Philadelphia to the Eagles, a loss that followed back-to-back victories. The Jaguars (2-2) are now tied with the Tennessee Titans for first place in the AFC South with a division game against the Houston Texans (0-3-1) at TIAA Bank Field Sunday at 1 p.m.

“You have to,” Head Coach Doug Pederson said Monday when asked about the importance of “getting” right against a division opponent. “It’s definitely one of the goals we’ve talked about.”

The Jaguars are currently 1-0 in the South after beating the Indianapolis Colts, 24-0, at home in Week 2. They have lost eight consecutive games to the Texans, their longest current division losing streak. Houston has swept the Jaguars seven of the last eight seasons.

“Their win-loss record may not be what they think it should be or where it should be,” Pederson said. “But this is a good football team. They’re aggressive defensively. They’re young. They fly around. It’s a group you better come ready to play.

“We have to have a great week of preparation, keep focusing on us, fix the mistakes from this week and go play.”

Said Agnew, “Obviously we want to bounce back, but we always look at it as the next game is the most important. We want to go 1-0 this week. Fortunately, it’s a division opponent. We’ve got to go handle a Houston team that obviously doesn’t have any wins right now, but they’re still a really good team if you watch them on film.

“They’ve done a lot of really good things, so it’s no cakewalk coming in here right now. Houston’s a really good team coming in here, and we’ve got a little challenge.”