State of the AFC South: Week 11

In terms of the standings, we didn't see much of a change in the AFC South. Although we did have some surprises. For starters, the division went 2-1 this week, the first time this season (I believe) that the division posted a winning overall record. At this point, too, the argument could be made that the South is no longer the worst division in football. One could argue that the NFC South and North (especially the North) could be taking a turn for the worse.

Houston Texans (6-3)

Looking Back: The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Texans won again, maintaining their control over the South, as they have now beaten each opponent in the division once. At the least, this guarantees the Texans that they cannot lose a head-to-head tiebreaker against any of the three teams. Again it wasn't pretty, but the Texans did just enough to take down Jacksonville. As with most teams to play the Jaguars, the Texans defense was able to give them a big boost with some key takeaways from Blake Bortles.

Looking Ahead: The Texans will become the third AFC South team to play a game outside the United States this week. They'll travel to Mexico for a Monday night clash with the Raiders. Right now the Raiders are firing on all cylinders, although the defense has been suspect. The Texans will need a strong showing from Brock Osweiler is they want to have a chance in  this one.

Prediction: Texans aren't going to win this one.

Tennessee Titans (5-5)

Looking Back: That was a surprise. I wrote that the Texans had a chance for an upset against Green Bay. But a 20 point win? I don't even know the last time the Titans scored 47 points in a game. It i worth noting, though, that since the Colts beat Tennessee, the Titans have AVERAGED 39 points per game. The unit appears to be clicking, which is bad news for the rest of the division. Oh, and Marcus Mariota was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week this past week.

Looking Ahead: The Titans head on the road for their second match-up with the Colts. Much like last time, this is a huge game. In an increasingly tight AFC South race, the Titans can't afford to drop both games against Indianapolis. The offense will need to have another strong outing if the Titans are to win in Indianapolis, a place they haven't won since 2007.

Prediction: I'll take the Colts at home in a squeaker.

Indianapolis Colts (4-5)

Looking Back: Colts were on the bye

Looking Ahead: As mentioned right above, the Titans come to town this Sunday. It's a big game for the Colts as it would bring them up to .500, and give them the head to head tiebreaker with the Titans. As always with this team, the key is with the offense. Two weeks ago, the Colts played easily their best game of the season against the Packers. They will need to replicate that if they hope to continue their dominance against the Titans.

Prediction: As noted, give me the Colts in a close one.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-7)

Looking Back: It wasn't pretty, and the Jaguars lost a crushing game to the Texans. It was certainly a winnable game, but the offense took too long to gain traction. The Jaguars aren't good enough to win if all cylinders aren't clicking. And on Sunday, the offense didn't click. It might be time to start wondering if Blake Bortles is really the franchise guy for the team.

Looking Ahead: The Jaguars will head off to Detroit to take on the first place (not a typo) Detroit Lions. Much like the Texans, the Jaguars will need a valiant effort from their offense if they hope to win. The Lions can score points, and Jim Caldwell has this team playing at a high level.

Prediction: I can't see Jacksonville winning this game.