AFC South
The Titans bounced back and resembled a Mike Vrabel-coached team, but there is a challenger on the rise…
Houston Texans – The Texans might not be the worst team in the league but they’re near the bottom. They’re competitive, but so far away from winning. See examples in Weeks 1 and 3. The one bright spot is Dameon Pierce who rushed for 80 yards and a touch.
Indianapolis Colts – Left for dead, no one saw the Colts taking down the Chiefs. Matt Ryan is getting absolutely destroyed by the pass rush but having both Alec Pierce and Michael Pittman back helped balance their attack. Rookie TE Jelani Woods surprised everyone with two touchdown grabs on his first two catches of his NFL career. The defensive effort might be the biggest shocker, especially since the team is still without their Pro-Bowl linebacker Shaquille Leonard.
Jacksonville Jaguars – If you told me that the Jags would beat the Chargers without Justin Herbert, I would have believed you. The defense is playing better and the offense has confidence in what they can be. But if you said that Herbert would be active, even with his fractured ribs hurting, I would be surprised at a 38-10 thumping in Week 3. And I am… shocked… to a certain degree. You can stream with the Jags defense; there is a lot of high draft capital spent building this defense. What is surprising is that all the newcomers on offense are contributing whether it’s Christian Kirk, Travis Etienne, or Zay Jones. It’s as if the woes of 2021 never existed. Trevor Lawrence looks so much more decisive with the football and his progressions. Let’s see if they can keep it up.
Tennessee Titans – This is what we’re used to seeing from the Titans. Derrick Henry getting 20+ touches for 143 total yards, Ryan Tannehill throwing and pushing ahead for a goalline touchdown, and Robert Woods finally leading the Titans in receiving yards. So they got to their bread and butter, but if they’re going to thrive, the Titans need to evolve. They’ve got to find a way to get Treylon Burks and Montreal Hilliard more touches.
