State of the AFC South Following Week 14

How does the AFC South shape up after the last few weeks of play, and where do the Jaguars stand in comparison to their rivals?

There are just three weeks left in the regular season and the AFC South is now boasting just two teams that are in playoff contention. After 14 weeks, the division has two of the teams in the NFL with the worst records but also two of the AFC's best clubs atop of the division. 

Through 14 weeks, what is the state of the AFC South? What is each team currently offering on the field? We break it down here.

AFC South standings

1. Tennessee Titans (9-4, 4-1): The Titans and Derrick Henry steamrolled the Jaguars in a 31-10 game that wasn't really as close as the score even indicates. 
2. Indianapolis Colts (9-4, 2-2): Frank Reich's team lit up the scoreboard on the road in Week 14, beating the Las Vegas Raiders 44-27. 
3. Houston Texans (4-9, 2-2): Houston was handed one of its worst losses of the season on Sunday as their defense was carved up by Mitchell Trubisky and the Chicago Bears in a 36-7 loss. 
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-12, 1-4): Jacksonville lost its 12th straight game ina  31-10 blowout loss to the Titans on Sunday.

Jacksonville Jaguars

What to like: The Jaguars are having a terrible season in terms of wins and losses, but there have still been a few individual performances worth praising. In recent weeks it was Collin Johnson, and this week it is K'Lavon Chaisson, Joe Giles-Harris, and James Robinson. Chaisson had three quarterback hits on just 11 pass rushes on Sunday and showed a much-improved spin move. Joe Giles-Harris had a sack, a quarterback hit, and a tackle for loss, a performance that the team should keep in mind as they reshape their roster this offseason. Then Robinson continued his great rookie year by hitting the 1,000-yard rushing mark despite being limited for much of the day, becoming just the fourth undrafted offensive rookie to do so in the modern era. 

What to dislike: The Jaguars are turning back to Gardner Minshew II after Mike Glennon sputtered out, leading to the question of what Doug Marrone was actually thinking when he kept Glennon on the field in any of the last three weeks. Minshew was able to play in each of the last three games, all losses, but Glennon got the nod each time. He played solid against the Cleveland Browns but was a big reason they lost in Week 13 in Minnesota due to his turnovers. He then failed to get the offense going in any positive direction in Week 14 and the team instantly looked better as a whole when Minshew replaced him in the second half. Minshew isn't a franchise quarterback, but in what world was Glennon ever really a better option?

Next opponent: The Jaguars will next travel to play the 8-5 Baltimore Ravens.

Indianapolis Colts

What to like: It took a few months but the Colts have finally got second-round rookie running back Jonathan Taylor cooking with gas and making the offense more dynamic. Taylor struggled with his ability to break tackles and gain the tough yards for much of the season but he has exploded in the last two weeks. He carried the ball 20 times for 250 yards (7.5 yards per carry) and two touchdowns, including a 62-yard score. It was tough sledding for a while, but Taylor has started to hit his groove.

What to dislike: The Colts' defense has done more than enough to earn the benefit of the doubt, but they allowed a few big passing plays to the Raiders and Derek Carr that should maybe be worth noting. Nelson Agholor caught a 36-yard pass, Darren Waller caught a 29-yard pass, and Foster Moreau caught a 47-yard touchdown. With big-play threats in the Chiefs and Titans also on track for the playoffs, the Colts will have to fix their explosive play problem moving forward.

Next opponent: The Colts will host the 4-9 Texans in Week 15.

Houston Texans

What to like: Is there anything positive to say about the Texans other than their season will mercifully be over in three weeks? Deshaun Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL but even he hasn't been able to lift the Texans out of the nightmare that has been their 2020 season. With that said, the positive can be that even when the Texans are at their lowest, they are still able to dominate the current Jaguars. The Texans haven't had a season this poor since 2013 but they have beaten the Jaguars in six consecutive games, a jarring figure. 

What to dislike: It is basically a pick your poison here. It could be front office figure Jack Easterby's strange impact on the franchise, as explained best by Sports Illustrated here. It could be the Texans let Mitchell Trubisky have one of the most efficient days of his career, completing 72.7% of his passes and throwing three touchdowns. Or it could be leaving their star quarterback and heartbeat of the franchise, Deshaun Watson, in the game despite him taking a plethora of hits from the Bears' defense in a game that was far from out of reach.

Next opponent: The Texans will next play the Colts.

Tennessee Titans

What to like: Derrick Henry is elite and arguably the top running back in the NFL, that much is obvious. So instead of gushing about Henry and his complete dominance of the Jaguars, we will instead look at A.J. Brown. Brown has been one of the best wide receivers in the entire NFL since being drafted last season, but his one-handed touchdown catch against Sidney Jones in the first quarter on Sunday was an out of this world type of special play. 

A.J. Brown is built different. What a TD catch 🤯

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/Yyw1c6viB1

— ESPN (@espn) December 13, 2020

What to dislike: Despite the Jaguars starting two backup offensive linemen and going through two quarterbacks, the Titans failed to record a single sack. They simply don't have any playmakers on their defensive line outside of Jeffrey Simmons, and he is far from a dominant pass-rusher. If the Titans falter in the playoffs, their lack of pass-rush will have a big hand in it.

Next opponent: The Titans host the 5-8 Lions in Week 15.