Part of the Texans' focus is on the red zone this week. The offense currently is tied for 28th in the league. The Jaguars defense has struggled itself in the red zone, giving up scores seven out of nine times opponents have ventured there.

"We have to get it done, but I don't know what the answer is," right tackle Eric Winston said. "That's what the coaches are for. I think if everyone starts playing better, we'll pick our game up."

Under coach Gary Kubiak, the Texans have not been known as a bad team in the red zone. Around the league, they have actually been considered one of the better teams at scoring touchdowns once they reach their opponents' 20-yard line.

At least, that's how they were known until the past two games. Now, they are one of the league's worst. The Texans have scored touchdowns in only 33.3 percent (3-for-9) of their red-zone appearances.

They would likely be ranked even lower had the Pittsburgh Steelers not inserted their backups for the fourth quarter of the season opener. Two of the Texans' three red-zone touchdowns came during that period.

"It hurts to be see what our opponents do and then sit there and watch our film," wide receiver Andre' Davis said. "We work on all those areas during the week and stuff, and to not be able to go out there and be successful at it definitely hurts."

In Kubiak's first season with the Texans and with David Carr at quarterback, the team ranked ninth in the NFL. They scored touchdowns on 57.14 percent (24 of 42) of their trips in the red zone. In his second season with Matt Schaub and Sage Rosenfels at quarterback, the team did even better. They finished fourth in the league, scoring touchdowns 60.87 (28 of 46) times in the red zone.

But that success seems a long time ago these days. The Texans reached the red zone six times against the Titans on Sunday and scored only one touchdown on a six-yard carry by Steve Slaton. Two other times, the Texans kicked field goals. And the final three trips, they walked away with zero points.

"First off, to get six trips down there, that's a good thing," Kubiak said. "You like to get down there that much, but we weren't very effective. In my opinion, we left 28 points out there in the first half not finishing off drives. Then in the second half, we give them the ball back on the 10, 11 and the 1 (yard lines). So that's three times you're ineffective down there."

Kubiak said after watching film he probably should have had the team run the ball more in the red zone during the second half. But Slaton and Chris Taylor weren't exactly effective in their limited opportunities. In 10 red-zone carries by Slaton and Taylor, the Texans had just 17 rushing yards (1.7 yards per carry). Four of those carries came in the second half with Slaton picking up just five yards.

On a fourth-and-two on Tennessee's 2-yard line late in the game, Kubiak gave the ball to Slaton, who gained only one yard to end the drive.

"We've kind of bogged down in the red zone and you really can't do that," left guard Chester Pitts said. "Threes don't get Ws. Sevens do. We had so many trips down there. If we find a way to get touchdowns just half the time, I'm smiling ear to ear right now. You get your chances and when you do you have to find a way to capitalize."

The Texans defense has even given the offense a boost this season. Once in each of the first two games, the defense has handed the offense the ball less than 15 yards away from the goal line. Each time, the offense has had to kick field goals.

"It's frustrating when we get the ball down there to start and we can't do anything with it," tight end Owen Daniels said. "We go nowhere or we go backward."

SERIES HISTORY: 13th meeting. Texans lead series, 7-5. The Texans have only been swept by the Jaguars once (2005) in the series history. The Texans lost in Jacksonville last season, 37-17.