One Thing Every AFC South Team Can Do to Win the Division
Photo Credit: Tennessee Titans
Here we are again, going over another division and seeing what they can do to win it and make the playoffs this season. Let’s get started.
Indianapolis Colts: Stay healthy, see Richardson develop as a passer.
The Colts find themselves at a crossroads right now, finally committing to drafting a new quarterback to insert into their offense rather than finding one through free agency or trade. They’re trusting Head Coach Shane Steichen and his track record of mentoring mobile quarterbacks and unlocking their true potential to get far this season. He did it with Jalen Hurts last year, why not Richardson this year. Either way, the entire rest of the team is still going to have to be healthy for Richardson to be able to succeed. Last year they were missing their two biggest pieces - Jonathan Taylor and Shaquille Leonard - for a massive part of the year, and both sides of the ball suffered because of it. Additionally, their offensive line took a step back and Matt Ryan finally showed his age, so that led to a disastrous year overall. If they want to leap from third to first, they have to stay healthy, the offensive line needs to step back up to what it was for Phillip Rivers a couple of years ago, and Richardson needs to show flashes if not a fully developed skill set by the end of the year.
Houston Texans: Defense. Wins. Championships.
The Texans are in a very tentative year at this point, not much is expected of them and they got two huge players in this year’s draft to help accelerate a rebuild. For Texans fans, hopefully CJ Stroud and Will Anderson Jr. live up to the hype and prove to be franchise cornerstones on both sides of the ball. With the hiring of DeMeco Ryans, the Texans have committed to their defensive growth more than their offensive growth; at least in the short term. With Anderson’s production combined with the development of defensive backs Jalen Pitre and Derek Stingley Jr., the Texans could make some noise and even leap for a division crown if enough things fall their direction. They’re a sleeper team to look out for, one that isn’t going to be as bad as many believe.
Tennessee Titans: Go back to what worked.
The Titans were an AFC powerhouse when they were under Arthur Smith’s offensive system, which involved running the ball, running the ball, and running the ball some more. Derrick Henry is starting to show some wear, with him not getting any younger either, but with the defense they have and the young core of receivers around Ryan Tannehill, they can make some noise if Tannehill can keep the ball safe and distribute it around behind an improved offensive line.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Coast with an easy schedule, light up defenses through the air.
The Jaguars have the easiest schedule in the NFL of division winners from last season, and the way their schedule is laid out, they don’t have to go through more than two hard games in a row. Also participating in the easiest division in football helps out with that a lot. Their offense should be even better than it was last year with the additions of Calvin Ridley from the Falcons and Anton Harrison from the Draft to help reinforce the line in front of Trevor Lawrence. Calvin Ridley is poised to explode this year coming off of a suspension that lasted all of last season, and will likely prove a major asset in Duval County. The Jaguars don’t need to do much more than keep rumbling, winning football games as they were last year.
The AFC South is Jacksonville’s division to lose, but with two young teams and a team that has proven success in the past, losing their footing could be catastrophic.
