AFC South Predictions
The new NFL season kicks off on September 8, which means it's time for some predictions. Here are the predictions for the AFC South this year.
Last season, the Tennessee Titans won the division with a 12-5 record, only to be eliminated in the Divisional Round by the Super Bowl-bound Cincinnati Bengals. The Indianapolis Colts had a mediocre season and missed the playoffs with a 9-8 record. Bringing up the rear were the Houston Texans, who finished 4-13, and the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had the worst record in the NFL at 3-14.
Nonetheless, with the new season comes new expectations and possibly a new ranking in the AFC South.
1st place in the AFC South - Indianapolis Colts, 11-6
Among the teams in the AFC South, the Indianapolis Colts made the biggest roster move of the offseason, bringing in former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. There is no doubt that at age 37, Ryan is not the same quarterback that he was in his prime. However, he does not have to be. The Colts still have Jonathan Taylor, who led the NFL in rushing yards last season, and budding star Michael Pittman at wide receiver.
Colts QB Matt Ryan on his chemistry with Michael Pittman Jr.:
“The way he works makes it easy for a quarterback like me to be on the same page with him.”
Ryan completed three passes to Pittman for 29 yards in last night’s preseason finale. Full quote below: https://t.co/5yHJvoMP63
While they're unlikely to make the Super Bowl, they definitely have the look of a playoff team and have to be considered the favorites in the AFC South.
2nd place - Tennessee Titans, 10-7
The Tennessee Titans won 12 games and claimed the AFC South last season. However, it was an up-and-down year as they beat the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs, but lost to the New York Jets and Houston Texans.
There is no doubt that they are a much better team when running back Derrick Henry is healthy. He led the league in rushing in both 2020 and 2021, but only played eight games last year.
Can the Titans replace leading wide receiver A.J. Brown, who is now with the Philadelphia Eagles? They brought in veteran Robert Woods and drafted Treylon Burks in the first round to pick up the slack, so let's find out.
Derrick Henry landed at No. 12 on the NFL Top 100, but he wasn’t the highest-ranked RB. titanswire.usatoday.com/2022/08/29/nfl…
3rd place - Jacksonville Jaguars, 7-10
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a very interesting team. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence was supposed to be the best NFL-ready prospect since Andrew Luck, but ultimately posted a subpar campaign as a rookie. He threw 17 interceptions to only 12 touchdowns, and head coach Urban Meyer's approach certainly didn't aid the young signal-caller.
Will Lawrence improve under new coach Doug Pederson? Most likely, considering Pederson did win a Super Bowl with Nick Foles at quarterback.
Besides having a new coach, the Jaguars will be starting new players all over the field. They brought in wide receiver Christian Kirk from Arizona, Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff from Washington, and cornerback Darious Williams from the Los Angeles Rams. If that wasn't enough, they spent their two first-round draft picks on linebackers.
It will be a completely different team in Jacksonville, which is a good thing for Jaguars fans and a bad thing for the rest of the AFC South. The Jaguars won't be an automatic win for teams this season.
4th place - Houston Texans, 5-12
Who would have thought that the Houston Texans' third-round pick in 2021 would have outplayed the Jacksonville Jaguars' first-round pick last season? That's what happened. Davis Mills had more touchdowns, fewer interceptions and a much higher Quarterback Rating. Is Mills better than Trevor Lawrence? The stats might be misleading, but it will, nonetheless, be interesting to see how they measure up this season.