The AFC South could house the teams with the best and worst records in the NFL. Expectations are sky high for the Houston Texans and C.J. Stroud following his explosive rookie campaign. The Tennessee Titans are setting up camp at the other end of the division with the whispers growing louder that Will Levis and the Titans may simply be as bad a football team as there is in the NFL this season. Somewhere in between these two potential extremes sit the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
DeMeco Ryans took Houston from worst to first in his first season with the Texans. His quarterback returns with truckloads of accolades from his rookie season but also momentum as the praise for Stroud was deserved. Houston has added Stefon Diggs to a receiving corps that already featured Tank Dell, Nico Collins, and Dalton Schultz. Joining Stroud and Dameon Pierce in the backfield in Houston will be Joe Mixon. Nick Caserio has overhauled the defense signing 14 free agents headlined by Danielle Hunter recognizing that a team-record 46 sacks in 2023 was not enough.
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Fans may want to pump the brakes though considering Houston's schedule. Having won the division in 2023, they play a first-place schedule in 2024. That translates into games against five division winners, seven playoff teams, and 11 of 17 games against teams with winning records in 2023. Not one to put too much stock in an opponent's previous season? Then try on this list of quarterbacks on the Houston schedule this season: Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, Jared Goff, and Trevor Lawrence.
The Indianapolis Colts hope their second-year quarterback is healthy and can take a Stroud-like step this season. If so, Shane Steichen and co. may challenge Houston at the top of the division. The Colts otherwise enter the season looking not too different from last year's team that squandered an opportunity to make the playoffs on the final drive of the season.
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Chris Ballard and the Colts are banking on Richardson's health and maturity to get them over the hump and into the postseason for the first time since 2020. Just in case the sophomore out of Florida finds himself injured again at some point this season, Indy has signed Joe Flacco as his back-up. For better or worse, all the Indy eggs are in the Richardson basket without question.
Fresh off signing a five-year, $275 million contract, Trevor Lawrence takes the field for Jacksonville needing to take a step if the Jaguars are to compete in the South and get back to the playoffs. To assist his star signal-caller and All Pro running back Travis Etienne Jr., the front office has bolstered the offensive line led by the addition of former Bills' center Mitch Morse. Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr. join Christian Kirk and Evan Engram in the receiver room. If the line gives Lawrence just that much more time than a season ago, the Jags' offense should be able to move the ball and more importantly, score more touchdowns.
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New coordinator Ryan Nielsen brings an attacking style to the Jacksonville defense. Playing four at the line of scrimmage should allow the tandem of Josh Allen and Travon Walker to build on their 27.5 sacks of 2023. And oh by the way, Arik Armstead will now headline the interior of the defensive line having been signed as a free agent after a decade with the 49ers.
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