With a battle against the Jacksonville Jaguars on tap, the Houston Texans will have to be performing at full capacity in order to secure a victory and clinch the AFC South. As the announcer adage says, "throw out the records when these two teams play." While that phrase has been mocked in recent seasons, there is an aspect of truth. The Jaguars have been a thorn in the Texans' side for years and could completely throw the AFC playoff bracket into upheaval with an upset victory.

In order to prevent such a disaster from occurring, the Texans will be relying on depth at key spots. The cornerbacks and safeties could be moving around based on how many players are viewed as healthy, and the wide receivers will be far different than the previous meeting. DeAndre Hopkins will still be drawing attention from Jalen Ramsey, but he will now be joined by DeAndre Carter and possibly Vyncint Smith, the almost-hero of the Eagles game.

The speedy wide receiver from Limestone College made one of the best catches of the year late in Sunday's game as he brought in the ball and slid out of the end zone with both knees down in time to score a touchdown. This play gave Houston a late lead and put the former practice squad member on the national map. Now that he has Deshaun Watson's trust, Smith has a chance to see even more targets against the Jaguars, especially if his teammates continue struggling with health issues.

Of course, it would be understandable if there was a learning curve for Smith. After all, he is the only player from Limestone College in the NFL. This Division II team is far different than the PAC-12 or SEC programs that are pipelines to the league, but the difference in style and the competition level isn't derailing Smith. The youngster is striving to overcome any potential issues with study and practice.

“Coming from a DII school, there are things that you don’t see on that level or don’t learn on that level that takes a lot of attention on this level to have to pay attention and go do it over and over. That’s what helps me – repetition.”

The repetition has been helped by Smith being a tireless worker. According to Bill O'Brien, the small-school kid has been in the building as much as possible, working hard and taking notes. Additionally, he has been available for this team, which is something some teammates have been unable to maintain. Being present at practice and meetings is only half of the battle, but it sounds like Smith is crushing that part.

“Oh yeah. In my opinion, level of competition is part of the evaluation," O'Brien said. "So, a guy that’s played in the SEC for three or four years, relative to a guy who – with all due respect, and I love Limestone – but a guy that played at Limestone, it’s just different. It’s going to be a different level of competition relative to getting ready to play professional football. Since the day Vyncint walked in here, he’s a very hardworking guy. I don’t think – knock on wood – he’s ever missed a practice, takes notes in the meetings, pays attention, great guy. Really a focused individual, and he’s improved because of that. But, that’s part of the evaluation process is who they’re playing against.”

With Demaryius Thomas out for the season and Keke Coutee still limited by his hamstring, it will be interesting to see how the Texans proceed with their receiving corps. Will DeAndre Carter stay in the slot while Smith works opposite DeAndre Hopkins on the outside? The 49ers have a speedster in Marquise Goodwin that compares favorable to Smith, albeit a bit shorter, and he lines up all over the field with much success. O'Brien could emulate some of Kyle Shanahan's plays to get his young receiver in space and give him room to outrun defenders. Granted, this whole situation could change if Coutee suits up on Sunday, but that's a more unlikely scenario.

Smith will have another opportunity to impress his teammates and coaches on Sunday when the Texans host the Jaguars. Kickoff at NRG Stadium is set for 1:00 p.m. EST.