AFC South Round-Up Has Jaguars Still Cream of the Crop

The AFC South turned out to be more competitive this season than anyone expected, but the Jacksonville Jaguars maintained their stranglehold on the division.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) greets Indianapolis Colts cornerback Charvarius Ward (7) after the game of an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Colts 36-19. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sixteen weeks into the 2025 NFL season, there were just 18 teams left in playoff contention in the league, nine from each conference. The AFC South represented a third of the remaining horses still in the race. No one could have seen that coming. Going into the year, this division was expected to be one of the weakest in football.

Now, it boasts two teams that no one wants to see in the postseason, and a third that's fallen from grace solely because of some awful injury luck. As competitive as the AFC South has turned out to be, no team has been more surprising than the Jacksonville Jaguars this year, who are the odds-on favorite to claim the division crown and host a game in the playoffs.

Three teams still alive

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) greets Indianapolis Colts quarterback Riley Leonard (15) after the game of an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Colts 36-19. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4, 3-1 in div.)

Last game: 34-20 win @ Denver Broncos

Next game: @ Indianapolis Colts

The Jacksonville Jaguars just keep reaching new heights. They've now won six games in a row to clinch a playoff spot in the AFC, with two weeks still left to go in the campaign. They can't get comfortable yet, though. The division is very much still in play, and for Jacksonville, so is the No. 1 seed in the conference and a first-round bye in the postseason.

The Jaguars have to take care of business in Week 17 to keep the Houston Texans off their trail, maintain their lead in the AFC South, and stay within the race for the first seed. They also have a beautiful opportunity to end the Indianapolis Colts' season and bring the demise of their divisional rival full circle.

Dec 21, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) passes against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

2. Houston Texans (10-5, 4-1 in div.)

Last game: 23-21 win vs. Las Vegas Raiders

Next game: @ Los Angeles Chargers

Jaguars fans would love to clown on the Houston Texans for their narrow win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but they can't, considering they needed overtime and a failed two-point conversion from Geno Smith and Co. to escape Sin City with a win in Week 9 coming off a bye. That said, the Texans' performance this past week certainly halted some of the momentum they had built up during their now-seven-game win streak.

C.J. Stroud and the offense struggled mightily against the Raiders, and their defense couldn't contain Ashton Jeanty. Perhaps it was a trap game, but if Houston wants to stay in the running for the divisional crown, it'll need a much better showing versus the Los Angeles Chargers on the road.

Dec 22, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) stands on the field Monday, Dec. 22, 2025, after losing a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images | Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

3. Indianapolis Colts (8-7, 2-2 in div.)

Last game: 48-27 loss vs. San Francisco 49ers

Next game: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The first time the Indianapolis Colts played the Jacksonville Jaguars marked the downfall of their incredible start to the 2025 NFL season. It was their third loss in a row, but they also lost starting quarterback Daniel Jones in that game. Since then, they've turned to 44-year-old grandpa Philip Rivers to save their playoff run.

So far, it hasn't gone well, with Indy dropping both games with Rivers under center. He's honestly played better than anyone could have expected, but that was an incredibly low bar to clear, and it hasn't been enough to run a functional, competitive NFL offense. The Colts will officially be eliminated from playoff contention if they lose to the Jags again in Week 17 or if the Texans get the win versus LA.

Dec 21, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) greets Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chris Oladokun (19) after a game at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

4. Tennessee Titans (3-12, 0-5 in div.)

Last game: 26-9 win vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Next game: vs. New Orleans Saints

The Tennessee Titans got the big momentum win they needed to carry the franchise and its fans through a long offseason by beating down on the reeling Kansas City Chiefs and their third-string quarterback Chris Oladokun. Even though they don't need a quarterback with Cam Ward already on the roster, this team has to be thinking about draft position at this point.

Any more wins could take them out of the top five. They have a decent chance to stumble backwards into another victory against the 5-10 New Orleans Saints in Week 17, if Ward ends up outdueling fellow rookie gunslinger Tyler Shough.

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