*Jaguars tune up for playoffs*
Jacksonville (11-4) at Houston (7-8) 1:00 pm EST
HOUSTON (Ticker) -- With a playoff spot locked up, the Jacksonville Jaguars have an opportunity to rest quarterback David Garrard and running back Fred Taylor.
The Jaguars, who have won three in a row, visit the Houston Texans on Sunday in a playoff tuneup.
Jacksonville clinched the AFC's fifth seed with last week's dominating 49-11 victory over the Oakland Raiders.
"We'll enjoy Christmas," Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio said. The big question will be: How much are you going to play guys?"
With a victory on Sunday, Jacksonville will finish 12-4, matching its record from 2005, the last time the Jaguars made the playoffs.
The Jaguars could be headed back to Pittsburgh for a first-round playoff contest in two weeks. Jacksonville posted a 29-22 victory at Heinz Field on December 16 behind a 147-yard effort by Taylor.
The Jaguars clearly are playing their best football of the season, having moved into the top 10 in total offense.
"I feel a lot more confident in this team. The guys who went to New England still have that sour taste in their mouths," said Taylor, referring to the Jaguars' playoff loss to the Patriots two seasons ago.
Taylor rushed for 111 yards against the Raiders - his fifth straight 100-yard game - and has climbed to sixth in the NFL in rushing with 1,202 yards.
Jacksonville boasts the league's No. 2 rushing offense, averaging 153 yards per contest.
The Texans are coming off a 38-15 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, but still have a chance to finish at .500 for the first time in the franchise's brief history.
However, Houston needs a better effort than in its previous game against Jacksonville this season, a 37-17 loss in Week Six. Maurice Jones-Drew accounted for 260 all-purpose yards for the Jaguars.
