State of the AFC South Following Week 7
The AFC South has seen better weeks than Week 7. With one team on a bye week, the other three teams in the division all walked out of Sunday with tough losses, leading to zero movements in the standings.
So what is the state of the AFC South through the first seven weeks of the season? We take a look at each team's positives and negatives here.
AFC South standings
- Tennessee Titans (5-1, 2-0): Tennessee came up just short in a battle of the unbeatens between them and the Pittsburgh Steelers, losing 27-24 in a back-and-forth game between two teams who will be in the playoffs.
- Indianapolis Colts (4-2, 0-1): The Colts were on a bye week in Week 7, making them the only team in the AFC South who didn't play.
- Houston Texans (1-6, 1-1): Houston has failed to build off the positive momentum they picked up when they blew the Jaguars out in Week 5. This week, they lost 35-20 to the Green Bay Packers in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates.
- Jacksonville Jaguars: (1-6, 1-2): The Jaguars lost to the Los Angeles Chargers 39-29 in Week 7, leading to the Jaguars falling to 1-6 with sixth consecutive losses.
Jacksonville Jaguars
What to like: The Jaguars made a lot of gambles this offseason when they dumped veteran talent. Among the biggest gambles was the release of running back Leonard Fournette 13 days before the start of the season. In his place, the Jaguars turned to undrafted rookie running back James Robinson, with few projecting him to play to the level he has so far. Robinson has been Jacksonville's best offensive player this year, rushing 107 times for 481 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and four touchdowns, giving him one more rushing score in seven games than Fournette had in 15 last season. Robinson is currently seventh in the league in rushing yards (third in AFC, second among rookies) while also providing value as a pass-catcher and blocker. Following his career-best performance against the Chargers in Week 7, the first game the Jaguars have even given him 20 carries, it is even more clear that he is the team's feature back.
What to dislike: It seems like a broken record to continue to harp on how bad Jacksonville's defense has been, but there is zero question that is is the worst defense the team has had since at least 2015, and potentially even before then. Jacksonville has now lost to two rookie quarterbacks, forcing one turnover combined against each, while also allowing 30 points or more in each of their six losses. The 1968 Broncos and 1984 Vikings are the only teams in NFL history to allow 30-plus points in six consecutive games in a single season, so the Jaguars have now found themselves in historically rare company.
Next opponent: Jacksonville has a bye week in Week 8. They will host the Houston Texans in Week 9.
Indianapolis Colts
What to like: The Colts had a bye week to regroup, but as of right now the biggest positive has to be the fact that the Colts are leaving Houston and Jacksonville in the dust in terms of AFC South standings. The Colts are currently projected as the 7th seed for the AFC Playoffs, and it is hard to see any other AFC team catching up to them over the course of the rest of the season unless the Colts unravel like they did last season.
What to dislike: No matter how well the Colts play this year, they still don't have anything close to a franchise quarterback on the roster. Philip Rivers and Jacoby Brissett are each serviceable quarterbacks, but neither is a long-term answer. Rivers is at the end of his career after nearly two decades, while Brissett is better suited as a backup passer. With the Colts continuing to look like a team that will stack up wins, they won't have a chance to select a top quarterback, either.
Next opponent: The Colts will travel to play the 3-3 Detroit Lions in Week 8.
Houston Texans
What to like: You might as well just make this answer "Deshaun Watson" at this point. The Texans were completely dominated for four quarters by the Packers, with their defense unable to provide any resistance whatsoever to Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. Most defenses struggle against that duo, but not to this extent. With that said, the Texans at least saw their own franchise quarterback complete 29-of-39 passes for 309 yards and two touchdowns, giving him a passer rating of 114.2. Houston's offense has been more or less anemic this season, but not due to Watson and his strong level of play.
What to dislike: Houston's defense has been horrendous this season outside of their performance against the Jaguars in Week 5, and even that game was more or less the Jaguars shooting themselves in the foot as opposed to Houston playing good defense. Rodgers threw four touchdowns, Adams had nearly 200 yards receiving, and the Texans recorded zero sacks and just three tackles for loss. The Texans have been unable to generate any positive momentum on defense, a trend that will likely continue for the rest of the season.
Next opponent: Houston has a bye week in Week 8. In Week 9, they will travel to play the Jaguars.
Tennessee Titans
What to like: Tennessee has played an easy schedule until Week 7, which saw the Titans matchup against arguably the best team in the NFL in the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Titans put to bed any questions about their ability to play teams with strong records with them fighting the Steelers until the very end of the game. The Titans went down 24-7 at halftime but we able to fight back into the game, scoring 17 points in the second half and stepping it up on defense while also making big plays on offense. The Titans didn't get the result they wanted, but they at least showed they can hang with the elites of the NFL.
What to dislike: What happened to Tennessee's defense? Pittsburgh is a good team, but the Titans have struggled on defense all year long and this continued on Sunday. Their once-stingy secondary is seemingly allowing completions at an easier rate than they ever have under Mike Vrabel, while Jadevon Clowney has yet to serve as a boost to the pass rush like the Titans were likely hoping he would. Tennessee still has a lot of talent on defense, but they need to start finding results sooner than later.
Next opponent: The Titans will travel to play the 1-5-1 Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8.
