The Jaguars visit Houston for the Texans first ever home Monday Night game. Both teams are 4-7 heading into the game. Here are the topics that we'll preview before the game, follow during the game and discuss after the game:

Motivation-Many of the Jaguars I spoke with this week talked about the intensity they expected in the game. Still, you have to wonder if enough of the team will be fired up for this game. It's been a long fall from last year at this time when the Jaguars were jockying for playoff positioning.

Battle Red Impact-The Texans trot out their Battle Red jersey's against the Jaguars once again. It's a sign that the Texans are putting a lot into this game. I'm not saying that the uniform makes the team play better, but it is an indication that the Texans are treating this as a special game.

Will Taylor Get the TD?-Fred Taylor continues to be just one touchdown shy of the Jaguars all-time record. Will he get the chance to break the tie with Jimmy Smith? You have to think that Del Rio's adverse reaction to Taylor's comments that he made on the post-game show last week and that he reiterated this week about the Jaguars not being a good "team." might hurt his chances.

Where are the points?-The Jaguars have allowed 275 yards per game in the last three games, But they haven't been able to score. Since the Jaguars win in Denver before the bye week, Jacksonville has scored 20 points or more only once...and that was against the winless Lions. If they are going to win, the Jaguars must get the offense going.

Ch-Ch-Change-Jack Del Rio has said that the evaluation process is going to be more intense over the last five weeks of the season. Does that mean we'll see some players in different roles? What kind of adjustments will the Jaguars make. When you lose 4 of 5, you can't keep doing the same thing over and over again.

The Jaguars made a handful of pre-Thanksgiving roster moves, including placing punter Adam Podlesh on the injured reserve list. His season is done.

Podlesh sprained his knee while attempting a tackle on Sunday against the Vikings.

Sunday, the Jaguars host the Vikings for the first time ever. The two teams have played three times before, but every game has been in Minnesota. Here are the topics that we'll be looking forward to before the game, following during the game and analyzing after the game.

1. Focus and Effort-So far this year, the Jaguars effort has not been a problem, but after last week's loss to the Titans, my radar will be on. It's easy to see how effort could lag a bit if the team accepts that they are out of the playoff picture. We'll be watching.
2. Matt Jones Return?-Jones missed last week's game against the Titans with an injury, but he's expected back this week. What kind of an impact will Jones make? He's been the only reliable wide receiver this year, hauling in 50 passes already. That's more than anyone had last year for the Jaguars.
3. Slow Down AP-Adrian Peterson, the Vikings running back is the best back Jack Del Rio has ever seen. Or so the head coach says. We know this, he's terrific and this year he leads the league in rushing, averaging 110 yards per game. The Jaguars are ranked 20th against the run this year, so if they are going to win, they'll have to do better than that.
4. Can Jaguars Run?-In contrast to the inconsistent run defense of the Jaguars, the Vikings trail only Pittsburgh in the NFL against the run. Neither Fred Taylor nor Maurice Jones-Drew have enjoyed a 100 yard rushing game since Maurice Drew's 125 yard day against the Broncos five weeks ago. The Jaguars just aren't a very good running team right now because they aren't powerful enough on the offensive line. This could be a real problem on Sunday.
5. Connections-Jack Del Rio, Mike Tice and Troy Williamson all have Vikings connections. Del Rio enjoyed his best seasons as a player in Minnesota and that's where he met Tony Dungy and Denny Green, the two coaches who may have had the biggest impact on Del Rio's coaching style. Tice, now the Jaguars assistant head coach, was the head coach in Minnesota, but got into all kinds of trouble and lost control of his team. Williamson was a former first round pick for the Vikings, and he does not like current Vikings head coach Brad Childress. Earlier this week, he said (maybe) tongue in cheek that he would meet Childress at the 50 yard line for a fight. Williamson will not play because of a groin injury.

Maybe its just me, but as Troy Williamson went on about his (faux?) desire to scrap with Vikings head coach Brad Childress, I thought, is this the best we can do?

THis year has been so full of stories for the Jaguars: most of them bad.

Between now and the end of the regular season you will hear a lot of theories about what happened to the Jaguars this year.

After a 24-14 loss to Tennessee yesterday at the Stadium, there will be fingers pointed at the front office, the coaching staff, individual players, injuries...hey, some might even blame the media. But at least one thing is clear. In the Jaguars' final six games, just how David Garrard and company handle the rest of the year is going to be something to watch.

The Jaguars playoff hopes are likely on the line Sunday against the undefeated Titans. Jacksonville lost the season opener in Tennessee. Here are the topics that we'll look forward to before the game, follow during the game and analyze afterwards:

1. Protect The Quarterback-The first time these two teams met, the Jaguars endured one of the craziest days you will ever hear about. In pregame warm ups, Mo Williams injured himself. Then Vince Manuwai blew out his ACL. At one point, Uche Nwaneri was banged up and they almost had to put tight end Richard Angulo into the lineup on the offensive line. In that game, the Titans sacked David Garrard seven times and Garrard admits that he was very sore the next day. The Jaguars offensive line seems to be more stable now that it has been all year, but last week's game against Denver wasn't much of a test. Offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter believes that the Jaguars can make some plays down the field against Tennessee. To do that, they'll have to give Garrard time.
2. Win Turnovers-Against the Titans in week one, David Garrard threw a pair of interceptions. Despite the turnovers and the offensive line injuries, the Jaguars still lost by only a touchdown. Winning the turnover battle is a big part of the Jaguars approach.
3. Run Early, Run Late-The Titans love to take away the opponent's running game. That's the bedrock of their defensive approach. If the Jaguars can run the ball early, that will open up opportunities in the passing game. That could lead to the Jaguars taking a lead, which will allow them to run the ball late. Despite going over 10,000 career yards against the Titans last year, Fred Taylor hasn't had a 100 yard game against the Titans since 2004. This is going to take Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, and maybe Greg Jones to get it done.
4. Unity-I believe that this week is a real test of Jack Del Rio's ability to get the team on the same page. Considering Del Rio's call to circle the wagons earlier this week (he's talking about being all-in on this game), and considering the festering situation with Mike Peterson, there is plenty going on that could distract the team.
5. Play Best in the Big Game-This game can define the season. If the Jaguars win, their playoff hopes are alive and they would be the first to beat the Titans this year. If the Jaguars lose, it will be nearly impossible for them to make the post-season. Last year, the Jaguars responded down the stretch. Can they do it again this year?

It was a strange day with the Jaguars on Wednesday.

First, in the locker room, middle linebacker Mike Peterson did his best not to say something he would regret, but he made his stance clear on where he felt he stood.

The next chapter in the Jaguars drama is going to involve Mike Peterson's future with the team. Yesterday, Jack Del Rio noted that Darryl Smith had won the game ball for his play at middle linebacker.

"He is a natural middle linebacker," Del Rio said of Smith. "He played middle linebacker in college. He did a good job for us in there. So we'll see."