Corraling the Texans: Jaguars defense keeps second opponent in a row out of the end zone

The Jaguars' defense, heavily criticized after giving up 40 points to Detroit in the team's last loss on Dec. 4, has roared back in a huge way in the last two games.

And just like quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the offense have been given credit for peaking at just the right time during the Jags' playoff run, the defense also has stepped up — and done it in historic fashion.

The Jaguars had two sacks, 12 quarterback hits and a touchdown by Tyson Campbell on a fumble return in Sunday's 31-3 victory over the Houston Texans, the second game in a row in which the opposition has been held out of the end zone.

The Jags beat the New York Jets on Dec. 22 19-3 and last gave up a touchdown on Dec. 17 against Dallas.

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The last time a Jags defense did not allow a touchdown in back-to-back games was in 2001 when they opened the season with a 21-3 victory over Pittsburgh and a 13-6 victory over the Titans. Those opponents combined for three field goals.

In the Jaguars' post-game show with Bucky Brooks, outside linebacker Josh Allen said it was about time the Jags broke a nine-game losing streak against Houston that dated back to 2017 when he was still at Kentucky.

"We owed these guys," said Josh Allen, who had three quarterback hits, forced the fumble that Campbell returned for a 12-yard touchdown on a sack of Davis Mills and broke up a pass in the end zone on fourth down. "We owed them and we wanted to show them it's the same team but a different attitude, a different mindset and they got a good dose of it."

Best two-game performance in franchise history

The Jaguars (8-8) forced Houston (2-13-1) to turn the ball over on downs four times as the Texans pulled out every stop they could to score. They managed only a 56-yard field goal in the third quarter by Kai Fairbairn (his ninth in a row from 50 or more yards, the longest streak in the NFL) as the Jags allowed the fewest points to their pesky AFC South nemesis since a 27-0 shutout on Dec. 7, 2003, the third time they had ever played the Texans.

Houston had only 84 yards rushing (Mills led with 33 yards and completed 22 of 30 passes for 202 yards in his first-ever loss to the Jaguars as a starter) and 277 total yards. The defense gave up 218 yards to the Jets.

In terms of allowing points, the Jaguars have posted their best back-to-back games in franchise history. The previous best two-game stretch was when the 2017 team beat the Colts 27-0 and Cincinnati 23-7.

And they were an eyelash from two more turnovers: Andre Cisco let one pass bounce off his hands and Andrew Wingard had an interception in the fourth quarter overturned when it was ruled that a Mills pass to Jordan Aikins that seemed to bounce up and into Wingard's arms was incomplete.

Fourth-down stops the key

However, the fourth-down stops were just as good as an interception or fumble recovery. And it started on Houston's first possession when the Texans went for it on a fourth-and-one at their own 45 and Jeff Driskel, who rotated with Mills, was stopped for no gain by Corey Peters.

The biggest fourth-down play came after Lawrence was intercepted by Desmond King in the second quarter and Mills got the Texans to the Jaguars' 15 on a 26-yard completion to O.J. Howard. After a 5-yard completion to Brandin Cooks, Phillip Dorsett dropped a pass, Roy Robertson-Harris rushed Mills into an incompletion and Allen, dropping into coverage, knocked away a pass in the corner of the end zone intended for Rex Burkhead.

The Texans went for it on fourth down twice in the fourth period. On a fourth-and-three at midfield, Chad Muma blitzed Mills and Dorsett had another drop and later, on a fourth-and-18, Cooks was held to a 12-yard completion.

The Jaguars took over the NFL lead in fourth-down stops. They entered the day tied with New England in allowing offenses to convert 33.3 percent of fourth-down attempts but lowered that to 28.6 percent while the Patriots allowed Miami to convert two of three.

On a day when Jaguars coach Doug Pederson was going to take every opportunity to call the offense conservatively and rest starters such as Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne, the defense was the key reason he was able to shut things down.

"The defense did a nice job," he said. "When you can score on defense, it just helps the case. The defense did an outstanding job holding them to the three points."

Chaisson emerges

The Jags also got a contribution from an unlikely source: 2020 No. 1 draft pick K'Lavon Chaisson got his first sack of the season (and his first in 18 games) and the second of his career, and had four tackles playing in his hometown.

Defensive coordinator Mike Caldwell has been slowly working Chaisson into the edge rushing rotation since he came off injured reserve but Chaisson will be needed more than ever with the injury to Dawuane Smoot against the Jets knocked him out for the year.

"Great ... felt great," he said. "I couldn't have a better feeling."

I have quite a few. Excited to be here

Rookie outside linebacker Travon Walker, who has missed the last two games, played 27 snaps without a tackle. But he showed his ankle has made enough progress for the team to count on him against Tennessee next week.

The Jags emptied the bench in the fourth quarter as cornerback Gregory Junior had six tackles and backup linebacker Shaq Quarterman had three.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Tyson Campbell, K'Lavon Chaisson lead Jaguars defense in another stout performance