Jaguars bust losing streak vs. Texans via dominant 31-3 road victory. Here are our takeaways.

HOUSTON — The Jaguars (8-8) didn't have any trouble Sunday, dominating the Houston Texans (2-13-1) on the road at NRG Stadium. Jacksonville took an early 7-0 lead and never looked back.

Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson pulled quarterback Trevor Lawrence with 5:34 remaining in the third quarter in favor of C.J. Beathard with the team leading 28-3. He finished the contest by completing 17-of-21 passes for 152 yards and an interception.

With around five minutes remaining, nearly all Jacksonville starters were pulled from the contest.

More game coverage:

Game recap:Live updates: Jacksonville Jaguars face Houston Texans in late push for NFL playoffs spot

It was the team's first victory over the Texans since the 2017 season.

It is the team's fifth win of the season by at least 10 points and its fourth-straight victory this year. Four straight wins tie Jacksonville's fifth-longest win streak in franchise history.

The last time Jacksonville won four games in a row was in 2017. They've accomplished that feat two other times, ultimately losing the fifth games in 2007 and 2000.

Jacksonville's win over Houston gives the team eight wins this season, their most since 2017. Before that, the last time the Jaguars won eight or more games occurred in 2010 (eight).

The Jaguars entered Sunday's game after losing nine-straight contests to the Texans dating back to the 2018 regular season. The last time the team defeated the Texans occurred during what became a playoff run in 2017.

Historically, the Jaguars have defeated the Texans just 13 times in its history. They are 13-28 against the Texans since the NFL re-aligned the divisions in 2002 when the then-expansion franchise Houston entered the league. In the last 17 games, the Jaguars have won just two contests against Houston.

Even though the Jaguars don't have too much to play for with what will amount to a playoff game on deck next week, the team played for momentum and a potential winning record this season against Houston.

The Jaguars entered Sunday's game with five players listed as "questionable," including outside linebacker Travon Walker (ankle), defensive lineman Foley Fatukasi (ankle), long snapper Ross Matiscik (back), quarterback Trevor Lawrence (toe) and safety Andrew Wingard (shoulder).

All five players suited up.

Jaguars keep momentum heading into Week 18 vs. Titans

Sunday's dominating victory over the Texans gives Jacksonville much-needed momentum heading into what will amount to a playoff game at home against the Titans next week.

Though the Jaguars didn't have much to play for this week as far as playoff implications go, the team needed to play sharp and continue its winning streak. There was much to play for. The Jaguars couldn't afford to head into Week 18 on a low note.

While the Jacksonville offense didn't have much firepower today aside from a 62-yard scamper by running back Travis Etienne, they did just enough to score or put the team in a position to score, 24 points against a bad Texans defense.

Jaguars snap another long-standing losing streak

Jacksonville’s long-standing losing streak against the Texans is no longer. It is the next in a long line of streaks the team has broken this season. The team has also now won back-to-back away contests for the first time since the 2017 season.

The Jaguars’ last victory against the Texans occurred during the 2017 season, when the team swept Houston on the way to the playoffs.

Jacksonville has had a way with breaking streaks this season, including an NFL-record 20-game losing streak to NFC teams broken against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15. The latest was likely the most damning considering where the Texans have been the last couple of seasons.

Entering Sunday's contest, the Jaguars were just 1-6 against a Lovie Smith-led defense. They had lost the last six games to Smith, who was either a head coach or defensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears and Texans.

The last time Jacksonville defeated Smith occurred in 2004, winning 22-3.

Travon Walker appears healthy, plays 27 snaps

Walker entered the team’s Week 17 matchup as questionable with an ankle injury and played more of a reserve role on Sunday. Walker entered the game on the final play of the Texans’ second drive of the game, missing the team’s first 10 defensive snaps of the contest.

Though Pederson didn’t have an issue with Walker’s availability this week, holding out the first-overall pick for some of the beginning of the contest doesn't come as a surprise. Walker was initially injured during the team’s Week 14 matchup against the Tennessee Titans and missed the team’s next two contests.

Pederson originally stated that Walker suffered a high-ankle sprain.

In Walker’s place, the Jaguars utilized both Arden Key and K’Lavon Chaisson as outside linebackers.

Walker finished with 27 snaps, earning a quarterback hit.

Jaguars’ third defensive touchdown of season tells the tale

In the second quarter of the contest, the Jaguars quickly took advantage of a struggling Texans offense via a strip-sack by outside linebacker Josh Allen that was recovered by cornerback Tyson Campbell for a touchdown. The score put Jacksonville up 21-0 midway through the second quarter, taking the wind out of Houston’s sails.

The touchdown marked the third defensive TD of the year for the Jaguars. The first two were interceptions converted to touchdowns — one a piece Andre Cisco (Week 4) and Rayshawn Jenkins (Week 15).

The Jaguars’ defense has become opportunistic over the last several weeks of the season, which comes at an ideal time as the team looks to lock in a spot for the playoffs. The team in general has taken on a new identity over the second half of the season, including against the Texans as they wrap up their season.

Etienne’s big-play ability overshadows ball-control issues

There’s no question that Jaguars running back Travis Etienne has made a major impact this season. Against the Texans, Etienne broke off his longest run of the season a 62-yard scamper for a TD to give Jacksonville a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter.

Etienne finished the game with nine carries for 108 yards and a touchdown. He added three catches for 32 yards.

Still, Etienne has had an issue with holding onto the football this season. He has six fumbles this season with four that were lost.

The most recent fumble occurred on the second drive of the game for Jacksonville at the Houston 39-yard line. Etienne couldn’t hang onto a pitch by Lawrence but recovered the football. Jacksonville punted on just two plays later, spoiling good field position.

Jacksonville has been fortunate this year in the turnover department, but fumbles by Etienne and Lawrence (10 fumbles, eight lost) have been a concern throughout much of the season.

Demetrius Harvey is the Jacksonville Jaguars reporter for the Florida Times-Union. You can follow him on Twitter at @Demetrius82.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars earn fourth-straight victory, defeat Texans 31-3 on the road