Who Will Win AFC South?
By: Kenneth Harrison Jr.
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
We are in October and the first quarter of the NFL season is in the books.
It’s almost too early to really know the contenders and pretenders. In previous years, teams have started the season 5-0 or 6-0 and still missed the playoffs. I’m going to try to determine how the teams in the AFC South will fare the rest of the season.
Jacksonville (2-2): The Jaguars are looking to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade. They drafted running back Leonard Fournette fourth overall. On the surface he’s doing well, tied for seventh in rushing with Devonta Freeman with 285 yards. He’s only averaging 3.5 yards per carry though. Fournette’s been a surprising threat catching passes with 12 receptions and 10.4 yards per catch average.
Coach Doug Marrone said before the season that he wanted to run the ball as much as possible. That’s a good strategy because quarterback Blake Bortles regressed last season and they realize he might not be a franchise quarterback.
As a team their very inconsistent so you never know which team will show up. In London, they dominated the league’s best defense, Baltimore and won 44-7. Then they lost to the New York Jets in overtime 23-20. The Jets have one of the worst rosters in the NFL.
Tennessee (2-2): The Titans haven’t been to the playoffs since 2008.
Last year they had a great running game lead by DeMarco Murray. This season it looked like Murray was slowing down and Derrick Henry was ready to take over.
Murray ran for over one hundred yards in a win over Seattle. Then they were destroyed 57-14 by Houston over the weekend.
QB Marcus Mariota rushed for two touchdowns in the game but left with a hamstring injury. So far, Mariota has not been able to stay healthy in his short career.
Houston (2-2): Rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson has taken over the starting role after week one. He looks like a seasoned veteran, throwing for 301 yards and 2 touchdowns at New England.
In the 57-14 win over Tennessee he passed for 283 yards and 4 touchdowns. He has weapons on offense like receivers DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller and running back Lamar Miller.
The Texans have been known as a defensive team for years and that has not changed.
They have elite pass rushers like J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. Their ranked sixth in total defense, giving up under 295 yards per game.
Indianapolis (1-3): Andrew Luck has not played this season. We don’t know when he will return but Luck is expected to return after week 5.
The Colts even with Luck are one of the least talented teams in pro football. The offensive line cannot protect the quarterback, which is why Luck is injured. They also need a young running back because they have Frank Gore and he’s in his twelfth year.
The defense is also terrible, ranked 31st out of 32 teams. Surprisingly New England has the worst defense.
Even when Luck returns, the record might be so bad that they can’t recover. I think they shouldn’t rush Luck back if he has not fully recovered. Indy will have a top five pick if that happens which would give them an opportunity to get an elite player.
With three teams tied for first place in the division, the rest of the season should be very competitive. I think Houston will win the division again because they’re the most complete team.
