As things stand here just a couple of days before the NFL season starts, the AFC South looks like one of if not the worst division in the entire NFL. Of course, that all could change after the season starts – teams surprise and disappoint every year, so who knows what we’ll be saying about these four teams come December? Current odds list the Tennessee Titans as the favorites, with the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans behind ’em in that order. So, allow me to pass along a few thoughts on each team and where I think they’ll finish before the season starts.
Houston Texans
Texans fans, I don’t know what to tell you. The situation with Deshaun Watson is an absolute mess, the David Culley hire was just a tad bit questionable, and that’s on top of this team already having a roster in need of overhaul. I’m not even convinced that this team is ready for a rebuild because I’m not sure they’ve even bottomed out yet. On offense, they’ve added a couple of running backs to compete with David Johnson in Philip Lindsay and Mark Ingram. But, Brandin Cooks remains the most talented player on that Texans offense. It’s just a matter of who the hell is going to get the ball to him. They have one of the more underrated linebackers in the league in Zach Cunningham, and if Watson doesn’t factor in, he may be the best player on the team overall. Justin Reid is no slouch either, but damn this team has holes across the board. I would be surprised if the Texans don’t contend for the first overall pick next spring. Projected finish: 4th.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts have a damn good offensive line, a promising young running back, some solid foundational pieces on defense, and a damn good head coach in Frank Reich. A year after the Colts rode with Philip Rivers at quarterback, they elected to move on to Carson Wentz. They have some question marks at receiver, sure – but the big question for this franchise heading into 2021 is undoubtedly whether or not Wentz can get this team over the hump and to a deep playoff run. If Wentz plays up to his former MVP-contending levels, this Colts team will be a contender. It’s just a matter of whether or not you believe he’ll do it. Projected finish: 2nd.
Jacksonville Jaguars
I honestly have no idea what the hell to make of the Jags. The biggest part of me wants to call them a dumpster fire because I think Urban Meyer is going to flame out in a big way. Why? Only because he’s had a dumbass offseason – he hired a racist strength and conditioning coach, he admitted that vaccination status comes into play when making roster decisions (don’t get me wrong – I appreciate this, it’s just not a good look), he was running his first team offense in a preseason game like it was the Super Bowl, rumblings have come out that players are already a little tired of his methods, and of course…Tim Tebow. But, I’ll be damned if this roster isn’t loaded with talent. Projected finish: 3rd.
Tennessee Titans
This is the season. The window opened in 2019, and judging by the moves general manager Jon Robinson made this offseason, he’s well aware that that clock is ticking. Adding Julio Jones, Bud Dupree, Denico Autry, and Jackrabbit Jenkins should give this team the boost it needs to make a deep playoff run. In my opinion, this is the rightful favorite in the division, and the expectations should be high. Projected finish: 1st.
Outspoken Owen Reed and I dove into the AFC South and coming from a Titans fan’s perspective, asked ourselves what scared us about every team in the division. You can listen to that episode here:
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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