State of the AFC South: Week 8

It definitely wasn't a banner week for the division. Teams in the AFC South went 1-3, with the Colts picking up the lone victory over the Tennessee Titans. Yes, the division is easily the worst in football. But in a weird way, this benefits every team in the division, because no one is good enough to take control of the South.

Houston Texans (4-3)

Looking Back: The Texans took their two game division lead into Denver to take on the world champion Broncos. It also marked the return of Brock Osweiler to the team he left in the off-season. If you weren't sure that Denver made the right choice by not working harder to keep Osweiler, you should be sure now. Osweiler was horrific against the Broncos on Monday night (making his performance against the Colts all that more disappointing) as the Texans got thrashed. To make matters worse, the Texans lost Derek Newton to a terrible injury in the game.

Looking Ahead: The Texans return home this Sunday to face the Detroit Lions. The Lions passing attack has been extremely potent this season, and Matt Stafford his playing some of the best football of his career. The Lions quietly sit at 4-3 after a thrilling victory over the Redskins last week. The question for Houston essentially remains the same. Can the offense get on track? If it can't they won't score enough to beat Detroit.

Prediction: Give me the Lions here. Houston can't match that offense.

Indianapolis Colts (3-4)

Looking Back: And here the Colts are, back in second place. They got a huge win over the Titans on Sunday, which was also the team's first division win. The offense was fantastic, guiding the team to a win. It looks like the Colts should get Donte Moncrief back very soon, which will only help. The defense still had the normal issues of penalties and stopping the other team, but at least they aren't getting smoked as much as before.

Looking Ahead: The Chiefs head into Indianapolis this week. Kansas City has looked good at times, and they sit at 4-2 on the season. However, both losses have come on the road, where they hold a 1-2 record. The Chiefs have a good offense that can be explosive at times, and it's doubtful Alex Smith will make a mistake against the Colts defense. This looks like another one where the Colts will need to score 30+ to win.

Prediction: The Chiefs are balanced and boast a good defense. I don't know if the Colts can pull this off.

Tennessee Titans (3-4)

Looking Back: In typical AFC South fashion, the Titans let a golden opportunity slip through their fingers. A chance to move into a tie for first in the division, and a chance to drop the Colts to 2-5 (0-3 in the division) and effectively end their season. But it didn't happen. The Titans got behind, but couldn't quite generate enough offense to come all the way back. Marcus Mariota still looks like a solid QB, but the Titans reluctance to use a hurry up spread offense (sound familiar) seems to be holding the team back.

Looking Ahead: It's color rush time again! The Titans and Jaguars revisit their Thursday night clash from a season ago. This time, both teams are fighting to keep any hopes of a division championship alive. The Titans sit at 1-1 in the division, and need a bounce back win over Jacksonville. I don't think the Titans are more talented, but I think the team (specifically the defense) is better.

Prediction: Titans take this in a close and possibly ugly game.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-4)

Looking Back: The Jaguars were favored (how?) against the Raiders last week. That didn't work out. The Jaguars couldn't keep up with the Raiders and former head coach Jack Del Rio. Blake Bortles continues to be a turnover machine, and some players have begun calling out the fans. There's no joy in Jacksonville right now.

Looking Ahead: Like I mentioned, the Titans are up next for Jacksonville, as they have a chance to improve their division record, and move out of the basement of the division. For Jacksonville, it comes down to Bortles. If he can take care of the ball, they should win. The Jaguars have a more explosive offense than Tennessee, but they can't always seem to harness this.

Prediction: Like i said, give me the Titans.