AFC South is wide open for the taking
Of any of the eight NFL divisions, perhaps only the AFC South could legitimately be won by each of the four participants.
By doing simply process of elimination, it’s incredibly unlikely that the Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Arizona Cardinals are putting up a banner after this season. Boom. Seven divisions eliminated.
Here are the cases for each of the four teams in the AFC South as a potential division winner:
Houston Texans
If the Texans are going to win the South again, it starts with the offensive line. Last year, the group surrendered a league-worst 62 sacks, putting Deshaun Watson in peril on a weekly basis. Houston has to take care of Watson and then rely on a front seven that has talents such as J.J. Watt, Whitney Mercilus, Benardrick McKinney and Jadeveon Clowney. If the Texans can get a better performance from the offensive line and the defense continues to play well, there’s no reason to think they won’t be in the mix.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are going into the summer as favorites in Vegas, and perhaps rightfully so. Indianapolis finished the 2018 season with a 10-6 record and beat the Texans in the Wild Card round before being dismissed the following weekend by the Kansas City Chiefs. If the Colts are going to take the next step under head coach Frank Reich, it’s going to be about the defense stepping up. Coordinator Matt Eberflus did a terrific job, but there needs to be more pressure up front and much better coverage on the perimeter.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville has a chance to bounce back. The Jaguars finally got rid of Blake Bortles and replaced him with the competent Nick Foles. Additionally, the Jags had one of the best drafts of any team, adding a potentially elite pass-rusher in Josh Allen before nabbing tackle Jawaan Taylor in the second round. The defense should be terrific, with the main question being whether the supporting cast around Foles will be enough to win games once they get into the 20s.
Tennessee Titans
This is probably the toughest case to make. The Titans have a phenomenal secondary and the front should be of quality with Jurrell Casey and Jeffery Simmons. However, there are real questions about whether Marcus Mariota can ever become the quarterback Tennessee believed it was getting with the No. 2 overall pick so many years ago. It’s not or never for Mariota.
