(Sports Network) - The first Monday Night Football game in the history of the Houston Texans will be the feature attraction at Reliant Stadium in Week 13, as the NFL's newest franchise plays host to the Jacksonville Jaguars to cap off the Thanksgiving weekend schedule.

That it took until the 108th game in the Texans' six-year history for the league's long-running primetime event to finally focus on the franchise says a great deal about the struggles Houston has endured in fielding a competitive program.

The Texans are just 36-71 (.336) in their seven seasons of existence, and are but one loss away from clinching their seventh non-winning season in their seven years since joining the league in 2002.

A 2008 campaign that began with great promise for Gary Kubiak's club has descended into the disappointment of a 4-7 record, though Houston does come into Monday night's contest on something of a high.

The Texans went to Cleveland last Sunday and emerged with a 16-6 victory, a result that both ended Houston's three-game losing streak and gave the club its first win away from Reliant Stadium this season.

Subbing for injured quarterback Matt Schaub (knee) for the fourth time this year and third consecutive, Sage Rosenfels completed 24-of-32 passes for 275 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions to secure his first win as a starter this year.

Rosenfels is expected to open behind center again for the Texans on Monday night, as the city of Houston hosts its first MNF tilt since the Oilers played the Giants on Nov. 21, 1994 at the Astrodome.

The visiting Jaguars, meanwhile, know all about dealing with disappointment in 2008.

A Jacksonville team that most had pegged as a playoff team and some a prime Super Bowl contender prior to the season has fallen far off that mark by going 4-7 through its first 11 games.

Last week, the Jags dropped to a confounding 1-5 at home by falling, 30-12, to the Minnesota Vikings, a game that basically sealed the team's fate as a non- playoff entity.

Jacksonville had fallen behind, 14-0, before two minutes had even elapsed on the clock against Minnesota. A 27-yard fumble return by Napoleon Harris on the first play from scrimmage was followed by a fumble of the ensuing kickoff by Jacksonville return man Brian Witherspoon. Three plays later, with 13:19 remaining in the first quarter, Chester Taylor rushed for a three-yard score, and Minnesota already had enough points to win the game before many fans had even settled into its seats.

The Jaguars are 1-4 in their past five games coming into Monday's contest, with the only win over that stretch coming at winless Detroit.

SERIES HISTORY

Houston leads the all-time series with the Jaguars, 7-6, but was a 30-27 overtime loser when the teams met in Florida in Week 4. The teams embarked on a conventional split of last year's home-and-home, including a 42-28 home win for the Texans in Week 17. In that contest, the Jaguars were resting some of their starters in preparation for the playoffs. Jacksonville last won in Houston in 2005.

Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio is 5-6 versus the Texans all-time, including 1-4 in Houston. The Texans' Kubiak is 3-2 against both Del Rio and the Jaguars as a head coach.

WHEN THE JAGUARS HAVE THE BALL

Jacksonville's biggest problem from a schematic standpoint this season has been the ground game, as a run-first attack ranks a disappointing 17th in NFL rushing offense (110.2 yards per game), with neither Maurice Jones-Drew (503 rushing yards, 11 TD, 40 receptions) nor Fred Taylor (436 rushing yards, 14 receptions) able to gain consistent traction while working behind a battered, makeshift offensive line. Against the Vikings' formidable front seven, Jones- Drew and Taylor combined for a laughable 24 yards on nine combined carries, though the former did add value with nine receptions for 113 yards through the air. The Jags were No. 2 in NFL rushing offense (149.4 yards per game) in 2007. Quarterback David Garrard (2461 passing yards, 9 TD, 8 INT, 221 rushing yards, 1 TD) and the passing game have not been able to compensate for the deficiencies of the rush attack, as the lack of game-breaking receivers and constant pressure that has allowed the mobile Garrard to be sacked 30 times have had a negative impact on that aspect of play. Wideouts Matt Jones (54 receptions, 2 TD), Reggie Williams (23 receptions, 2 TD), and tight end Marcedes Lewis (26 receptions, 2 TD) have been the team's most productive pass-catchers, and each had a hand in Garrard's career-best 317-yard day against the Vikings a week ago. Garrard also threw two interceptions in the game.

The Texans did a good job bottling up Jones-Drew and Taylor back in Week 14, holding the duo to 57 yards on 17 carries in that game. That strong effort was a rare one, however, for a Houston defense that ranks just 23rd in the league against the run (123.1 yards per game) and is dealing with significant injuries up the middle. Linebacker Zac Diles has already been lost for the year with a broken leg, and defensive tackles Amobi Okoye (11 tackles) and Travis Johnson (17 tackles, 1 sack) are regarded as questionable for Monday night with ankle and knee problems, respectively. If neither of the DTs can go, the play of linebackers DeMeco Ryans (79 tackles) and rookie Xavier Adibi (22 tackles) will be particularly important. Ryans and Adibi both had fumble recoveries against the Browns last week. The secondary has done a credible job for much of the season, ranking a respectable 13th in NFL passing defense (204.8 yards per game), and cornerback Jacques Reeves (34 tackles, 3 INT) comes off a week in which he posted both an interception and fumble recovery in Cleveland. The strength of the Texans defense is arguably the pass rush, which has seen end Mario Williams (35 tackles, 8 sacks) blossom into one of the league's top talents at his position. Williams has gone three games without a sack, however.

WHEN THE TEXANS HAVE THE BALL

The Texans aren't likely to find themselves in the playoffs this season, but wide receiver Andre Johnson (81 receptions, 3 TD) is on a collision course with another Pro Bowl appearance. Johnson entered Week 13 leading the league in both catches and receiving yards (1071), and is attempting to become the first player to pace the NFL outright in both categories since the Rams' Torry Holt in 2003. No. 2 receiver Kevin Walter (47 receptions, 7 TD) has also been a valuable red-zone option for Rosenfels (1231 passing yards, 5 TD, 9 INT) and the quarterbacks, and tight end Owen Daniels (48 receptions, 2 TD) is another target over the middle of the field. In an otherwise disappointing season, Texans rookie running back Steve Slaton (774 rushing yards, 32 receptions, 7 TD) has been a major bright spot for the team as well. The third-round pick from West Virginia is on a short list of NFL Rookie of the Year candidates, and comes into Monday's game just 28 yards shy of 1,000 rushing/receiving yards for the year. After veteran Ahman Green (knee) was placed on season- ending injured reserve earlier in the week, Slaton is likely to be backed on Monday by ex-Eagle Ryan Moats (51 rushing yards).

The Jaguars defense has been mediocre in just about every practical way this season, ranking 14th against the pass (204.9 yards per game), 19th against the run (114 yards per game), and never offering up a performance that can be regarded as particularly inspirational. The biggest playmakers are in the secondary, where cornerback Rashean Mathis (37 tackles, 3 INT, 1 sack) and safeties Reggie Nelson (30 tackles, 1 INT) and Gerald Sensabaugh (49 tackles, 3 INT) have all had their moments, though Mathis is listed as questionable for Monday with a foot problem. If he can't go, Brian Williams (54 tackles, 2 INT) would likely match up with Johnson, and veteran Drayton Florence (21 tackles) would line up on the opposite side. Ends Reggie Hayward (14 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and Paul Spicer (26 tackles, 2.5 sacks) lead a Jacksonville pass rush that lacks a dominant figure. Against the run, tackle John Henderson (30 tackles, 2 sacks) is the team's best run-stuffer but is questionable for Monday due to an illness. If he can't go, top linebackers Mike Peterson (57 tackles, 1 sack) and Daryl Smith (53 tackles, 2.5 sacks) will have to help pick up the slack.

FANTASY FOCUS

The Jaguars have been a disappointing team from a fantasy standpoint, though Jones-Drew remains a worthwhile play thanks to his impact in the pass-catching game and the frequency of his trips to the end zone. With no touchdowns this year, Taylor is either on the bench or the waiver wire in most leagues, though there's a chance he could perform well on Monday given the Texans' depleted state and general weakness in the front seven. Garrard and the pass-catchers have all been hit-or-miss year. None are a great fantasy option, and the same goes for the defense and inconsistent kicker Josh Scobee.

For a 4-7 team, the Texans have a bunch of strong fantasy plays. Johnson, Slaton, and Daniels are consistent point-producers, and the No. 2 wideout Walter is worth considering thanks to his ability to score touchdowns. Rosenfels is not a first-rate option because of his many turnovers, and the Houston defense doesn't make enough big plays to consider using. Kicker Kris Brown has been generally accurate this year, and is a solid play thanks to the opportunities the Texans offense affords him.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

It was around this time last year that the Texans started playing their best football, with the pressure off and the coaching staff under no real temptation to play things conservatively. For all its problems this year, Houston does have considerable offensive talent, and the Monday night setting figures to bring out the best in the team from top to bottom. The Jags, meanwhile, are not certain to answer the bell. Jacksonville has played poorly, seems to lack chemistry, and has been weighed down by injuries and frequent mistakes. There will be no real motivation for the Jaguars to show up and play well on Monday night, and it says here that they won't.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Texans 24, Jaguars 15