JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Despite not playing, the Jaguars were the biggest winners of the AFC South in Week 7. The Texans, Colts, and Titans had the chance to make ground on the Jaguars, but all three fumbled the bag. The Jaguars now enter Week 8 with a 2.5-game lead in the division at 4-2.
What’s gone right and what has gone wrong for the AFC South?
Tennessee Titans
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It was always a long shot for the Titans to compete for the AFC South title this season. But the Cam Ward experiment doesn’t seem to be heading in the right direction.
Ward’s four passing touchdowns through seven games aren’t what Titans fans had hoped for. He’s thrown for 200+ yards just once thus far. That said, they are competitive.
Of the Titans’ six losses, four have been one-score contests. Ranking 31st in points per game (15.4), 32nd in yards per game (248.6), and 30th in yards per play (4.6) has made it difficult for a defense that actually is much improved under Robert Saleh.
Saleh’s unit isn’t among the NFL’s best, but they can compete. Tennessee ranks 20th in yards per play (5.5), but the offense’s inability to stay on the field has left them to defend opposing offenses at an incredible rate. The Titans’ time of possession ranks 32nd in the NFL, three minutes behind the next closest team.
Indianapolis Colts
Since Week 12 of 2025, the Colts have gone 2-12. Once thought to be a divisional contender, the Colts are closer to competing for a Top-5 draft pick than the playoffs today. General Manager Chris Ballard was recently fired, and the Colts followed it up with the trade of longtime OG Quenton Nelson.
Daniel Jones is currently tied for the most turnovers by a QB this season, throwing seven interceptions and losing three fumbles. With Jonathan Taylor, the Colts would like to play with a lead and run the ball, but the turnovers have made that hard to do.
The defense certainly hasn’t helped their chances either. According to NFL’s NextGenStats, the Colts rank dead last in pressure rate, and it isn’t particularly close. They also happen to be last in defensive takeaways with just three.
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Houston Texans
Going into 2026, many expected the Texans to compete for the division title. They returned almost the entirety of the best defense in the NFL and hoped for Stroud to take that next step.
CJ Stroud has done just that and more, but the top-ranked defensive unit hasn’t held up its end of the bargain.
Once a vaunted defense, DeMeco Ryans’ unit is nearly unrecognizable outside of Will Anderson Jr., who’s in the running for Defensive Player of the Year. He leads the NFL in pressures (41) and sacks (7.5), while also placing 8th in run-stop win rate (30%).
Even so, the Texans’ defense is middle of the pack in nearly every statistic. Only forcing six turnovers doesn’t help their odds either. It’s their defense that has really let them down, leading to a disappointing 2-5 start.
Luckily for Texans fans, Stroud looks better than ever. Jags’ fans saw firsthand just how well he’s playing this season with a 312-yard, three-touchdown performance in Week 6. He is as locked in as any quarterback in the NFL.
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Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite not playing in Week 7, the Jaguars were by far the biggest winners of the AFC South. With five of their six divisional matchups yet to play, the fate of the AFC South is entirely in their control.
The bad news for the Texans, Colts, and Titans is that the Jaguars have the easiest strength of schedule remaining in the NFL. That said, the Texans are not too far behind.
The upcoming defenses are particularly weak, so Jacksonville could see another big finish from Trevor Lawrence.
The Jaguars defense has been as opportunistic as ever, leading the NFL with four red zone takeaways; however, they’ve been picked on through the air at times. The group ranks 30th in pass yards per game (273.8), 28th in yards per pass play (7.4).
Luckily, Lawrence and Liam Coen’s offense is dialed. Prior to the bye, Lawrence held the NFL lead in passing touchdowns (14) and just threw back-to-back 300–yard games for the first time since 2022. It feels like Bhayshul Tuten is also due for a career game any day now.
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