Category: AFC South News

Titans’ division rival among ‘least improved teams’ for 2024

In a recent article naming the least improved teams ahead of 2024, one of the Titans’ division rivals was among them.

It’s officially that time of the year when analysts make bold predictions and claims about the upcoming football season, and Tennessee Titans fans will surely love this take from a Sports Illustrated writer.

The team over at SI recently published a piece identifying which NFL teams are the least improved. While this is the type of list Titans fans are accustomed to seeing their team on, the SI team has a surprise this time.

Each SI writer chose one team, and Albert Breer picked the Jacksonville Jaguars. Backing up his pick, Breer offered the following:

I was bullish on the Jags as a Super Bowl darkhorse last year, and that didn’t work out. And I think, on a few fronts, they spun their wheels this offseason preparing to open the vault for Trevor Lawrence.

They swapped out Calvin Ridley and Zay Jones for Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis. They signed Darnell Savage, who Green Bay replaced with Xavier McKinney, to take Rayshawn Jenkins’s spot. I like Arik Armstead on the defensive line, and Mitch Morse and Ezra Cleveland on the offensive line, but I’m not sure, especially given the age of Armstead and Morse, how much those additions move the needle.

Basically, Breer is down on the Jaguars because of the seemingly lateral moves made by the team.

The Titans contributed to the Jaguars’ lackluster offseason season by stealing away star receiver Calvin Ridley.  Another reason for Breer’s pessimism is the improvements made by the other three AFC South teams.

What makes Jacksonville’s offseason worse is how aggressive the other teams in the AFC South were in building around their young quarterbacks. That, of course, all puts a little more on Lawrence to make up the difference. I think he’s capable of elevating to the next level. But it’s tough being in a position where you need that to happen.

Titans fans certainly wouldn’t mind if Breer ends up being right. The Jaguars had a chance to make the playoffs in 2023, but a loss to the Titans in Week 18 ended any of those hopes.

In 2024, the Titans and Jaguars play for the first time in Week 14, and then again in Week 17.

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Ex-Titans edge rusher Trevis Gipson signs with Jaguars

Former Titans edge rusher Trevis Gipson has signed with the Jaguars.

Another one of the Tennessee Titans’ free agents has signed with a division rival.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced on Monday that they have signed edge rusher Trevis Gipson, who spent the 2023 campaign with the Titans. The contract details have yet to be revealed.

Gipson is the third Titans free agent to sign with a division rival, along with defensive end Denico Autry and linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, both of whom landed with the Houston Texans.

The 26-year-old played sparingly last season, seeing just 76 defensive snaps over eight contests. His lack of playing time was one of the more puzzling things to take place last season.

I had Gipson on the radar as someone the Titans could bring back, especially after Autry, who worked at both defensive end and outside linebacker during his time in Tennessee, left for the Texans.

The Titans have yet to address either position in free agency, leaving the team very weak at defensive line, and dangerously thin at outside linebacker.

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Titans-Jaguars Week 18 game confirmed for Sunday

The league announced that the Week 18 game between the Titans and Jaguars will take place on Sunday.

The Tennessee Titans will play out the final game of their disappointing 2023 season in Week 18 when they face the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

When the schedule for this season was first released, there was no exact date and time given for this contest. However, the league revealed that the game will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.

This matchup will have massive playoff implications, as the Jaguars can wrap up the AFC South with a win. But if they lose, the division will go to the winner of the game between the Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans, which will take place on Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.

When it comes to Titans-Jaguars, the statuses of both starting quarterbacks remains up in the air.

Jacksonville signal-caller Trevor Lawrence sat out the Week 17 game due to a shoulder injury, and Titans quarterback Will Levis suffered a foot injury on Sunday that knocked him out of the game early.

While not official, there’s a very good chance Levis doesn’t play, if for no other reason than putting him behind that offensive line is dangerous.

Jacksonville would likely beat Tennessee even if Levis plays, but there’s no question his absence would make things easier.

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AFC South standings going into final week of season

The AFC South standings going into Week 18 of the 2023 season.

The Tennessee Titans had a chance to hurt the playoff hopes of one of their division rivals in Week 17 but failed to do so after dropping the contest against the Houston Texans, 26-3.

With the win, the Texans kept pace with both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars beat the Carolina Panthers, 26-0, while the Colts emerged victorious over the Las Vegas Raiders, 23-20.

Despite having the same 9-7 record, the Jaguars remain atop the division over the Colts and Texans thanks to tie-breaker and can wrap up the AFC South in Week 18 with a win over the Titans at Nissan Stadium on Sunday.

However, if the Jags were to lose to Tennessee, the AFC South would come down to the matchup between Houston and Indianapolis, which will take place at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Now, a look at the AFC South standings going into the final week of the 2023 campaign.

AFC South standings as tight as can be heading into final 2 weeks

The AFC South standings remain very tight going into Week 17.

A few weeks ago, you could’ve made a strong argument that the AFC South was one of the best divisions in football. However, with just a few weeks left in the regular season, the division has now plummeted back to arguably the worst.

Despite the struggles, it’s still a rather competitive division that has three teams that are very much alive for the AFC South crown, with 75 percent of the division having identical 8-7 records heading into the final two weeks. 

Unfortunately, the Titans are the one team that is completely out of it. After being officially eliminated in Week 15, Tennessee followed it up by losing another close contest on Sunday to the Seattle Seahawks, 20-17.

Meanwhile, the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars all lost their games as well, squandering an opportunity to take over sole possession of first place.

Now, let’s take a look at where things stand in the cluttered AFC South heading into Week 17.

AFC South standings going into Week 16

The AFC South standings going into Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season.

The AFC South race is heating up after Week 15. Following the results of this past weekend, the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts now have identical 8-6 records with three games left to play.

Then you have the Tennessee Titans, who have officially been eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight season, which is the first time that has happened in the Mike Vrabel era.

The good news is, the path to a top-five pick is realistically there for the taking.

The Titans are one of five teams that own a record of 5-9 after 14 games. If things go their way, the Titans could pick as high as fourth overall when it’s all said and done.

The Titans were actually on the verge of securing their sixth victory of the year on Sunday, but sadly for them, they dropped a disappointing overtime game to a Texans team that was without a handful of key starters.

Tennessee had its fair share of positive moments, but not nearly enough to overcome horrendous play-calling, a disastrous offensive line, and an inconsistent defense.

The Colts beat the Pittsburgh Steelers by 17 points on Saturday afternoon, looking like a bona fide playoff contender in the process. Indy currently sits in the No. 7 seed in the AFC, one spot ahead of the Texans.

Lastly, the Jaguars lost to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, 23-7. The Jags managed to hold on to first place but they’ve now opened up the door for the Colts and Texans to possibly win the division over the final three weeks.

Now that all of that has been covered, let’s find out exactly where all four teams stand heading into Week 16.

AFC South standings heading into final 4 weeks of 2023 season

The Titans gained a game on each team in the division after their Week 14 win.

The AFC South sneakily might be the best division in the NFL this season. Three out of the four teams have a record of 7-6 or better, and two of them would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.

Despite the overall success of the division, Week 14 was a rough one for most of it, as only one team in the AFC South won a game.

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost a close 31-27 contest to the Cleveland Browns in which quarterback Trevor Lawrence didn’t look healthy, throwing three interceptions in a four-point loss.

Then, you have the Houston Texans, who got blown out by a subpar New York Jets team, 30-6. To make matters worse, Houston lost its young stars quarterback C.J. Stroud and wide receiver Nico Collins to injuries.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts suffered a 20-point loss to the Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals. It was an ugly all-around outing by Indianapolis, often looking flat and lifeless throughout the game.

Lastly, the Tennessee Titans found a way to win an exhilarating primetime showdown over a Miami Dolphins team that was favored by two touchdowns heading into the weekend.

Unfortunately, the Titans are the one team in the division that has dug itself into a massive hole, so any chance at a playoff run is somewhere between slim and none.

Now that all of that has been covered, let’s find out exactly where each AFC South team stands heading into the final four weeks of the 2023 campaign.

AFC South standings: Titans fall deeper into cellar after Week 13

An updated look at the AFC South standings after the results of Week 13.

The AFC South race is heating up after the first 13 weeks of the 2023 season, with. 75 percent of the division having winning records ahead of Week 14. Sadly, the Tennessee Titans are the remaining 25 percent.

The Titans lost a heartbreaking game in overtime to the Indianapolis Colts, 31-28, in a wild contest that truly had it all.

The game was riddled with whacky sequences, deflating injuries, and a devastating result if you’re a Titans fan. On the contrary, Colts fans are waking up this morning thrilled to see their team maintain their spot in the AFC South and playoff races.

As for the rest of the division, the Houston Texans found a way to come out victorious over the Denver Broncos, 22-17. Unfortunately for them, it came at the expense of losing their sensational rookie wide receiver, Tank Dell, for the rest of the season.

The Jacksonville Jaguars dropped their Week 13 game to the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime, 34-31, but the bigger issue was quarterback Trevor Lawrence suffering an ankle injury, that would force him to miss time.

Now, let’s find out where exactly everyone in the AFC South stands after Week 13.

Where Titans sit in AFC South standings going into Week 13

A look at the AFC South standings following the action of Week 12.

Week 12 was a crucial one atop the AFC South standings. The two top teams heading into the weekend faced off with one another, with the Jacksonville Jaguars narrowly beating the Houston Texans in a 24-21 thriller.

The Texans had a chance to tie the game late, but a long field goal attempt by kicker Matt Ammendola came up just short and hit the crossbar.

The Tennessee Titans finally won for the first time in November, edging out the 1-10 Panthers, 17-10. This game certainly didn’t earn the Titans any style points, and it also hurt their chances at a top-five pick.

Lastly, the Indianapolis Colts held on against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that gave them all that they could handle in a 27-20 game they nearly blew.

After 12 weeks, 75 percent of the AFC South have winning records, with the other 25 percent being the Titans. Scroll down below to see exactly where everyone stands in the division race heading into Week 13.

AFC South standings: Where Titans sit going into Week 12

Where the Titans sit in the AFC South standings going into Week 12.

The Tennessee Titans (3-7) dropped their fifth game over their last six tries on Sunday, losing in embarrassing fashion to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 34-14.

Tennessee currently owns the second-worst record in the AFC and is slated to pick sixth overall in next year’s draft if the season ended today, according to Tankathon.

75 percent of the AFC South has something to play for with December around the corner.

Then there’s the Titans, who are two games behind third place in the division and have their fanbase fantasizing about potential offseason acquisitions and subtractions.

As for the rest of the division: the Indianapolis Colts were on a bye, but they’ve slowly clawed their way back to relevancy with a .500 record.

Meanwhile, the Houston Texans won again on Sunday, beating the Cardinals 21-16 en route to their third straight victory.

After 11 weeks, the Titans are the clear bottom-feeders of the division. Let’s see how things shake out for the entire division going into Week 12.