LogFAQs > #978719988

AFC South

1. Columbus Pioneers
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Tennessee Titans

The conference's #1 seed from a season ago brings back every starter from last season except for DE Henry Anderson (Ravens) being replaced by Jordan Willis. There probably aren't many DE pairs weaker against the run than what the Pioneers are starting, so that might be their achilles heel. Other than that, it's hard to imagine the arguably the best offense/defense combo in the conference being outside of the playoffs. The rest of the division is in roster transition, so they should be heavy favorites to win the AFC South again, especially having no injuries entering the regular season. They do not have an easy schedule though. They do not face a team that had a losing record from last season until Week 10 (Panthers) and the only in-conference team they face that did is the Express whose issues last season were well documented and won a playoff game anyway!

The Jags haven't had a great QB since Drew Brees, and now they hand the reins to rookie Jalen Hurts. He's surrounded by some pretty good offensive talent, though both starting Gs are injured, including one for the season. Rookie QBs can play strong right off the bat, so while Hurts is an unknown at this point, this isn't like starting a rookie HB and one can be optimistic about it. I'm more worried about the defense. Well, worried isn't the right word, but I feel it is a more of a concern than the offense, even though the defense has performed stronger than the offense in recent seasons. The secondary has moderately good talent, but there's no star there, and while the Jags have spent several 1st-4th round picks on DL in recent years, nobody has really emerged to complement DT Billy Walker and DE Cordero Moore. They are 33 and 36 years old respectively, so as a team that largely ignores free agency, they really need someone to help the team form their future at the line. That's a long-term thing obviously, but for the present season, they do lack run defenders outside of the aforementioned two. This is not an ideal division to have run defense problems. I think that this team can emerge as a potential AFC South champions if Hurts has a great rookie season, and my concerns on defense turn out to not be an issue this year.

The Colts have done a complete 180 to where I'm just confused on what to expect out of them. They went from an elite defense with a mediocre offense to a good offense and poor defense. It's clear that they haven't adequately replaced those that have retired on defense, especially in the secondary. Talent-wise, this is one of the weakest secondaries in the league as a result. They spent some resources in free agency to shore up some of their LB woes, so the front seven should hopefully be closer to their recent peak. Their OL has made some big strides over the years, and they traded for G Caleb Benonch and his 7 blocks per sack allowed for a career. HB Jamaal Williams has been one of the best at his position, and WR Tavon Austin has emerged as a good #1 option. The question on offense is now QB Baker Mayfield who regressed hard with a 69.8 passer rating and his first season without a postive TD:INT ratio (13:13). As long as he keeps his turnovers low, I'm not too worried about the offense this season. I think their playoff hopes all hinge on the defense. They do get to face the NFC South and with a third place schedule, the Chiefs and Jets, so the schedule is somewhat favorable in terms of matchups. The structure is all weird though as their final six games are at home, and they have a six game road trip in there.

The Titans have long had talent issues, but they've managed to put in some respectable records for the most part as of late, including 8-8 last season. I didn't agree with their decision to spend yet another 1st on a QB after the first two flamed out, but they had tons of cap space to get a bridge QB starter, make major improvements at OL and FS, and just get some much needed depth. While they can still do some of that, they sat out of free agency, giving them the weakest roster in the league. With what moves they can make, I don't think it will be enough the make them a true playoff contender, but maybe it will be enough to not make this a lost season.