Sometimes things do repeat themselves and the AFC South is about to do it. With the Houston Texans on top, little has changed for 2024.
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Last season was a coming-out party for the AFC South. CJ Stroud, DeMeco Ryans, and the Houston Texans broke out in a big way to win the division. The Indianapolis Colts battled through growing pains and injuries to finish above .500 in Shane Steichen’s first season as head coach and with Anthony Richardson only playing in four games. Jacksonville…well the Jags disappointed everyone, but still managed to go 9-8 and battle for a playoff spot.
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Tennessee belongs in another category because the Titans are clearly turning a new page. They hired Brian Callahan as head coach and finally moved on from both Ryan Tannehill, officially, and Derrick Henry. They will likely take their lumps in 2024, but the team is aiming toward a new horizon. Is the AFC South still a dominant division? Who comes out on top in 2024?
AFC South Division Preview
Todd Salem – South Remains Unchanged
That’s how it ended up last season. But before it started, everyone assumed this division was going to be three bad teams and a cakewalk championship for Jacksonville. It didn’t work out that way at all. Now, all signs point to Houston cruising to an easy division title with the Titans bringing up the rear. Is it that simple? Well, yes, maybe it is allowed to be that simple occasionally.
It is hard to make a compelling argument against the Texans. They won the AFC South last year under a first-year head coach and rookie quarterback. Presumably, the team will learn and improve as those two men do. On top of that, the team added talent all across the roster. There is no better time to build than when a franchise QB is on a rookie deal, and Houston has taken advantage.
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I don’t see any logical explanation to believe the Texans will finish outside of the top two. Maybe Jacksonville really takes off and becomes the full team we thought they’d be last season. That is plausible enough, but Houston can’t fall farther than second even if that happens. The entire division is tiered in this manner.
Houston should finish first, but they could drop to second if Jax surprises. They won’t finish outside the top two. A sophomore slump could befall Stroud and the offensive system as opponents adjust, but head coaches and defensive mindsets don’t slump. This team has generated its own high floor.
The Jaguars should finish second, but they could jump to first if everything comes together, or fall to third if the offense continues down the bad path of last season.
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Indianapolis should finish third but could jump to second if Richardson puts together a full season. If he can’t stay on the field, a drop to last place isn’t out of the question, as this roster lacks skill position depth to raise up a middling quarterback. They won’t finish first in any reasonable scenario.
Tennessee should finish fourth. The Titans have a tough schedule, a rebuilt roster that just chucked together random veterans, with an unproven QB. It’s all stacked against them. Only Indy falling backward would conceivably raise Tennessee out of the basement.
1. Houston
2. Jacksonville
3. Indianapolis
4. Tennessee
Dan Salem – Houston Texans Can’t Be Stopped
I need to see more from the Texans in order to believe they can repeat their success of last season. That being said, I also need to see quite a bit more from Indianapolis and Jacksonville if I’m to believe they can be winning teams in 2024. The AFC South isn’t great, but it’s not bad either. Talk about a whole bunch of average.
The Jaguars are just good enough to keep their fans engaged, but not serious contenders. Maybe they get back to nine wins. Maybe. We know exactly who Trevor Lawrence is as a player and therefore we know exactly how sort of okay the Jaguars will be. I place them in third, because the Colts will be feisty.
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Indianapolis did quite a bit last season without Richardson and I expect fireworks from him in 2024. He’ll play at least ten games, meaning the Colts will be better in the wins column. This is good enough for second place in the division. The Titans are in last because they are rebuilding, leaving the Texans standing alone in first.
Houston is going to win the AFC South once again, but I think it will be uglier this time around. I won’t call it a slump, but opponents will not be surprised by the Texans this season. Houston is going to have to work a lot harder to win its division.
1. Houston
2. Indianapolis
3. Jacksonville
4. Tennessee
Meet our Writers:
Dan Salem is Lead Editor and Co-owner of BuzzChomp. He’s an award winning Actor, Director and Producer. Visit M Square Productions for his film work, or get lost in his old-school comedy on Pillow Talk TV. You can follow him on X, TikTok and Instagram. His latest film ‘Alone’ is now on Amazon.
Todd Salem is a Staff Writer and Contributing Editor at BuzzChomp. He’s also a champion of fantasy football and fantasy baseball, dominating leagues for over two decades. Comment below on his unfiltered opinions.
Houston Texans Photo Credits: wishtv.com and espn.com via Getty Images
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