Texans 34, Jaguars 17
Arian Foster rushed for 180 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Houston Texans cruised past the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars 34-17 on Sunday afternoon.
The Jaguars needed to win and have Tennessee defeat Indianapolis to reach the playoffs for the first time in three years.
Jacksonville, playing without running back Maurice Jones-Drew (knee) and quarterback David Garrard (finger), never led in the game.
Houston, which played without star receiver Andre Johnson, jumped out to a 10-0 lead on a 2-yard run by Foster and a 26-yard field goal by Neil Rackers.
Filling in for Jones-Drew, Rashad Jennings scored on the first play of the second quarter on a 3-yard run to trim the Texans’ lead to 10-7.
Houston (6-10) made it 17-7 on a 35-yard run by Derrick Ward.
The Jags tied the game at 17 on a Josh Scobee field goal and a touchdown pass from Trent Edwards to Marcedes Lewis, but Rackers booted a 33-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to give Houston a 20-17 lead it never relinquished.
The Texans extended the lead to 34-17 in the second half when Matt Schaub (18 of 22, 253 yards) hooked up with Owen Daniels on a 5-yard touchdown pass and Foster scored on a 35-yard run. Foster carried the ball 31 times in the game.
Jennings finished with 108 yards on 22 carries for Jacksonville (8-8). Edwards was 12 for 25 passing for 117 yards with an interception.