Category: AFC South News

6 AFC South stories from last week for Titans fans to know

Some of the biggest stories from around the AFC South from last week.

As free agency slows and the build up to the 2021 NFL draft on April 29 continues, we’re taking a look around the AFC South to see what’s up with the Tennessee Titans’ division rivals, the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and Jacksonville Jaguars.

This week’s stories include the latest on Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, an evaluation of the 2018 trade between the Colts and New York Jets, and how new Jags head coach Urban Meyer is changing the team’s culture.

Read about those stories and more in this week’s trip around the AFC South.

Report: Former Titans C Kevin Mawae to join Colts’ coaching staff

Mawae spent the final four seasons of his career with the Titans.

Former Tennessee Titans center and Hall of Famer Kevin Mawae will reportedly join the Indianapolis Colts’ coaching staff in 2021.

According to Stephen Holder of The Athletic, Mawae will assume the role of Indianapolis’ assistant offensive line coach, a position previously held by Klayton Adams.

Mawae played 16 seasons in the NFL after being drafted in the second round of the 1994 NFL draft, including four with the Seattle Seahawks, eight with the New York Jets and another four with the Titans to close out his career.

The 50-year-old went to eight Pro Bowls (two with the Titans, six with the Jets) and was a First-Team All-Pro three times (one with the Titans, two with the Jets) before retiring after the 2009 season.

Mawae became a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2019 and was always a top-notch player at his position. His experience should be a valuable addition to the Colts’ coaching staff.

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Titans’ Derrick Henry reacts to Deshaun Watson’s trade request

Henry didn’t need a lot of words, but he hit the nail on the head.

There is quite a bit of turmoil with one of the Tennessee Titans’ rivals, as Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson has reportedly requested a trade from the team.

While it remains to be seen where Watson will end up in 2021, this is certainly great news for the rest of the AFC South.

The former No. 12 overall pick has wreaked havoc on the division during his four-year career, leading to impressive numbers and an 11-8 mark against AFC South opponents.

When asked about the current situation in Houston while appearing on the “Dan Patrick Show,” Titans running back Derrick Henry made his response about what it means for his team short and sweet.

Even with Watson, the AFC South was going to be a two-horse race between the Titans and Indianapolis Colts in 2021, but the star quarterback at least gave his team a puncher’s chance on a weekly basis.

Of course, without Watson, the Texans will be even less of a threat than they would have been with him on the team, and his departure will require a total rebuild that could render Houston irrelevant for years to come, and that will catapult the Jacksonville Jaguars to the No. 3 spot in the division.

ESPN predicts Titans miss playoffs, Jaguars win AFC South in 2021

Predictions don’t get much bolder than this.

After winning double-digit games and the AFC South in 2020, and after making the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, ESPN is predicting that the Tennessee Titans will miss the playoffs in 2021.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell made his predictions for all 14 playoff seeds for next season, and he has the Titans finishing on the outside looking in.

Here’s what he had to say about it:

The Tennessee Titans would be the highest-profile team to miss out on a return to the postseason. I’m concerned about Derrick Henry, who just finished the largest workload we’ve seen for a running back in recent memory. It’s tough to count on Henry to be quite as productive in 2021, and any absence or decline from the star back could impact the entire Tennessee offense. The Titans will also need to find a way to address their dismal pass rush despite entering the offseason $7 million over the projected cap.

So, who wins the AFC South in his eyes?

Believe it or not, it isn’t the Indianapolis Colts, either, but rather the Jacksonville Jaguars, a team that went 1-15 this past season.

Barnwell believes the Jags will go from worst to first in the division, ultimately finishing with the No. 4 seed — talk about a bold prediction.

While the Urban Meyer-led Jaguars should be more competitive in 2021 thanks to their young talent, cap space and likely new franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, saying they’ll jump both the Titans and Colts, two teams that are more proven and have a better roster, is a stretch to say the least.

Even with a big question mark at quarterback right now, the Colts remain the Titans’ biggest threat in the division in 2021.

Furthermore, while the Titans will have a tough time improving their roster given their cap situation, the vast majority of Tennessee’s elite offense will return, and it was the offense that carried the team to a division title in 2020.

Here’s a look at Barnwell’s full 2021 playoff predictions for both conferences:

AFC

  1. Kansas City Chiefs
  2. Baltimore Ravens
  3. Miami Dolphins
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars
  5. Buffalo Bills
  6. Pittsburgh Steelers
  7. New England Patriots

NFC

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  2. Green Bay Packers
  3. Dallas Cowboys
  4. San Francisco 49ers
  5. Seattle Seahawks
  6. Atlanta Falcons
  7. Los Angeles Rams

NFL moves Titans-Texans and Colts-Jaguars to later time slot

We have new start times for Titans-Texans and Colts-Jags in Week 17.

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The Week 17 contests featuring the Tennessee Titans versus Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts versus Jacksonville Jaguars have both been moved to the later time slot.

The Titans’ Week 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night triggered the change and now both Titans-Texans and Colts-Jags will take place at 3:25 p.m. CT as opposed to the original noon CT start time, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

There is a ton riding on both of these matchups.

If the Titans can defeat the Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston on Sunday, Tennessee would not only clinch a playoff berth but also the AFC South crown, its first since 2008.

However, a Titans loss would open the door for the Colts to grab the division title if they can beat the Jaguars. And, in that scenario, Tennessee would need help just to make the postseason.

Indianapolis is just hoping to make the playoffs at this point, as head coach Frank Reich’s team is on the outside looking and is sitting in the No. 8 spot going into the final week after collapsing against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We’ll see how things shake out when both the Titans and Colts take the field against AFC South foes on Sunday afternoon.

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AFC South standings: Colts keep pace with Titans ahead of Week 15

The Titans remain in first place via a tiebreaker.

The Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts remain neck-and-neck for first place in the AFC South after the action of Week 14.

Both teams notched their ninth win of the 2020 season on Sunday, with the Titans beating the Jacksonville Jaguars, 31-10, and the Colts earning an impressive win over the Las Vegas Raiders, 44-27.

Tennessee remains atop the division thanks to the division record tiebreaker. The Titans own a 4-1 record inside the division, while the Colts are 2-2.

Here’s a look at the updated standings:

1. Tennessee Titans (9-4)

2. Indianapolis Colts (9-4)

3. Houston Texans (4-9)

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-12)

The Texans have been officially eliminated from playoff contention, as they can no longer win a Wild Card spot or the division, further cementing that this is a two-team race for the AFC South.

The Colts will meet the Texans in Week 15 and a loss for Indianapolis would lock up the division record tiebreaker for the Titans. Tennessee has one more divisional game coming up in Week 17 against Houston, and a win in that contest would also secure the tiebreaker.

However, there is very little room for error for the Titans, as a loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday and a win by the Colts would push Tennessee to second place in the division.

Regardless of what happens with the division, the Titans have a great chance to make the playoffs. Per the New York Times, Tennessee has a 95 percent chance to make the postseason and a 64 percent chance to win the division.

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AFC South standings: Titans back in 1st place after pummeling Colts

The Titans also own the advantage in the tiebreaker over the Colts.

The Tennessee Titans (8-3) have regained the top spot in the AFC South after toppling the Indianapolis Colts (7-4), 45-26, at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

And with that victory, the tiebreaker for the division is no longer head-to-head record, but rather divisional record, where the Titans currently own an advantage with a 3-1 mark, as opposed to the Colts’ 1-2 mark.

Elsewhere in the division, the Houston Texans (4-7) crushed the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving, 41-25, while the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10) lost their 10th straight game at the hands of the Cleveland Browns (8-3), 27-25.

Let’s take a look at how things shake out in the AFC South right now, while also seeing what’s ahead for the Titans, Colts, Jaguars and Texans.

AFC South standings: Titans and Colts set to battle for 1st place

The Titans have a slim lead in the AFC South ahead of a Week 10 showdown with the Colts.

The Tennessee Titans were able to snap their two-game losing streak in Week 9 with a 24-17 victory over the Chicago Bears at Nissan Stadium on Sunday.

With the win, the Titans not only retained their spot atop the AFC South, but also created a bit of space between them and the Indianapolis Colts, who lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

However, both teams are set to meet in Week 10 and Week 12, so this division could very well be decided in the next three weeks if either Tennessee or Indianapolis can win both games.

In what was a battle to avoid being in the cellar of the division, the Houston Texans outlasted the Jacksonville Jaguars, 27-25, en route to sweeping both meetings between these two teams and grabbing sole possession of third place.

Let’s take a full look at where things stand in the AFC South and what’s ahead for each of these four teams.

AFC South standings: Colts pull even with Titans after Week 8

The Titans are barely hanging on to first place after Week 8.

The Tennessee Titans (5-2) suffered a 31-20 upset loss at the hands of Cincinnati Bengals in Week 8, which has allowed the Indianapolis Colts (5-2) to pull even with the Titans record-wise atop the AFC South.

The Colts took care of business on Sunday coming off a bye, as they trounced the Detroit Lions, 41-21, for their second straight victory and fifth in the last six games.

Meanwhile, the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars were on a bye in Week 8 and remain the bottom two teams in the division.

While the Titans and Colts share the same record, Tennessee still has a grip on first place thanks to the divisional record tie-breaker. The Titans have played and won two divisional games this season, as compared to the Colts having played and lost one divisional game.

Let’s take a look at where every team in the AFC South stands after eight weeks, and what’s ahead for each of them.